How Cat Trees Reduce Conflict Between Cats | A Multi-Cat Household Story
It took me three months to realize that the biggest problem in my home wasn't the cats, but the sofa.
If you've ever owned two cats, you've surely seen this scene.
The room was unnaturally quiet.
No fighting.
No one moved.
No feathers were raised.
On the surface, everything is peaceful.
But one cat sat motionless at the end of the hallway like a statue, while the other lay on the sofa, both staring intently at each other, the tension so thick it felt as if a Western showdown was about to break out any second.
Welcome to a multi-cat household.
My two cats used to be just like that.
The funniest part was, I actually thought they got along well at the time.
After all, there was no fight.
Later, it turned out that my understanding of cats was no better than that of the stray cat at my doorstep.
In the world of cats, awkwardness is more common than fighting.
Many people assume that if cats have conflicts, they will always show it clearly.
Actually, it's quite the opposite.
Most of the time, they are better at psychological warfare.
My orange cat loves to claim the sofa armrests as its own.
That spot offers a view of the living room, kitchen, and hallway.
Simply put, it's the best view spot in the entire house.
The other cat always stopped to observe the situation whenever it passed by there.
If the orange cat was in a good mood, nothing would go wrong.
If the orange cat had just woken up or simply didn't feel like giving way that day, a tense eye-to-eye standoff lasting several minutes would follow.
I was so captivated that I wanted to add background music for them.
Later I realized.
They weren't fighting over the sofa at all, but over a sense of security.
Why do cats always like to stay in high places?
When I first started keeping cats, I always found it a mystery.
I clearly bought them soft cat beds.
They ended up sleeping in a cardboard box.
I bought a luxurious cat bed.
They ended up sleeping in the bookshelf.
For a while, I even suspected that the things I bought might have offended the cat.
It wasn't until I observed carefully later that I realized high places are like first-class cabins for cats.
There, they could see the entire room.
They knew who was coming.
They knew who had left.
Know where the other cat is.
Most importantly, no one can easily get close to them.
For us humans, it would be like having a private apartment undisturbed and with a panoramic view of the entire city.
Who wouldn't like it?
The real turning point was that cat tree.
To be honest, when I bought my first cat tree, I didn't have much expectation at all.
I just feel like there are a bit too few toys for the cat at home.
Something interesting happened.
Day one.
No one pays attention.
The next day.
The orange cat jumped up, took a look, and then walked away.
Day three.
Two cats began taking turns using it.
A week later, I suddenly realized something.
The confrontation in the hallway decreased.
The eye wars on the sofa have decreased.
Even the pursuit incidents have decreased significantly.
The cat hasn't changed.
The house hasn't changed either.
The only change is the addition of a vertical space.
Later, I finally figured it out.
Previously, both cats wanted to stay in the living room.
The problem is that there's only one optimal spot in the living room.
Things are different now.
A platform by the window where one can sunbathe.
A perch high enough to watch the squirrels outside.
Everyone has their own territory.
There's no need to compete every day.
Sometimes I think humans and cats are actually quite alike.
If a family of four crowds onto one sofa, someone will eventually get unhappy.
But if everyone has a comfortable place, many conflicts might never even arise.
What surprised me most was their emotional changes.
I used to think cats were very independent.
Later it turned out that they are actually very sensitive to environmental influences.
After the household resources increased, the two cats clearly became more relaxed.
They slept sprawled out.
Walking slowly.
They weren't as cautious about eating as they used to be.
Once I even saw them all gathered in the same area at once.
Although we maintained a distance that was neither friendly nor hostile—just a quiet understanding that we weren't friends, but there was no need to fight either.
But it was enough to surprise me.
Anyone who owns a cat should understand.
This is almost like a miracle.
Not all cat trees are the same.
Over the years, I've made quite a few mistakes.
Some look especially beautiful.
The platform turned out to be as small as a parking space.
Some are frighteningly high.
It swayed like a carnival ride.
The cat simply doesn't care.
Later I realized that what a multi-cat household really needs isn't the tallest cat tree, but rather a design that can comfortably accommodate multiple cats at once.
Multiple platforms.
Multiple rest areas.
Different heights.
Different routes.
This way, each cat can find its own comfortable spot.
Later, while researching various cat space designs, I also came across some ideas shared by Mewzoom about vertical spaces.
The point I most agree with is that cats need the right to choose.
Behind many behavioral issues, what's missing isn't training, but choice.
After raising cats for so many years, I've come to believe more and more in one thing.
Most of the time, cats aren't really difficult to get along with.
They simply won't compromise.
If the environment makes them feel uncomfortable, they will express it directly through their actions.
Blocking your path.
Hide.
Stalking.
Claiming a favorite spot.
None of these are bad temperaments.
but rather telling you: "This isn't very convenient for me."
When I started viewing the home's space from a cat's perspective, many problems suddenly became simple.
The cat tree didn't turn the two cats into best friends.
They will still dislike each other.
Still occasionally claiming a spot by the window.
Still, I'll rush toward the window at the sight of a bird flying by.
But at least, they no longer compete with each other every day as they used to.
For multi-cat households, this is already a very good outcome.
After all, we're raising cats.
Not peace ambassadors living under the same roof.