three's a crowd

by Stephanie
(United States)

My friend recently added a third cat, a male, to her household of two cats, two females. (They are all neutered/spayed.) He is a very sweet and affectionate cat, but the girls don't like him and won't play with him. This is a problem because he really enjoys the companionship of other cats, but these two don't like to interact with him. He is lonely. Any ideas on how to resolve this or lessen his sadness would be greatly appreciated.

RESPONSE:

Unfortunately, as with people, you can't force cats to like each other. The girls probably feel that he has invaded their "all girls club" and so are ignoring him. Your friend should be happy that they haven't decided to beat him up!
Tell her to play with all of the cats together in the same room and give them treats when they are together in the same room. This will help them to associate good things with each other. She also needs to be sure they each get enough one on one attention (petting, brushing, play, etc.)as well.
Then, just give it time. You just never know with cats. A year from now, they could all be best buddies! Good Luck!

Donna
House Full Cats Mom