184 Chapter 12Minimizing stress and conflict in a communal enclosure
● The area should be large enough to accommodate not only all the cats and neces-
sary ‘furniture’, but also to allow space for workers and volunteers to care for and
interact with the cats.
● All the cats should be able to access resources without needing to disrupt or get
too close to other cats that may be eating or resting. Ideally there should be more
resting and feeding areas than the number of cats in the enclosure.
● Food, water, litter trays and resting areas should all be located away from each
other.
● A separate food dish for each cat plus extra dishes, or preferably puzzle feeders,
should be provided. Do not feed multiple cats from a single dish.
● Ensure that food dishes are positioned so that each cat can see the whole room
while eating.
● Competition and conflict over food can be a potential problem in communal
housing; ample feeding resources and feeding little and often, rather than 1–2
times a day, can often help to reduce this.
● Water dishes should also be positioned away from food and litter trays. If there
are several cats in the enclosure, it may not be necessary to supply a water dish for
each cat but ensure that they have ample choice.
● Litter trays are best positioned in the corners of the enclosure so that the cats are
partially enclosed, but avoid using covered trays because this can provide an
opportunity for one cat to ambush another as it is exiting the covered tray, plus it
is not so obvious when covered trays require cleaning.
● In an enclosure with several cats it may not be possible to supply the ideal number
of one litter tray per cat plus one extra; therefore ensure that trays are large and
cleaned frequently.
● Provide several, at least one for each cat, ‘single’ shelves (just large enough for one
cat) on varying levels, to allow the cats to rest away from the others. Resting areas
should be at least 3 feet (1 m) apart.
● Provide a selection of hiding places. These should all have two holes that act as
entrance and exit ports. If there is only one hole the cat that is inside may become
trapped by other cats or be ambushed as he attempts to leave.
● Provide ample scratching posts, pads and opportunities to climb.
● Try to provide an ‘interesting’ view outside the pen, ideally containing trees and/
or bushes where birds or other wildlife may be seen.
● Closely monitor all cats in the communal area and remove any that show signs
of: distress, fear, withdrawal or avoidance of the others, aggression, blocking or
chasing.
Introducing a new cat to a communal enclosure
● Place the cat in a large cage within the enclosure. The cage needs to be large
enough to contain all the cat’s necessary resources – food, water, litter tray and
bedding with space in between them. The provision of hiding areas and a solid
structure that the cat can sit on top of are also essential. Part of the cage should
be covered with a large towel or similar to provide an area that is blocked from the