50 Pics That Are Proof Two Cats Are Better Than One

According to Anna, a vet working with the PDSA, cats can enjoy living together in some particular cases. “Siblings from the same litter, or kittens that have grown up together can get along quite well and enjoy each other’s company,” she gave Bored Panda an example.

“Signs your cats get along include grooming each other, snoozing together, touching noses, and rubbing their heads together. They will also like to do things together, like relaxing in the garden or playing together, and may like to have friendly play-fights,” the vet gave examples of positive behaviors that show everything’s right as rain.

However, the play-fights in this case will be quiet, start up and stop a lot, and the cats’ ears will be forward and alert.

Some things that indicate that there’s trouble brewing, according to vet Anna, include the following: “If the fighting is continuous, you hear hissing, their ears are back and flat to their head, their backs are arched or you see claws orbiting, it’s likely this isn’t just a play-fight. Break it up by making a loud noise or placing a physical barrier between them—don’t use your hands though!” You can find some more tips and advice on how to stop cats from fighting right over here.

But like people, even cats that get along with other felines, will want to have some space for alone time and may prefer to eat separately. “Always make sure they have separate food and water bowls, and spread these out so they can eat separately,” PDSA Vet Anna said.

“They’ll also need separate litter trays, scratching posts, beds and any other resources. A good rule is to supply one of each resource per cat, plus one extra, to ensure they can always choose to be alone if they prefer.”

Some of the signs that your cats aren’t getting along include hissing, growling, scratching, and being aggressive towards each other. What’s more, another indication of stress can be if your cats spray urine indoors or toilet outside of their litter trays or in different places of the house.

Meanwhile, Fundamentally Feline writes that having two cats (or more if we’re honest—keep an eye out for an article titled “Three cats are better than two”) is great for the animals. That’s because this way, they can actually enjoy each other’s company and be social as a species.

“They naturally live in small groups called colonies. Cats are solitary hunters, but not a solitary species,” writes cat behaviorist Ingrid Johnson, explaining that some people may have some misunderstandings about felines and how social they are.

According to the expert, cats that have playmates tend to be more socially well-adjusted, have fewer behavior problems, are less aggressive, and are not as shy, on the flip side. In short, socialization brings out the best in cats.

What’s more, if cats are poorly socialized during their early life, they may not know how to react when they eventually come into contact with an actual cat later on. Think about how Disney’s Tarzan reacted to seeing a human being for the first time as an adult.

Furthermore, pets that have other pets to play with can be far more active. And active cats are healthier, happier, and tend to be slimmer. This is very important considering the various health issues that come with a catto being a chonker: they might look huggable but their quality of life suffers as a result.

When cats have company, they also tend to be less destructive. That’s because they’re not as bored and so don’t need to try so hard to get their owner’s attention: they’ve already got someone to play with even if their hooman is busy.