Cats are semi-solitary animals whose welfare in multi-cat households depends critically on space, resources, and compatible social groupings.
Multi-cat households create chronic low-level stress for many cats that goes unrecognized because feline stress signs are subtle. Covert aggression — blocking access to resources, staring, and displacement — causes ongoing welfare compromise without obvious conflict. Providing adequate resources in multiple locations and managing space to allow avoidance dramatically improves welfare.