18 | PET GAZETTE | PFMA
MULTICAT HOUSEHOLDS
Cater for cat loving households , using tips from the PFMA ’ s Nicole Paley
s a nation , the British have a
A real love of cats . The PFMA ’ s latest research shows there is a total of eight million cats in the UK . Of that total , just over a third of owners have two or more cats . Without doubt , there are many benefits to having two or more cats living together – they can provide each other with exercise , social interaction and mental stimulation , and they have more opportunities just to be cats .
On the other hand , unlike dogs , cats are not natural pack animals and they do not need to be social creatures . They are also sensitive and if their individual needs are not met , they can become stressed . Some of the problems that plague multi-cat households , such as turf battles and litter box issues are well known , but providing balanced nutrition is a challenge , which cannot be overlooked .
To help avoid dinnertime dramas and to ensure good nutrition , PFMA shares some top tips for pet retailers to pass on to owners :
THE GOLDEN RULE IS THE ‘ ONE + ONE RULE ’
For all feeding and water bowls , litter trays , perches , toys , beds , scratching posts , hiding places etc , it needs to be one per cat plus one extra , placed in different locations . This will help eliminate any stress a cat could feel about having to compete for their daily essentials .
PEACE AND QUIET AT MEALTIMES
Eating is not really a social time for cats and to help promote a more natural environment feeding bowls can be placed around the home so that they can enjoy their meal in their own time and space . They should be in a place without interruptions from other pets , children etc .
CONSIDER SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS
A good quality general diet may work well for all the cats in a household but owners need to firstly consider any special dietary needs . For instance , if there is a kitten in the household , they will need a growth diet . Whilst a kitten diet can be fed to an adult cat , owners will need to keep a good eye on the cat ’ s weight , as kitten foods are higher in calories .
THERAPEUTIC DIETS
Many feline medical conditions - obesity , diabetes mellitus and hyperthyroidism for instance can be supported by a therapeutic diet . If one of the cats has been recommended a special diet , owners will need to check with their vet if there are any safety considerations to take into account at feeding time .
In most cases , if a healthy cat takes a bite or two of a therapeutic diet no harm will be done ; but the opposite is not always true . For example , the benefits of a diet for hyperthyroidism or food allergy will be negated if the patient regularly gets into even small amounts of their housemate ’ s food . A way to manage this is for cats to be fed apart with a set period of time to eat their meal and then clearing away any leftovers once the mealtime has finished .
WATCH THE WEIGHT
Keeping a cat at the ideal weight can be a challenge when caring for more than one . Measuring out the correct amount of each cat ’ s food and placing the individual meals into separate bowls will help . Monitor meals to make sure each cat is getting the right amount . If one of the cats is overweight but lives with a lighter housemate , owners could feed the lighter cat higher up so the heavier cat can ’ t get at the food .
PROMOTE HEALTHY NIBBLING WHILE HAVING FUN
Mental , and physical , stimulation is so important . Your customers can introduce some extra fun and exercise by putting dry food into exciting foraging toys , or in cardboard tubes , boxes or paper bags . Cats are natural nibblers and will enjoy working for their food this way . Remind owners to take this out of the cat ’ s daily food allocation .
CATS NEED WATER
Many cats will not touch their water bowls if they ’ re placed close to their food . Water bowls need to be kept clean and well filled and away from the food - again follow the one plus one rule .
When it comes to catering for cats in a multi cat household there is no set routine that suits all and it ’ ll depend on the individual circumstances . Keeping an eye on how much they eat is important as a loss of appetite can be a sign that a cat is unwell and remind owners about the importance of regular weight checks – they can do this at home using scales and the PFMA Pet Size-O-Meter . Download a copy at www . pfma . org . uk / pet-size-o-meter .
www . petgazette . biz July 2017