Cats are territorial solitary hunters for whom cohabitation with other cats creates chronic social stress, a leading cause of behavioral and health problems in multicat homes.
Multicat households are a significant and underappreciated source of feline suffering. Cats forced to share limited resources with incompatible housemates experience chronic activation of their stress response, with measurable impacts on immune function, bladder health, and behavior. The difficulty is that cats rarely show obvious aggression — passive intimidation and resource blocking cause just as much harm. Owner education about feline social needs, resource distribution, and environmental enrichment is essential for reducing this widespread welfare problem.