Multiple cat households - any tips?

[kittysback]

My husband and I just added 2 cats to our house, making our total 6. I'm wondering how others in multiple cat households deal with the chaos of feeding and keeping a clean house. With 4 cats, I felt like I had a good system, but now with 6, it feels a little overwhelming.

How do you deal with:

->Feeding time:  Feeding 6 cats at the same time, when 2 or 3 of them just go from bowl to bowl stealing the others' food. I've resorted to feeding in all separate rooms; it just takes longer.

->Bullying - a few of mine like to stalk and corner the others. I've tried the Feliway diffusers in the past. I may try again.

->Litter boxes - 5-7 litter boxes scattered through out the house. I don't have a problem with smell, I scoop every day, but cleaning up the tracked litter is a pain. Any litterbox hiding tips? When guests come over, I'd rather not have them see litterboxes all over the place.

->Fur/Shedding/Scratching. I have a few scratching posts, which they use, but not all the time. Fur is starting to get bad.  Should I just bite the bullet and get the Dyson Animal?

Just curious to see how others deal with the chaos. I love our cats, but sometimes it feels so overwhelming keeping up. So I'm just looking for any ideas or tips that work for others.

Thanks!

 

[mani]

Hi Kittysback...

I only have two cats, but have been around quite a few in shelter situations.

I also have one very greedy cat and one picky cat and I'm afraid the only solution I've found is seperate rooms.. I don't think there's an easier way.

Felliway for the bullying sounds like the best answer.. they often will sort themselves out over time as well.

With two cats I have two enclosed boxes and one open box... they poo in the enclosed ones and wee in the other - I have no idea why

  I also have a curtained-off area and keep the boxes there.  Other ideas for 'hiding' them is to put them behind furniture where they can't be seen.  And of course the laundry, where guests don't usually go.

I groom my two really regularly, and then wipe them down with a lightly moistened towel, as that takes away any loose hair that has not come out with the comb.  And I do have a really excellent Miele vacuum cleaner.  I think it's pretty essential to have a good vacuum in multi-cat households (or no carpet!)

You managed with four.. I reckon over time six will seem just as easy .

Good luck

 

[fgsspk]

Hello,

I understand how it must all be overwhelming. We have 4 cats (1 from a shelter 2 years ago, 2 rescued a year ago when they were babies since their mother had got run over, and 1 rescued from mistreatment at 5 months old, several months ago)  where the balance & understanding between them had just got to a good balance: between the litter boxes, 3 in all, during meal times & play times - quite harmonious. Unfortunately my eldest cat (only 2 years old) got hit by a car 2 weeks ago,she was in reanimation and then hospitalised for a week. On her return, her other feline mates didn't know how to cope with her, lots of growls and hisses. A week later, my boyfriend rescued 2 tiny kittens (5 weeks old) who had just lost their mother from a road accident. So now we have a total of 4 adult cats and 2 kittens in the house.

A lot for the existing feline members to take in, in such a short period of time, and a lot of stress for us 2, since we desperately want all our cats to be happy. The 2 kittens will hopefully be adopted, but no certainty in this, since this is kitten season galore! Despite the extra mouths to feed, the jealousy to handle, the extra cuddling to reassure each cat, the litterbox problems, and professional commitments on top, we are just coping. I feel exhausted, plus I need to leave for 10 days to see my family. Let's just hope that my boyfriend will be able to cope!!

Good luck on your end, and please let us know how things progress.

 

[miles1321]

We have 4 cats soon to be 5, we feed them together we have 2 bowls between 3 of them they are good at sharing although the tabby always pushes his face in first, cats are good with food and they normally don't over eat, if they do then they are unhappy. Our cats are not house cats they are free to come and go as they please they spend a lot of time indoors but go outside to toilet we have 1 litter tray in the conservatory for when it rains but they never use it, they wait until it stops then go outside. I don't know why so many people keep cats locked indoors its not natural.

 

[furmonster mom]

We have a 4 cat, 1 dog household. 

Regarding litter boxes... we don't have them.  I trained all of them to use the toilet.

I know there is some controversy on that subject; a lot of folks say it causes stress because it's not their natural behavior.  Well maybe for some, but it works for us.

Feeding time... yeah, everyone has their spot.  I use two of the bathrooms, one bedroom, the hallway, and patio (for the dog).  I hustle everyone to their rooms before meals, that way I'm not tripping over everyone while prepping and delivering meals. 

Bullying is gonna happen, it's their nature to try and establish who is the head honcho.  When it happens, we separate the ones involved, then try to make sure each of them gets some special attention.  I feel that this accomplishes 2 things; (1) indicates the behavior is unacceptable, and (2) soothes temperaments with reassurances.  I've heard the Feliway and Rescue Remedy are also effective in keeping calm temperaments, but I've not actually used them myself.

Fur.  Believe it or not, our dog sheds more than all our cats combined (including the long haired one).  Best thing we ever did was pull up the carpets.  It does mean vacuuming a little more often, but it also means that vacuuming is quicker.  It's much quicker to pick up fur from a hard floor than it is to get it out of carpets.  It also means that by better controlling the fur in the environment, we end up with fewer hurked up furballs.

This does not mean that everything is always peace and roses in our household... I mean, y'know... cats! 

 

[melesine]

I'm feeding 7 in the house right now counting the 3 kittens. We have a routine. The three big boys get fed wet food twice a day in separate bowls on the counter so the dogs can't eat their food. My ragdoll gets fed in the bathroom with the door closed because she is a kibble addict and the boys will run her off to get her dry food so she knows to run to the bathroom at meal time. The kittens get fed in the master bathroom as they are fed more often than the big cats and so they can eat in peace. 

Litter boxes, I've had to dedicate one room to most of the litter boxes due to the dogs. It's gated and I have 5 boxes scattered around the room. I also have a box for the kittens in the master bathroom. 

My only problems with bullying are between 2 of the boys ( my red and blue boys) and my ragdoll. Well and my ragdoll doesn't like the kittens but she just avoids them, she is our oldest cat. I've had no out and out fights, just some hissing and occasional chasing. 

Fur issues. I don't even notice with the cats. Now my German shepherd is another story that dog sheds like crazy. Sweeping and vacuuming on a regular basis is a requirement.

 

[fgsspk]

Hello Miles,

It looks like all your cats seem to be in harmony with each other and that's great. It's also good to hear that they are indoor/outdoor cats. I perfectly agree that cats need to get fresh air and have that outside stimulation.

All of my 6 cats are currently house cats, 2 of our previous babies got into car accidents and died in 2011 and 2012 respectively (we still miss them terribly), and another recently got run over and was hospitalised for over a week, just because we wanted them to have the liberty to go outsides. We would dearly love them to be taking the fresh air outsides, but we don't want to have keep digging tombs out there in our garden. The only solution right now is to dig a closure all around our land, and that takes time, effort & finances, apart from our full time jobs. Only when this will be completed, perhaps in a couple of months, then we will let them out, being reassured that they can roam around on a hectare of land with trees, slopes and bushes and also be secure. There is nothing worse than finding one of your feline family members either dead in a pool of blood or agonising on the road after being hit by a vehicle or being harmed by another animal.
 

Good luck with your pets, and hope the above can help.