How to make friends cats in an apartment?

A person acquiring a cat must understand that this is a huge responsibility. And if you decide to have more than one pet, then responsibility increases at times. In our article we will tell you how to make cats with each other in the apartment.

If the owners of one cat in the house is not enough, then you can get a second one. This solution has both advantages (cats perfectly relieve stress) and cons (increase in maintenance costs). Therefore, you need to think about whether you have enough free time to care for both animals and whether you “pull” them financially.

Many start a second pet, thinking that the first is boring to be at home alone during the absence of the owner. This is not reasonable. It should be understood that the representatives of the cat breed are not pack animals, so they do not need a company. The attention of the owner is another matter, it must be given to any pets: both dogs and cats.

Getting a second cat as a company should be only if if you are not at home all day and you cannot spend enough time with your pets. However, it is important to understand that some pets are not able to find a common language and will constantly conflict, even if the owner does everything to reconcile them.

Before starting a second cat, it is recommended to prepare the apartment, dividing it into zones. If each of them has its own drinking bowl, feeder and tray, then they will become friends much faster. It is advisable that animals do not intersect while eating, in rest areas and toilets.

For a novice cat, a separate bed should be made, preferably in a different room. The old-timer cat will never let the “newcomer” to his place of rest. Prepare a separate mattress for the new tenant and place it away from the “bedroom” of another cat. A big advantage would be if there is a door between the rooms. At night it will have to be closed, at least for the first week.

If the pets are still unfamiliar with each other and have not had time to make friends, then most likely they will show aggression when the bowls with food are close. Therefore, the "new" cat needs to be fed from a separate bowl in another room where the "old" cat never eats. After a while, when the pets become friends, the bowls can be placed next to each other or double.

Before purchasing a new pet, take care of buying a second tray for him. By the time it appears, the tray of the first cat should already be dirty. So the animal will understand that this toilet already belongs to someone and, most likely, will choose the one that is cleaner.

Feline cats are strictly forbidden to go to the same toilet, as there will be a conflict, and a depressed pet will begin to spoil in the corners.

The "new" cat should be placed so that it does not disturb the "old". It is not recommended to change the conditions for the old-timer cat. It is important that he does not feel any infringement of rights due to the appearance of a second pet.

The process of dating cats is a very important point. This factor determines how their relations will be built in the future. Almost all the owners at this moment make a gross mistake: either they push them face to face, closing in one room, or immediately bred into different rooms, taking away the possibility of communication. In both the first and the second cases, a conflict will be inevitable, and a fight will surely follow.

Before meeting you need to trim the claws of both cats. "Manicure" should be done briefly, but it is not recommended to cut the claws at the root, go through the tips with a nail file. The claws of a new pet can be trimmed both at home and in the porch. Also, this task can be easily completed in just a few minutes in any pet salon.

Some breeders recommend mixing the smells of both cats if possible.

It is necessary to bring home a new home: take a box of a suitable size and place a cat in it. Cut small holes so she can keep track of what is happening around. In the process of meeting all the interior doors should be open, so that in the event of a fight one of the cats could escape. And windows, on the contrary, are forbidden to open.

Put the newcomer box in the middle of the room and do not let it out for a while. It is important that the old-timer is used to a new smell. So the cats will have the opportunity to talk.

After an hour, you can open the carrier, however, the cat must remain inside. He himself will understand when you can go out. Some pets are immediately selected to explore a new area, while others can sit inside for half a day. Leave the animal the right to choose.

When the new settler decides to get out of the box, the old-timer will begin to show that this territory belongs to him. You can hear a hiss, a menacing growl.In most cases, the "newbie" with all his appearance shows that he does not care. He tries not to cross his eyes with the aggressor. By such actions, the pet shows that it is not a supporter of conflicts. The owner should not intervene, it is better to act exclusively as an observer until the moment when the fight begins.

Single paws, aggressive meowing are considered a normal reaction. Be patient and let the animals sort out the relationship, otherwise you will only delay the moment of the fight. The sooner the pets find a common language, the sooner peace will reign in the house, any hint of conflict will disappear.

If both cats look into each other’s eyes without stopping, you should be careful. This is a sign that the newcomer does not want to recognize himself as a guest and is ready to fight for a place. In this state, pets can be from a few seconds to 2-3 hours. If you do not have time to sit and watch them for so long, then you need to breed them in different rooms.

Cats can start a fight completely unexpectedly, and even experienced owners can sometimes not identify the cause of a conflict. The following factors are usually noted.

• Fear. This is the most common cause of a quarrel. Typically, fear is seen in the newcomer. When the "newcomers" attack the "first-born," they act on the principle: "Attack is the best defense."
• Defending the territory. The main aggressor in this case is the old-timer. After all, a room has long belonged only to him and the owner.
• Sexual conflict - A common occurrence during estrus. In this case, the animals can be placed in different rooms. If your plans do not have offspring, then males are recommended to be neutered, and females - sterilized.
• Other interests. Here the reason may be feed, toilet or toys. Usually, such problems are noticed only by owners of the most proud and jealous breeds of cats, for example, Siamese. They believe that the owner belongs only to them.

If the hissing just didn’t work out, and the conflict turned into a fight, the cats ride, beat and scratch each other, then you need to intervene. Further developments will depend entirely on the host.

Below are the main points that should be followed during the settlement of the conflict.

• The most effective way is use of a plaid, bedspread or bath towel. If you throw a thick cloth over the pets during the fight, they will freeze. You need to, without hesitation, take a new home and take it to the next room right under the cover.
• In very rare cases, the fight does not stop even under the covers. In this situation, cats can be pushed away from each other with a mop. The owner must respond quickly until no one is seriously injured.
• Pets can be doused with cold water. This is one of the most effective ways to end the conflict, the warring parties will scatter in different angles.

Cats are bred for a couple of days, then the owner must again make the acquaintance process. If the situation repeats, then in two days we bring the animals back. Manipulations will be carried out until they begin to relate well to each other.

If scratches are found after the fight, they must be treated. antiseptic ointment. For serious injuries, a veterinarian call is required.

Two adult males in the apartment cause a lot of inconvenience, as they almost always conflict. In nature, it so happened that the habitat of cats is much larger than that of females. Consequently, how many cats he fertilizes depends on the vastness of this territory.That is why cats negatively relate to the fact that someone occupies their premises.

Adult pets may relate to each other well for months, but there will still be periodic conflicts. With the help of a fight, they can determine who is in charge, and, if possible, remove the opponent from their room.

If there is a female nearby, ready to mate, then the fight between the cats will be especially fierce, and most likely will end in serious injuries or the death of one pet, if the forces are not equal.

In addition to fighting, pets will mark the territory every time, trying to break the smell of a competitor, which will entail an unpleasant smell in the house, which is difficult to weather.

And if it is almost impossible to make friends of two males, then heterosexual pets can get along pretty well. But be prepared for the fact that in the first days of communication the cat will periodically show character, hissing or hitting the cat. So he shows his leadership.

Feed your pets at the same time, but in different rooms. If they eat from one bowl, the male will constantly eat everything by himself. Therefore, the cat will quickly gain extra pounds, and the cat will constantly be malnourished. Both that and another negatively affect health.

Many owners, to avoid the fertilization of animals, simply breed them in rooms.

Males are more skeptical of cats than cats. Cats by their nature never care for kittens, and in case of conflict they can even kill them. But an adult cat is unlikely to quarrel with a kitten, because the male understands that he poses no danger. And after a couple of weeks, the friendship will be forged. However, you should be safe: Do not leave animals alone at first. When the kitten grows up, further communication will develop based on its gender.

The nature of cats is different: they can be stubborn, proud and even brawlers. Aggressive breeds rarely make friends with a newcomer. It is not recommended to use force in the upbringing of pets, so the cat will develop an even greater hostility to the competitor. You have to be patient and persevere.

Sometimes owners in an attempt to reconcile pets behave incorrectly. Here is a list of the most common errors.

• It is forbidden to beat pets, even if a fight has occurred. No physical punishment is recommended.
• Do not try to put yourself in the role of leader. A man is a pack leader only for a dog. Cats do not recognize humans as heads. You should be just a friend to them.
• Do not make the old-timer jealous. You must pay equal attention to both animals.
• Do not put cats face to face. A depressed pet can be very worried, stop eating and even die.
• Remember that cats are predatory animals. Never pull them apart with your bare hands, as during the fight they can seriously injure you.

On how to make friends cats among themselves, see further.