Can Cats Play Well With Others?

Decoding whether two or more cats can get along

Harper and Scout nose to nose / Photo Courtesy of the Author

Cats get a bad rap for being contentious or truculent when two or more of them are put together. Sometimes those interactions end in lots of hissing and fighting.

It’s no coincidence that when women don’t get along, we refer to them as being catty and their disagreements are known as catfights.

That had to start somewhere. Right?

Cats aren’t shy about sharing their emotions. That’s where the contentious moniker originates.

Sure, you can give a cat a catnip toy or float a feather wand in front of its face and watch it try to attack it.

But can cats play well with others?

Yes. Yes, they can.

I know this as a lifelong self-proclaimed and socially-verified crazy cat lady. Though, I take issue with the crazy part. I digress.

Adopting littermates.

Years ago, I adopted two littermates. They were wrapped around each other as they slept in a cage at a PetCo. I couldn’t see where one cat started and the other one ended.

I’d seen their picture on a cat rescue website and had intended to adopt one of the two girls. That thought flew out the window when I…