Housing Considerations with Multiple Cats

Housing multiple cats may be tricky. So you have a pretty nice purebred cat and you’re thinking of taking that next step. Perhaps you’d like to breed your queen and raise your own show cats or get a few show quality to compete with and possibly breed later. With multiple animals there are multiple considerations towards housing.

For example, if you buy a brother and sister how will you keep them from breeding? Even if it’s cats you plan on breeding later but now there must be a plan to keep them securely apart. The solution for some is a room for queens and another for toms.

Cats are often by nature solitary in habits. The cougar, for example prefers to be a loner while lions are much more social. With domestic cats there is the same variance. Some cats prefer to be alone while others are content snoozing on a chair with two or three others. Before you toss everything and create large colony type rooms consider carefully your cats.

If you have open colony rooms there’s still the chances of pregnancies you don’t want.

There is no provision for queens with a litter who want more privacy,

or for new cats that ideally will be quarantined before entering your cattery, whatever the size it is.

There’s also the issue of feeding if dominant cats hoard the feeder and lower ranking ones get nothing at all.

Some cats won’t use a litter box they have to share.

Water is another issue that takes on importance in housing multiple cats. As the numbers of cats increases so does, it seems, the chances of one scooting out a door or window. Indoor rooms can be made from unused rooms but for some even this isn’t quite enough.

Taking a cue from other species, individual ‘stalls’ can work great. Some use poultry netting while others use playpens made for dogs, with either secured to a frame and a door that allows you access without trying to squeeze through a little cage door! Depending on your location this might be on a covered deck, in the garage, a separate shed or on the back patio.

A 4X8 foot area, secured top to bottom with a solid floor and top keeps cats in where you put them.

Within this area you can create shelves for the cats to rest and play on, use 4-5 inch diameter pieces of logs for scratching areas and give more room than just the square footage of the ‘room’.

The litter box can be in one corner, water and food from another and ‘toys’ to keep the cats active inside.

With several of these ‘rooms’ you can thus arrange that queens have private rooms when they have kittens and, properly planned, the ventilation far excels that which small cages can provide.

Three to four cats can share these ‘homes’ if they get along but of course it means grouping to keep the males away from the queens.

Once inside a tight but airy room she will not get bred and it eliminates unplanned litters.

Others prefer their cats to continue to have run of the home, which as long as biosecurity is heeded and you have all queens or all toms then perhaps this will continue to be an option for you. Devise a plan that works for you and your cats!

Related site: Tips to clean carpet stains Find tips and information on cleaning common stains from your carpet. Including cat urine, coffee, wine, gum, pet odor, etc.

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