We thought
we’d share this lovely tale of four cats Garbine, Venus, Roger and Galiliee.
These four came into the centre this month after the farm they lived on was
sold which left them homeless. These four were very friendly, affectionate,
sociable cats so they could leave farm life and go into warm cosy homes.
 |
| Roger |
 |
| Garbine |
 |
| Galilee |
 |
| Venus |
Garbine liked
to sunbathe a lot on the farm as a result she sadly lost her ears due to the
sun damage. Her new look didn’t worry her. After spending a few weeks with us
seeing our vet and waiting for someone to choose them, they found their perfect
home. Not one but all four of them, which doesn’t happen very often. We have
already had news on how they are getting on; we would like to thank their
owners for giving all four of them a loving home and for getting in touch with
us….
“I
thought you'd like to see how Roger, Galilee, Venus and Garbine are getting on.
As you can see they are all very happy to be together, they often clean each
other and share their beds! It's almost as if they have all remembered each
other and are delighted to be reunited. They haven't gone outside yet, they are
still exploring the house, which they all seem to be enjoying very much! They're
eating very well, particularly Venus, she's definitely into her food. But the
others too never leave anything in their dishes. They particularly like the
little tins of Gourmet Gold.”
Cats Living Together
Domestic
cats are similar to the Africian wildcat in that they still have an inherent
desire to be solitary hunters and maintain a territory. However, they can live
well together in circumstances when…
- They perceive each other to be in the
same social group and - There are sufficient resources provided for them to avoid competition.
Cohabiting
While some
cats can form very strong social bonds, sometimes cats living in the household
do not perceive each other to be in the same social group.
- Some cats will “block” access to
food, water and litter trays from other cats they live with. This is done very
subtly so owners often do not notice and it can be very stressful for the
affected cat.
- Some cats operate a more tolerant “time
share” system where one cat may use a particular area in the morning and the
other will then use that area in the afternoon, for example
- Others may live separately in a
particular area of the house. For example, one cat may live upstairs, while the
other cat lives downstairs.
Same social group?
Signs of
aggression and conflict are not the only way to tell that cats are in different
social groups. The signs can be subtle, so you need to look for the positive
signs of social interaction.
Cats are in
the same social group if they sleep touching each other and spend time rubbing
and grooming each other, sharing and reinforcing their common scent. There is
nothing more endearing that seeing two cats choosing to cuddle up with one
another.
If you have
more than two cats, you may find you have more than two social groups – in fact
it is quite possible to have six cats and five or six social groups within
them. This is more likely to happen if they were introduced as adults, were
forced to interact too quickly and given insufficient resources. Even sibling
cats may not necessarily remain in the same social group and may drift apart as
they approach social maturity between 18 months and 4 years of age.
Resource placement
Cats in one
social group are best provided with separate food, water and litter trays from
cats which are in a different social group. Place these in a different part of
the home. In fact, it may even be a good idea to feed cats in the same social
group in different areas to reduce the risk of relationship breakdown.
Important resources for cats
- Food and water. Cats like to drink
away from where they eat, so place the food and water bowls in separate areas
sited away from the litter tray.
- Somewhere to hide. It is very
important for cats to have somewhere to hide – for example a cardboard box in
its side or under the bed.
- A viewing platform. Cats love to view
their surroundings from a height. You could offer access to high spots for
example shelves, on top of a wardrobe or window sills. Ensure easy access by
placing a stool nearby.
- Somewhere to sleep – igloo beds,
cardboard box, blankets in elevated places
- A scratching post – try placing this
near to where the cat sleeps as they often like to stretch and scratch after
they wake up
- Litter tray – placed away from food
and water bowls. (SOURCE: Cats Protection)
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