multiple cat households? how to manage!

[regalace]

Up until recently, I lived alone with my elderly, extremely quiet only-child cat. Then old cat died, and subsequently my BF has moved in with his SEVEN cats. None of whom are old or quiet. They are all nice, lovely, sweet kitties.

But still, they are SEVEN cats. And they’re all indoor-only, too, because our neighborhood is near a park that tends to attract strays, so they’d surely get in fights or be caught by some other neighbors who trap and remove the strays. For awhile we had some of them staying in the large workshop, and only a few at a time in the house, but it’s very cold right now and really, is that any way for a pet to live, locked up in a shed?

I’m pleased that we’ve found some good useful tricks–like feeding in the bathtub of the spare bath, to reduce mess. And using Rubbermaid tubs with high sides as litter pans, so the very tall boy cats don’t pee over the side.

But yesterday they were all screeching and chasing and smacking one another like bored kids. Cat herd management, I know nothing. These are the same cats who will sleep all together in a pile on the bed, or groom one another. I get that they’re bored, but they have oodles of toys, they can look out the windows or watch the lizard cage, how do we keep them from the silly spats?

And they jump on EVERYTHING. I love watching them, they are sooo athletic, but get off the top of the kitchen cabinets, FFS. Nothing is safe from these flying monkeys!

And one of the two males (they’re all snipped) has sprayed the kitchen door a few times. We’re keeping it very clean, and at least he’s super obvious so we know when he’s done it, but it needs to stop. I’m not sure whether scolding would deter him or just make him more subtle. We’ve gotten a Feliway diffuser so maybe that will help.

Anyone have any good tips for multi-cat households? They are lovely cuddly little beasties but it really is like having a bunch of kids sometimes.

[enjoytheride]

Well since these are step cats they might not be open to listening to you so I would talk to your BF about putting the smack down on some of their behavior and having him tell them to respect you.

On the other hand I only have one lap and my cats will pick a fight with the other cat on my lap to remove them and take over. It gets a little old.

[NoDQhere]

Is there a way you could build them an outside run/cat paddock? I have a friend who did this and her cats love it. They have access to their run through a window mounted cat door and can come and go as they please. Cats aren’t hard to contain as very few cats will dig. The small opening poultry mesh wire will hold them. As long as there is a top on the pen as cats can climb wire very easily.

We are a large farm so have working cats. (More than 7:). But I am the crazy cat lady who can’t stand the thought of one of them being shut out in the cold. So I have a cat door in my house door that opens onto an enclosed porch. From the porch is another cat door that opens into a tunnel so the weather can’t blow into the porch. Everyone is free to come and go 24/7 and this has greatly reduced conflicts. I also have a nice cage along one wall of my house so troublemakers get “cage time” if needed. The only time we get trouble making is during cold miserable weather, like we have lately.

[Preposterous_Ponies]

This all sounds like normal cat stuff to me! Screeching, chasing, and smacking is what kitties do when they get the “cat crazies”. Just be glad you have multiple cats so that they don’t take it out on you!

I have only three cats (and the rabbit, who also partakes in the cat crazies). Having them run across your head at 3am yowling becomes endearing… sort of.

[GraceLikeRain]

I spent a few weeks with 7 cats (2 adolescent ferals, 1 adult feral, 3 feral kittens, and 1 former feral) in a 2 bedroom duplex. We couldn’t follow the rule of every cat gets a litter box + 1 but we managed to have 5 litter boxes that were cleaned at least twice a day. Spraying could be caused by not enough litter boxes or a cat perceiving the box isn’t clean enough.

Could you try separating the herd into manageable sub groups? Bring out 3 active cats for play time, laser pointer, etc. Then those cats go up and another lower energy group comes out. Once both groups seem tired, everyone has free run to hang out?

[saje]

I have 9 cats in a 1500 sq ft house, 3 who were outdoor only cats before we moved here in July. Here’s what I’ve done to reduce the mayhem:

Auto litter boxes - I have 2 Cat Genie washing boxes, 1 Litter Robot that needs the bag emptied every 3 days or so, and 1 old fashioned box w/ pine pellets.

Outdoor cat yard- I got a Purrfect Fence, and the cats have a door insert in my office window so they can come and go as they please. I have a couple houses, a chair, scratching post, logs, cement rolling pads out there, and I move things around for interest. They also use a few spots as toilets, which saves wear and tear on the inside boxes.

Ssscat air spritzer deterrents - great for keeping them away from things they shouldn’t jump on or areas they want to pee on.

Feliway diffusers and spray - helpful when somecat starts getting picked on, or because of some upset (new feral prowling, workmen in the house) the sensitive ones get stressed.

Canned food nose count every other night or so - I started it when I had outdoor cats I wanted to keep tabs on, I’ve found it useful still to keep an eye on how everyone is doing. I think it also helps give them the idea that being all together isn’t always a bad thing, it means yummy stuff too.

Lots of Nature’s Miracle, vinegar, and diligence - once a week at least I do a perimeter wall check, spray and rags in hand. When we first moved in I did it every day and cleaned spots up instantly and thoroughly, and put a Ssscat spray near spots that were repeats. And when I say check, I mean on my hands and knees and with a flashlight for dark corners. I did NOT want anyone making a habitual spot!

The he only exception to the above was/is a closet door in the back room. The door is painted w/ chalkboard paint (was a kid’s room) and is pretty impervious. I put puppy pee pads under it, just sticking out enough to catch drips. For a while it was being used a lot, but I think now they have the bushes out in their yard to spray on and (knocking hard on wood and crossing everything) I haven’t had a major problem in a while.

I’ve given up on soft bath mats, I now use the bamboo slat kind. Husband knows that if he leaves his grubby clothes on the bathroom floor and they get marked that it ain’t MY fault

So that’s my 2cents for a happy catful household. Apologies for not making links to the products, I’m on the iPad and that sort of thing tends to crash it if I get too tricky w/ back and forth tabs. Hope some of my blather is useful!

[alto]

@regalace;7356385

We’ve gotten a Feliway diffuser so maybe that will help.

If you’re expectng this to be effective, read the fine print re square footage, you likely would do better also using the spray (treat hi-risk areas daily) & collars.

If you want the beasties to stay off the counters etc, then you need to ensure there is NO reward for counter surfing, just dull, dull space.

Take a look at Habitat Haven for inspiration - I’ve seen photos for an indoor version but can’t seem to find it.

[Hippolyta]

I have always thought the expression “fight like dogs & cats” was funny. Our dogs & cats never fought. The expression should be fights like cats & cats.

Do you have a cat tree? I think this is a necessity with so many. With 7 cats, I think you need at least two. They need to be able to get away from each other & feel safe. They can do that with height. This may also help with climbing on things.

You can get some cheap ones, or make your own. They even have wall shelves

http://www.catsplay.com/cat-furniture-types/cat-wall-climbing-systems
I can manage three, but 7 is a handful. Good luck!

[regalace]

Thanks, all! We have the materials to make a cat run but haven’t had time to put it together yet. I’d love to have that Purrfect Fence around the whole yard, but it’s a very large yard and I just don’t have the money for it. Good to know it works well, though. Stupid question–how large a mesh is too large for cats? Would 2" chain link hold them? I have some of that the previous house owners left in the shed.

We don’t have any cat trees but we have a lot of tall furniture they can climb. Bookshelves, storage bins, the top of the fridge, etc. I don’t care if they’re on those places. I’d rather they weren’t on the kitchen counters, but realistically, they will be.

It’s good to know the Feliway works–yes, I see the diffuser has a relatively small range. We’ve plugged it in near the door that has been getting sprayed. I’m a little cautious about using collars, but that seems to bring the calming effect right to the source! Has anyone used the “No Mark!” products to repel and discourage spraying?

I’m trying to handle the cats more and do hands-on individual play and training. They’re all very affectionate and fun! It’s just that their motivations are SO different from horses or dogs.

[mvp]

Yes, 2" chain link will hold cats.**

Otherwise, you should know that the occasional stampede is a normal, fun thing to do for a cat herd. They sound great and “thundering cat hooves” (as they are called in my family) is accepted as a cool, unexpected expression of pure joy. We more staid and cynical humans like watching it.

** 2" holes won’t, however, hold an octopus…… even a large one.

[saje]

We have the Thundering Paws Of Doom & Cat Town Races here

[betsyk]

We have 6 now. We are crazy, and it was a blended household, and we will never do it again. They’ve had various stages of happiness and unhappiness. Unhappy cats are really the same as unhappy humans. Cats that spray are unhappy cats.

I would start by trying to figure out why the sprayer is spraying. Litter box problems? physical problems, like crystals or a uti? stressed from the move? someone picking on him? needs more time with his human?

Remedy all the things you can possibly fix. Keep observing behavior and interactions. They’re almost as interesting as horses! we call it kittyvision.

You will feel like you’re bending over backwards to make the cats happy, but the alternative is bending over to clean up pee, and tear up carpets, and replace floors and woodwork and drywall. We had to tear an entire small bathroom down to the studs because we hadn’t realized the cats were using it as a bathroom, too, without a litter box. (Close off any areas of the house that you don’t regularly use!) Nature’s Miracle is your friend. Buy it by the gallon.

As far as letting them play outside: My cat (I claim one of the six as mine) resembles a rugby ball with feet. He’s too fat to climb the fence, so he’s allowed out in the back yard with the dogs - 4’ chain link, typical dog fence. He will occasionally try to squeeze underneath but seldom succeeds. Our others wouldn’t hesitate to simply scale the fence and leave if they felt like it. Be sure any enclosure you create has a secure roof or some sort of closed top!

[Big_Grey_hunter]

Clipping nails (to prevent bloody spats), spray bottle for discipline, and running through the house with string/rope/ribbon/etc for exercise. And don’t worry about the spats! Little nicks and scrapes can be prevented by keeping their nails short. However, if there is major blood, separate the attacker ASAP. A cat who wants to do serious damage will only escalate.

[LJStarkey]

I’ll add one more tip for you: A cat fancier friend of mine turned me on to a product called Kennel Odor Eliminator (KOE). I mix a quarter teaspoon into a spray bottle with water and use it liberally and daily in cat pans, favored marking areas, etc.

I got it online, but your local pet store might have it in stock.

As for the cat spats – I got nothin. Cats be cats.

[saje]

Nail trims! Yes! I forgot about those I do it about once a month.

I added it up the other day - if I do all the cats and the two dogs one after the other, I have 193 claws to trim*!

*Yes, it ought to be 198, but one dog is a tripod

[Ruth0552]

Well how big is the house? If you have a 4,000 sq ft house and each cat can have his own damn room then there’s no reason for everyone to not get along.

You do need a lot of litter boxes. Number of cats + 1.

I have 6 right now, including the foster cat in the semi-finished basement.

They are a blended household and unfortunately I have 2 that do not get along with 1 of the other 3. The 2 live in my bedroom/walk-in closet/bathroom. The other 3 live downstairs. Of the 3, two do not really get along. We introduced them, then had to segregate the new one again, then re-introduced, and now we seem to be at a point where the new one and the other one just ignore/avoid each other. It is all much easier if everyone gets long.

If they are rolling around and chasing each other and sleeping in a pile- then they get along just fine.

[lolalola]

You found a guy that loves cats so much he has 7? I think you hit the boyfriend jackpot!

[regalace]

lolalola, the first thing I thought when I heard he had 7 cats was, “This guy will NEVER object to me getting another horse!” He didn’t intend to have 7; he had two older ones, rescued two youngsters, and before he could get them snipped he woke up one night to the female having 3 kittens in his bed, literally ON him. (I told him anyone who adopts two cats and names them Calamity and Jinx is just asking for that result.)

mvp, I don’t know how you know that an octopus can get through 2" chain link, but if an octopus moves into my house, I’m moving out. Though I have to think a couple of these cats may be part-octopus; they seem to sprout several extra flailing noodley legs when I try to carry them someplace they don’t want to be.

And about the one who is spraying and chasing, I’m not sure what his deal is. I can read body language “in the moment” but I don’t have a good handle on cats’ motivations or emotions. He has only sprayed 2 or 3 times that I know of. He’s definitely aggressive–when he’s chasing the other cats, HE is definitely attacking THEM (marches up, jumps on them and chases them into a corner) and they seem none too happy. No blood, but the fur does fly. Then in a few hours they’ll all be asleep on the bed together. And he is a smart one; I tried him on clicker training last night and in 5 minutes he was touching the target reliably. I think he’s like my horse (and that is not a compliment to either horse or cat!)–he needs to have something to do, regularly.

They are definitely fun and adorable–but also a lot of work!

[Lil_Nibs]

I love you people. Seriously, this is so helpful. I live in a 5 cat household. Four get along fine, and all are in love with my pit bull, but one hates the three “new” cats. I am planning a move to Florida later this year and I am going to invest in a cat habitat.

[clint]

I second having cat trees. Even if you have furniture and high shelves, I don’t think anything makes cats quite as cheerful as altitude with a soft place to sleep. We have nine cats in a 1500 sq. ft. house too, and they actually get along pretty well. We have a cat tree (or two) in every room and since we did that, much of the squabbling has diminished, as has marking.