This is the fourth article in VetHelpDirect’s series on the five animal welfare needs. In this article, I will be looking into examples of why it is important that our pets are housed with or apart from other animals according to their needs, and what happens when this welfare need isn’t met. 

Table of contents

As a recap, the five welfare needs are to:

  • live in a suitable environment
  • eat a suitable diet
  • exhibit normal behaviour patterns
  • be housed with, or apart from, other animals
  • be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease

What do we mean by ‘the need to be housed with, or apart from, other animals?’

This means that we house our pets with or without a companion according to their preference as a species. 

Some species are inherently social, and it’s important for their welfare that they are housed with a companion of the same species to keep them company and to allow them to express social behaviour. 

Think of humans – we are inherently social and we don’t tend to do well when kept in isolation for long periods of time (think of how unhappy everyone was during the Covid lockdowns). 

Whereas some species prefer to lead solitary lives, and housing them with another animal could actually cause them a lot of stress and would likely be detrimental to their welfare.  

Example – Rabbits and the need for a companion

Rabbits must be kept with at least one companion. In the wild rabbits live in groups called colonies and they are naturally social animals. Rabbits living alone are likely to suffer from boredom, loneliness and in some cases fear as they feel safer living together. They also enjoy performing social behaviour such as grooming and eating together. Although rabbits can form bonds with humans, they need a friend of the same species to fully meet their needs. 

It is recommended to keep a neutered female and neutered male together as a pair. If the rabbits have not grown up together they will need to be introduced gradually.

What happens when this need isn’t met?

There’s a lot of research to show that rabbits are happier when kept with a companion. In fact studies have shown that rabbits value the company of other rabbits as much as they value food. There is also research to demonstrate that they may exhibit destructive behaviour, indicative of stress or boredom, when kept alone. 

This study looked at rabbits housed outdoors during winter in a rabbit rescue centre. It found that rabbits housed in pairs displayed less bar-biting behaviour, were able to keep themselves warmer, and were able to recover quicker after a stressful situation compared to rabbits housed alone. 

Example – Cats and multi-cat households

Cats can live alone, or as a group – but it’s complicated!

In the previous article I mentioned that cats share common ancestry with the African Wildcat and therefore demonstrate many of the same behaviours. African Wildcats are solitary animals, meaning they live alone. They are also very territorial, they don’t like other cats coming into their territories. 

Our domestic cats are very independent and are usually happy to live alone. However they can adapt to group living, provided certain needs are still met. In fact, many get along well in groups and form close bonds with other cats as well as humans and other animals such as dogs. 

But if cats are kept within a multi-cat household, and certain needs are not met, this can be a significant cause of stress. So how can we ensure that multiple cats can live together harmoniously?

Resource allocation

The main thing we can do is ensure adequate resource allocation. It’s recommended to have one type of resource per cat, plus one extra for choice. So for example if you have three cats living together, you should have four water bowls, and these should be in different areas of the house. Other resources for allocation include:

  • Food bowls – these should be placed away from water bowls and litter trays
  • Litter trays – these should be placed away from food and water bowls as cats instinctively avoid toileting in the same area as where they eat or drink to avoid contamination
  • Sleeping areas – including some high up areas e.g. shelves
  • Scratching posts
  • Toys

It can also be helpful to let cats in the same household build independent routines. For example, in the case of cats with access to the outdoors, if one cat likes to go outside in the morning and the other in the afternoon, then this should be encouraged rather than the cats being forced to go out at the same time.

What happens when this need isn’t met?

Multi-cat households can be a significant cause of stress when the individual needs of each cat are not being met. In fact, cats from multi-cat households are more likely to suffer from stress-related health conditions such as feline idiopathic cystitis (inflammation of the bladder and urinary tract that is not caused by an infection). 

This study found that living with another cat and having conflict with that other cat could be a significant factor for triggering feline idiopathic cystitis. However it found it can also be related to other factors, such as being overweight, male and pedigree. 

Example – Syrian hamsters must be kept alone

An example of a pet that absolutely must be kept on its own is the Syrian hamster. In the wild they live alone and they are very territorial by nature. 

If you place two Syrian hamsters within the same enclosure it’s highly likely that they will fight. Fighting will result in injuries which can be very serious in some cases. Even if you don’t see them fighting, the presence of another hamster within their territory is likely to result in significant stress and anxiety for a Syrian hamster. 

What happens when this need isn’t met?

Keeping two Syrian hamsters together would be very likely to cause them significant stress and anxiety. This can make them more likely to suffer from health conditions as stress can have a detrimental impact on the body. They are also more likely to fight – leading to painful injuries. These factors will all result in a negative impact on welfare. 

This study demonstrated that Syrian hamsters living together showed biological changes indicating they were suffering from stress such as an increase in the amount of stress-hormone (cortisol) secreted overtime, particularly in female hamsters. It also showed that the pups of hamsters living together were less likely to survive. 

Conclusion

Hopefully I’ve demonstrated through these examples that it is important that our pets are kept with or without a companion according to species preference. Pets that are social in nature can suffer stress, anxiety, loneliness and boredom without a companion. Whereas pets that are solitary in nature can suffer from stress, fear and anxiety when they are housed with others. Housing a pet with or without a companion could therefore cause significantly poorer welfare. 

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