Cat Behaviour Problems: People & other animals

Thinking about getting a new cat:

Question: I have been without a pet for five years and am really desperate to get one. I have recently moved into a flat and the owner has agreed to me getting two kittens. It is a second floor flat and doesn't have a balcony or direct access to the garden. I'd hate to get a cat and inadvertently be cruel to it by keeping it indoors all day. I could take it into the communal garden every day when I'm back from work. Should I wait until I can rent or buy a place with its own garden, or would a cat be happy to live most of its life indoors?

Answer: Some people may advise you differently, but I think an indoor cat’s welfare is severely compromised unless its owner makes a huge effort to entertain it and keep it constantly stimulated.

Even then, it cannot express many of its natural instincts and I always feel a little sorry for animals that never go outside, especially if you are young and active. Taking a cat out on a harness and lead is okay once they get used to it, but it is unnatural for a cat to be so restricted and to be so heavily reliant on its owner for protection.

Having said that, there are some animals that have been kept indoors that cannot be let out. Rescue centres near you may have pets that fit your circumstances, such as older, infirm cats, or some very lazy cats that don’t want to go outside much even if they can.

How about a house rabbit or a pair? Again, your local rescue centre may be able to help. They could go out in a run during the day and be in with you at night. They are easily housetrained and make very good indoor pets.

Question: I have two female house cats, Princess and Suzie. I live on my own, so they tend to be scared of anything that is unfamiliar. I would like to get a kitten as a companion for Suzie as Princess has heart disease and will probably not live for a long time. How would I introduce a new kitten with minimum distress to any of the cats?

Answer: If the two cats are scared of anything unfamiliar and one has heart disease, I would advise against getting a kitten.

Cats are not a social with each other as we would like to think they are, and they would naturally live in groups of related individuals who would lead fairly solitary lives.

If you introduce new cats to your household, you are lucky if they all get on well.

Usually, new cats are tolerated rather than loved and most cats find it very stressful when a newcomer arrives, particularly if it is a boisterous, active kitten.

If anything should happen to Princess, Suzie will undoubtedly miss her. However, a kitten, even if it has grown up by then, will be no substitute and the best thing you can do is to be a good companion to Suzie so that you can help her over her loss, when the time comes.

Question: Elfie is a one-year-old, female, spayed cat who I have had since she was 7 weeks old. I have a cat flap so she does go outside. I would like to get another cat, however not a kitten. Can you give me any advice on choosing another cat and helping them get along together?

Answer: Unlike dogs, cats are not naturally social creatures and often have difficulty accepting newcomers that they have not grown up with.

A kitten would probably be accepted more readily but if you cannot meet the needs of a kitten, an adult male would be best. Try to make sure that he is of similar personality to Elfie so that he is not more forceful or much weaker in character.

This may not be easy to ascertain, but staff at the rescue centre or the owners who are giving him up should have a good idea. When you first him home, give him his own room for a few days and swop their scent by stroking them both with the same cloth. Let him out for supervised visits and let them get to know each other gradually.

Feed them seperately at first and give them separate litter trays, as well as hiding places and high shelves to retreat to. As they become more familiar with each other, slowly move their food bowls closer together. Don’t force them together but allow it to happen slowly, and, hopefully, they will gradually get to know each other and eventually become friends.

You may like to read What is my Cat Thinking? for more information on understanding cats & other animals and why territory is so important to them

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