Reducing stress in multi-cat households

House is getting chaotic. Dre is the old one, missing ear, but Puff is the young one with hairball problems. They are not getting along. Puff is stressing out the senior. I need to know what changes I can make to the environment to calm them down. I cannot afford a vet behaviorist. What works for cheap?

busy week but quick tip: hide things. Luna yells all day if she cant see a new object. just cover furniture with sheets until they get used to it. less visual stress.

Kathy is right about visual input. I have found that adding vertical space helps significantly. Skye is ten and uses the high shelf to observe the rest of the house without engaging. If Puff is causing stress for the senior, giving the senior a high perch away from the kitten's territory can reduce his feeling of being trapped. See adding vertical space for some ideas on where to put them.

I use scent swapping. Take a towel, rub it on one cat, then put it near the other's food bowl. Do this daily. It helps Kiki and Luna tolerate each other. Also, make sure every cat has their own litter box in a different room. Shared resources cause stress. scent swapping tips explains the rotation better than I can.

One thing to consider is the noise floor. Puff has hairball issues, which means he might be retching or vocalizing frequently, which could startle the senior cat. If Puff is sick, that is a medical issue first. But if it is just behavioral stress, try separating them for a few hours a day so the senior can rest. I remember Gail had a similar issue with her senior hissing at the new kitten, and Donna the vet tech told her to keep them separate. senior cat hissing at newborn kitten has more details on that separation.

Thanks. The vertical space idea makes sense. Puff is not sick, just messy. I will try the towel thing. Is there a rule on how many boxes per cat?