How managing resource distribution, space, and social dynamics reduces chronic stress and conflict in homes with multiple cats.
Multi-cat households represent one of the most common welfare challenges in companion animal keeping, with millions of cats living with chronic social stress that their owners may not recognize or know how to address. Cats communicate conflict through subtle behavioral signals that human observers frequently miss - by the time overt aggression is seen, stress has typically been ongoing for a substantial time. The welfare consequences of chronic social stress in cats are physiologically significant, driving conditions including idiopathic cystitis, vomiting, and overgrooming. Environmental modification to reduce conflict is typically more effective and humane than medication and should be the first intervention.