by Pat Grant

Created on: August 07, 2008   Last Updated: October 17, 2010

Ah, kitty politics. This is something every cat owner needs to understand if they have more than one cat. Kitty politics among house cats goes beyond normal cat behavior among feral strays or even the larger cats in the wild. This is due to the "human" factor.

Cats normally have a "chain of command" when there are multiple cats. Everyone knows about the "alpha cat." One cat will take the dominant role and the others will become subservient. However, in a human household, the human will take the main role of "alpha cat." If not, the house will become unbearable to live in.

One reason cats in the wild have an alpha position is that someone has to be in charge and keep order. This is for survival. Nature also enforces "survival of the fittest." In a human household that law is unnecessary. The human will take care of all the cats, whether healthy or ill. We feed them, and provide them with a safe home. They look to us for all their needs. We make the rules and enforce them. This puts us in the alpha position. However, they will still form a hierarchy, and it is one you need to recognize and respect. It is natural for them. Once you recognize which one has become the kitty alpha, you should allow the dominancy play as long as it does not fall in the realm of bad behavior.

Where kitty politics really come into play within a human household, is in "currying favor" with the human. They have a natural instinct to want to be close to the top of the chain. Because of this they will get into petty squabbles, usually over who's sitting closer to "Mom" or "Dad," or it might be over the food bowl, or a favorite toy. It could be any number of things. Behavior created by kitty politics can include things from literal "hissy" fits, or fights, to not using the litter box to urinate or poop. They may choose a spot where another cat has claimed as their spot, and use the bathroom there. Cats will mark their territory just as dogs do, and it's not only the male cats who do this.

Bad behavior brought on by Kitty Politics is some of the most difficult to correct. How do you stop the behavior without making the cat think you like the other cat more? For instance: you catch Kitty A urinating on the windowsill where Kitty B suns himself in the morning. You punish him in whatever way you choose (a water gun to squirt him while you say BAD KITTY, or some other such punishment), then later pet and hug the other cat. This will only establish the desire to continue the behavior out of spite.

Keep in mind, a cat can be very spiteful. They never forget. They hold grudges. And they let their feeling get hurt very easily. Yes, you DO need to punish the bad behavior. But you should also use a reward system. The next time you see Kitty A use the litter box, you say GOOD KITTY in a soft voice, and offer a treat. It may take awhile, but it will gradually sink in.

Another thing to keep in mind is that in any kind of training with a cat, the key word is patience. You must be more stubborn than they are! But with a good balance of punishment and reward, your patience will pay off.

The key to training a cat, is to know that a cat craves love and respect. You can correct bad behavior better with kindness than anger. When you spank a cat, you get an angry cat. You need to be creative and learn to "think outside the box" with cats.

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