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Those of us who have multiple cats may sometimes find ourselves in the middle of territorial issues. There are several strategies to bring harmony to a turf dispute. Time usually does heal disharmony among cats, by the way, it just happens on the cats' timetable not our own. Cats need to set up a hierarchy with a Top Cat, Second Officer, etc. Once they have that sorted out, they usually settle into coexistence. If they are just getting to know each other, there will usually be some hissing, which is why experts suggest keeping new feline "roommates" apart for the initial day or so, till they adjust to the idea of sharing space. If your living situation has changed in some way (such as a new home, new family member, sickness of human or cat, etc.)the cats may have to revisit the chain of command to see if it has changed. You can help this situation by providing some private spaces where cats can retreat from the fray, or where they can hunker down and just watch the situation from a place they feel safe. These solutions don't have to be expensive or even permanent fixtures.

Think hideaway. Creating privacy zones for the shyer cats helps. This can be as simple as a box or a towel or blanket draped around a chair to turn it into a lair for a cool kitty. I always make sure that there is more than one entrance/exit, because a shy cat will not want to be backed into a corner with no back or side exit if a more aggressive cat blocks the front entrance.

Think vertical. Cat perches are also extremely popular, and any kind of perch put near a window will instantly become more alluring. Cats love to climb to high ground, and a couple of different levels can make for happy cats. If those wonderful cat perches you see at pet supply places are out of your budget range, I recently heard of a clever and inexpensive way to do it.

A woman who does cat rescue and provides an elder sanctuary for several cats came up with a brilliant idea to give her elderly cats a space to climb and lounge. She set up a six- foot wooden step ladder (which cost about $25 and might be less if purchased used) and put a chair under it. She put a blanket on the chair. Voila, instant cat perch.

She reported that her cats love to sit on the steps of the ladder and the cat on the top of the ladder is always rather smug about being up there.

Learn more about this author, Lynne Murray.
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