If you live in a multi-cat household, you have probably dealt with some little disagreements. A few swats. Some hisses. Maybe even a growl or two. But usually, things go back to normal, and everyone lives in peace and harmony. So, what happens when those little disagreements turn into full blown hatred and dislike? How do you deal with tensions in a multi-cat household?
Signs of Tension
When your cat is dealing with tensions among their feline roommates, they may deal with it in ways that are not normally associated with these tensions. We all know the usual signs of tensions among our cats. The hissing, growling, swatting, and sometimes, even the actual fights. The signs can vary with each cat. As can the intensity. However, some signs can present themselves in behavior and health issues. Most people don’t make the connection between these issues and any tensions the cat may be dealing with.
While we have been working through the tensions between Zazzles, Bodie, and Hemingway, I started making connections between certain behaviors and high tensions. For a while, Bodie was using the bathroom in some random areas. On the herb or crystals gardens. On the automatic feather toy. In front of the litter box. I wasn’t quite sure why he was doing this. There was nothing wrong health wise, so I started taking note of what was happening during these times. I quickly realized that right before the inappropriate bathroom incidents, there had been an altercation between Bodie and Zazzles. An a-ha moment.
Dealing With These Tensions
I feel like I have become a pro at dealing with tensions in a multi-cat household. For over a year, there has been varying levels of tensions between Zazzles, Bodie, & Hemingway. We have come a long way in working through these tensions. In the beginning, we were actually dealing with tumbleweed, fur flying fights that needed to be broken up. Attacks were happening almost daily. I was at a complete loss. This was something that I had never dealt with. So, I pulled out all the stops on ways to ease the tensions between them.
I was already using herb gardens with them, but I knew they needed more. It was then that I started my journey into using hydrosols and crystals with them. I started making connections with which herbs, hydrosols and crystals they gravitated towards to and the associated chakras. Tensions are a product of blocked chakras and negative energy. Once I started working on balancing their energy, tensions started to decrease. It was amazing. There are still some lingering tensions, but nowhere near where we were a year ago.
Another interesting factor to the tensions among my cats was my own energy. They would pick up on my own stress. When my energy was off, they felt it and processed it against each other. We have to keep in mind that our cats are very energetic creatures, and they are very good at picking up on the energy that is around them. When we are stressed, upset, depressed or mad, our cats feel it. Knowing this, I started working on my own energy. Learning how to limit my negative feelings, not only helped my cats, but put me in a better mindset, which in turn, helped my cats even more. It turned into a not so viscous cycle.
Help Yourself, Help Your Cats
It took me almost a year to realize that one of the best ways to help my cats and the tensions they were dealing with was to work on myself. To look within. I truly believe that when we are dealing with any kind of issues with our cats that there are lessons for us to learn. Over the past few months, the cats and I have taken great strides in balancing our energies. Providing my cats with their herbs, hydrosols, and crystals have not only helped them to balance their energies but has also helped me. Every time I provide them with something to ease their tensions, I find myself becoming less stressed and more at ease. It’s a win-win.
“You cannot share your life with a dog … or a cat, and not know perfectly well that animals have personalities and minds and feelings.” – Jane Goodall