Cats are extremely popular pets and many owners will often have more than one feline companion in their household. However, not all cat owners are aware that their cats’ social behaviour is very different from a dog’s social behaviour and the impact these differences can have in their health and well-being.

Cat societies, weather we are talking about two cats or ten of them, are mainly composed of social groups. In the wild these groups are usually formed by females who are related to one another and that live together cooperating in protecting, feeding and caring for their kittens. Males will often be on the periphery of the group, breeding most of the females in their territory and rejecting other males in general. They keep their distance from other social groups and they do their best to avoid direct physical aggression.

This means that they don’t have a hierarchical structure since they don’t necessarily need to cooperate in order to survive. As a result, when owners try to keep more than one cat in the same home, social compatibility becomes an important issue.

Cats that belong to the same social group will gladly spend time together, sharing the same rooms, enjoying the same resting spots, and grooming each other. Cats that do not get along will do their best do avoid each other. An owner with two cats can have two separate social groups in its home.

While this avoidance behaviour often prevents more serious conflict it will lead to chronic stress and it can condition a cat’s access to important household resources such as food, water or the litter box. A cat will actually drink less water if going to the water bowl means having to deal with a cat he or she would much rather avoid. Many house soiling issues can also be due to the lack of social compatibility among the cats in that area.

A common misconception among cat owners is that their cats get along because they will get together when you are feeding them. However, many cats simply tolerate other cats during that time because food is too important to dismiss.

Keeping all of this in mind, here are a few tips for homes with more than one cat:

• Provide your cats with multiple resources in different locations – provide different areas where your cats can eat, drink, rest and hide so that all cats are able to have individual access to these resources while trying to avoid another cat.
• Keep several litter boxes available, ideally one for each cat and one more on top of the total number of cats. Cats that belong to the same social group will often share litter boxes, which means that in some cases, less litter boxes will be needed.
• Please consider social compatibility when adopting more than one cat or bringing a new cat home. In general, young kittens, an adult cat and a kitten or two adult cats of opposite sexes are more likely to get along. Don’t rush introducing your new cat to the one/s you already have and if you need advice talk to your veterinary surgeon or to a qualified cat behaviourist.

Social harmony among all the cats in a household is key to prevent unwanted behaviours, chronic stress and future health problems.

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In general, we hear a lot about puppy socialisation and how this process is extremely important for the character of the adult dog. However, this critical and sensitive period is important for all species and this includes our feline companions!

Just like as it is with dogs your kitten’s first experiences are crucial and will shape its behaviour and personality as an adult cat. Cats that are not properly socialised are far more likely to be nervous, anxious and scared which will then lead to behaviour problems. Adequate and early socialisation on the other hand, will lead to friendly, relaxed and well-adjusted adult cats!

Ideally the socialisation process starts when the kittens are still with the breeder or with the owner of the litter. A kitten’s socialisation period is between 2 and 14 weeks of age. During this period kittens are much more open to new experiences and will handle them better.

During this time it is recommended for kittens to spend time with their mother and with their litter mates, to contact with different people (adults and children) and with other animals. Kittens should be exposed new things such as smells, sounds, places and new environments. Ideally during this time they can get used to all the things that will probably be a part of their lives someday such as litter and litter boxes, cat flaps, cat carriers, being groomed, household appliances, car trips or going to the vet.

They should also be handled frequently and gently in order to become friendly and approachable. Handling should include being lifted and gently restrained by familiar an unfamiliar people. This must be done in frequent but short sessions as you don’t want to force the kitten but rather gradually allow him or her to handle and feel comfortable in new situations. These experiences should then be continuously reinforced throughout the kitten’s life.

Providing a wide variety of positive experiences during this time of a kitten’s life will provide him or her with necessary life-skills to cope with their future challenges, will contribute to a stronger bond between them and their owner and will have a tremendous impact on its lifelong welfare.

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Many cats seem to love drinking milk and will react very enthusiastically when their owners offer them that treat. However, what many cat owners are not aware is that milk might not be the best thing for your cat.

Cats only really need milk when they are very young. To digest lactose, the sugar in milk, cats need an enzyme called lactase and this enzyme’s activity declines when cats grow up. After weaning, they gradually lose their ability to digest lactose, often becoming lactose intolerant.

For these cats this means that when they drink milk and the lactose in it reaches their intestines, it cannot pass through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. The lactose will remain on the intestines, drawing water from the intestinal walls and cause the gut flora to become unbalanced. By this time fermentation sets in and large amounts of gas are produced. All of this causes abdominal pain, occasionally vomiting and diarrhoea.

Some cat owners often try to offer their cats goat’s milk but it has just as much lactose as cow’s milk, so it is very unlikely to be any better. Our recommendation for all cat owners is to stop giving milk to your cat, if he or she feels abdominal discomfort or gets diarrhoea. The truth is that cats only really need water and good quality food to be healthy.

If your cat really loves milk and you are reluctant to deprive him or her of that treat you can always buy “Cat Milk” (lactose-free milk) from pet food stores, vets or supermarkets, which is basically milk that had most of its lactose removed and is less likely to cause these harmful reactions.

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 Cats and litter Boxes

Litter boxes and their management are extremely important for the health and well-being of the cats who use them. In fact, this is so important that there is quite a lot of scientific research on this matter.

When we are talking about litter boxes, owners must consider how many litter boxes they should have, their size, their location and how they are managed on a daily basis. On this post we will focus on how many litter boxes owners should provide to their cats and their size. We will approach the remaining topics on a future post.

In general it is considered that the bigger the litter box the better. It should be rectangular and at least 1.5 times the length of the cat from nose to base of its tail. This is very important as many of the litter boxes available at stores are often too small for an average sized cat.

If you are not happy with the size of the litter boxes you find in regular pet stores you can always find cleaver alternatives in home improvement stores or department stores. Concrete mixing trays, sweater boxes and under-bed storage containers can be excellent litter trays and if you happen to find a good container with a lid, you can even use the lid placed upright behind the litter box to protect the wall from the litter spread by the cat. The cat should be able to get in and out of the box with no difficulties, especially if it is an older cat or one with degenerative joint disease. Keeping this in mind you might have to cut down the side the box if it’s too deep. Please have a look at the example below:

(Image via http://jfm.sagepub.com/content/16/7/579.full.pdf+html)

The number of litter boxes is also very important especially if you have more than one cat. As a general rule households with one cat should have two litter boxes in two different locations. If there is more than one cat there should be at least one more litter box than the total number of cats.

If you have more than one cat at home you might need less litter boxes depending on how well your cats get along. Cats that belong to the same social group, which means that they will spend lots of time together and groom each other, will happily share the same litter box. On the other hand, cats that are not socially affiliated should really have separate litter trays to avoid stress and house-soiling problems.

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Reading this post might be useful if you ever try to help a cat that seems to be lost, in need of help or if an apparently stray cat seems to be trying to move into your home.

When you find a stray or lost cat it’s important to figure out if the cat is really lost or if the cat is really a stray. It’s not uncommon for cats with a home to roam often for days at a time. An average cat can roam more than 600 ft from its home, spending time hunting, visiting other people’s houses and managing territory issues with other cats. These cats as well as feral cats, who usually can take care of themselves, often look good and cared for.

Cats that are really lost and in trouble will often look underweight and have a dirty, un-groomed coat, as they often struggle to find food and shelter. These cats can be very friendly or in some cases be suspicious or scared, generally keeping their distance.

In order to try to locate the owner (if there is one), you can talk to neighbours around the area to find out if someone recognises the cat and you can take it to a local vet and ask to check for a chip. If the cat is chipped and if the data on the microchip database is up to date you’ll be able to find the owner.

If you are unsure if the cat has an owner or not and you are able to physically interact with the cat, a good strategy is to put a paper collar on it to try to contact the owner. You can find great collar instructions on the RSPCA website. Please click on the link below and have a look:

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You can also try to spread the word about the lost cat since in many, many cases these lost pets have a distraught owner looking for them as well. You can put up posters with a picture of the cat and your contact details, contact local vets and rescue centres since these usually keep lost and found lists and you can try to spread the word online. You can use social media networks like Facebook or local lost and found pet websites to try and reach the owner.

If you cannot find an owner and you are not able to keep the cat you can try to contact a local charity (RSPCA, Cats Protection, etc.), a rescue group or a local animal shelter. If you fall in love with the furry feline and decide to keep it, please make sure you take it to the vet for a check-up and to be chipped. A microchip is more than often a pet’s last chance of ever being returned back to its owner.

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Cats who are between 8 and 11 years old are usually considered middle aged and cats over 12 years old are considered senior. As years go by, there are quite a few changes you can expect to see in your older cat.

The first thing owners usually notice is that their cat seems to have slowed down a bit, being less energetic and spending more time napping in warm spots.Their eyesight and hearing may progressively deteriorate and their coat often loses shine. Their skin also becomes less elastic and it’s not uncommon for white hairs to appear.

There are several things you can do to help your older cat enjoy its golden years living a happy, active and fulfilling life.

Diet

Some cats might put on weight as they get older, since they are much less active while others might lose weight. This could be due to the fact that cats lose their appetite along with their sense of smell or due to some underlying medical condition. There are specially formulated senior diets available and prescription diets (if necessary) that can be of great help. Talk to your vet about the best option for your cat’s particular case.

Comfort

Older cats greatly appreciate a soft, warm and comfortable bed, preferably in a quiet place of the house. Litter boxes, food, water, sleeping spots and hiding places should be available and easily accessible to your cat.

It’s very common for older cats to suffer from arthritis or degenerative joint disease, a chronic painful condition that often causes mobility issues. If you cat suffers from arthritis having food and water bowls slightly raised from the ground can be very helpful. Litter boxes should also be large and low sided, in order for the cat to be able to get in and out of the box without any difficulties.

Take the time to help your cat with grooming, as older cats tend to groom themselves less and will benefit from the extra help. It’s also important to keep an eye on their claws. Since older cats are much less active their claws can grow too long and because they are curved, they can even grow into the cat’s paw. For this reason, in some cases, it might be necessary to regularly trim their claws.

Health care

Common health problems of older cats include arthritis, dental disease, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, heart disease, diabetes, lumps or growths (which can turn out to be either harmless or cancerous), dementia and reduced brain functions.

It is recommended for senior cats to keep up their vaccination and worming plans and to visit the vet for check-ups twice a year. It is not uncommon for owners to assume that a certain health issue is related to your cat’s advanced age when it could actually be due to a treatable medical condition.

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Kennel cough, or infectious tracheobronchitis, is a highly infectious disease of dogs that affects their upper respiratory tract. The most common clinical sign is a persistent, dry, hacking cough but some dogs can become depressed, develop a temperature and even present sneezes and a running nose.

Kennel cough is just a general term for contagious upper respiratory tract infection as this disease can be caused by several agents, both viral and bacterial. The most common pathogens involved are a bacteria called Bordetella and a virus called Parainfluenza.

Kennel cough is not a dangerous disease and has a very good prognosis. Most dogs will recover fully in a few weeks without any treatment. However, this disease can become more serious for vulnerable groups of pets such as very young or very old dogs and dogs that may be debilitated due to some other disease.

Despite the fact that dogs can handle the infection on their own treatment can help reduce the duration of the disease, the general discomfort and make the cough less severe.

This disease is highly contagious and will quickly spread between dogs that are in close contact with one another. The infectious particles (bacterial or viral) will travel in small droplets of fluids and mucus of affected dogs and they will spread it when they cough or sneeze. For this reason it is highly recommended not to mix a dog when he or she is sick with other dogs.

Any occasion that might involve gathering several dogs such as puppy parties, dog shows or staying in kennels is an excellent opportunity for the disease to spread around. Since the agent can survive in a dog’s environment for a long time, dogs can even get infected by walking through an area where an infected dog has been.

The best way to prevent your dog from getting kennel cough is to vaccinate against the disease. The vaccine is a bit different from regular vaccines as it is given as drops into the dog’s nose (intranasal). The vaccine is not 100% effective but it is recommended if your dog is going regularly into kennels, if it frequently comes in contact with other dogs or if you have many dogs in your household. Most kennels will not let you board your dog if or she is not vaccinated against kennel cough.

Most of you have probably heard of toxoplasmosis. It is a disease of cats caused by a microscopic parasite called Toxoplasma gondii that can affect humans. Although cats are the parasite’s definitive host, it can also affect most warm blood animals.

This parasite is extremely well adapted to its host and most cats infected with toxoplasmosis do not show any signs. Cats usually become infect by eating raw or uncooked meat containing T gondii cysts. This can happen when they hunt for rodents for example.

The disease also goes unnoticed in most affected humans, causing in some cases just mild flu symptoms. This disease can be more serious if the affected human has a compromised immune system, such as someone undergoing treatment for cancer for example, the very young or the elderly. The parasite can also affect pregnant women’s unborn babies. For these reasons, toxoplasmosis raises understandable concerns.

It is important to clarify that a human is far more likely to get toxoplasmosis from unwashed fruits and vegetables, consuming undercooked or cured meat, and from touching its mouth while gardening than from being in contact with a cat. The disease is not passed on by stroking a cat or through a cat’s bites and scratches.

The feline immune system responds very quickly after infection and cats will shed oocysts in their faeces for 10 to 14 days after being exposed to the disease. The oocysts become infectious one to five days after being passed and we can only be infected if we ingest these infectious oocysts. After a cat’s first infection they are very unlikely to shed oocysts again in their lifetime and if that does happen they will shed a very low number of oocysts.

If a few basic hygiene preventative measures are followed the risks are reduced even more and you have nothing to fear from your cat. These recommendations are especially important if you belong to one of the vulnerable groups (being immunocompromised, being pregnant or considering getting pregnant):

• Make sure you cook all meat thoroughly and avoid eating cured meats
• Please don’t forget to washall cooking utensils and surfaces that came in contact with any uncooked meat
• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly to remove any traces of soil
• Use gloves when gardening and wash your hands afterwards.
• Don’t feed your cat raw or uncooked meat and if possible, try to discourage him or her from hunting rodents and birds.
• Ask someone to clean your cat’s litter box for you. If this is not possible wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards. The litter box should be scooped every day and litter trays should be regularly disinfect using hot water.

If you have any questions about toxoplasmosis contact your vet and ask for advice.

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