Families which have many cats
It is not a difficult task to keep the house where there are many cats. In most cases cats get accustomed to each other during some time. But there are some ways to help them in solving that problem. And we’ll share them with you.
Cat’s litter boxes
If the litter box is used by two or more cats you must keep it clean even more carefully than usual. The best way is to have the single litter box box for each cat but sometimes it takes too much place. But if you have many cats you’ll need some boxes. In the houses where there are many cats you must follow the rule: to clean the litter box as many times a day as many cats you have. If you have two cats then clean it twice. If three - three times. Such cleaning becomes necessary if the number of cats grows. it’s the dirty work but you must do it. In any case it is better than to clean the carpet from cat’s urine.
If you find that one of the cats makes mistakes but you don’t know which of them try to feed each cat separately and add to the food different food colors. Then you’ll see which cat is responsible for the mistakes.
Also you may lock the cats for the some days in the separate room one after another. If the mistake stops you’ll know that either the cat which is to blame or the cat-instigator is locked now. The latter can be not only the cat that did that mistakes but, perhaps, it terrorized its neighbor that caused mistakes.
Appearing of new cat
Think about the opportunity of appearing a new cat in your house. Maybe your friend will do it or, if it is impossible, take it in the container into its new room and only then open the box and let it come out. Approximately in an hour you may open the door and get to know about the first impression your cat has. If you are in trouble put the cat into the cage again for the period of acquainting. Then your cats will have the opportunity to smell over each other without any problem.
As a rule, when you are dealing with cats, you should take this situation from the point of view “time will show”. Some cats become friendly quickly but the other need some weeks or even months. Don’t worry about them before the blood appears. Let them solve their problems themselves.
For getting some more information about taking the new cat into the old company read chapter "Meeting the other pet". If the new cat appears in your house you should better follow the advice “Hope for better and be ready for worse”.
Territory
Cats prefer to have their own territory. If you provide your new cat with some place to walk about the higher places it will be good help for it. When cats are subjected stress, they tend to go somewhere higher, if it is possible.
If you furniture doesn’t provide such an opportunity, think how to build or buy the special stand from floor to ceiling with highly-situated balcony on it which is necessary for increasing the territory for your pet. It won’t only help your new cat to hide but also help it to keep itself as far as it possible from the territory of your old cat.
Remember that your old pet will have to divide the part of its territory in favor of the new cat in the best case, but in the worst one - to lose the part of the territory. Neither the first variant nor the second one is pleasant for your old cat. That’s why you shouldn’t restrict it in time of getting accustomed.
The main aim of scratching of the furniture is to mark the own territory, you can wait for some increasing of activity which connected with the appearing of new cat. If you put the stands for scratching on the territory of each cat in the most critical places it will help you to concentrate cats' attention on the special surface. The places where the possibility of scratching in the most really are situated near the door to the place of imprisonment of the new cat (to the both sides of the door), near the entrance of favorite room of the old cat and also near its favorite “bedroom”. The best way to control the situation is to restrict its bad behavior and to lead the attention of cats to other places and also to reward them for the good behavior.
The punishment very seldom gives the good results at any times, and the punishment of the cat which is nervous always gives negative results and even more problems to you!
Feeding
If you keep some cats together, then without any doubts you’ll have the wide range of appetites. Almost each group of cats includes its own glutton.
If you feed some cats with separate menus of diving food to them for all the time it will help you to avoid the difference in style and needs in food easily. The best way is to feed each animal from the separate plate. First of all put the food to the cats which eat slower than the others and then put it to those who eat quicker than the others. Of course, your glutton will wish to eat from the plate of slower cat. You may easily avoid this if you take him from its plate away and show his own plate. Usually it makes him to concentrate his attention on the plate you've given to him and to forget about his previous hopes. So you may make your cats finish their feeding in the some time.
Putting the plate which is prepared for one of the cats on the floor call that cat by its name. If you do this approximately for one week your cats will eat on the time-table you've made. Here is one more way out: feed your glutton in the separate room.
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