Many shelters still prefer individual housing arrangements for their cats—with good reason Cages have been equated with animal shelters for so long that it’s difficult to separate the two. And despite the new rush from cages to “cageless,” cages and other types of single-cat housing still serve the same important purpose: to provide cats with temporary housing that prevents their escape, provides them safety and security, and protects them from disease transmission. Advanced disease control methods, better staff training, and well-written guidelines have all helped shelters improve cats’ physical well-being, so much so that some cages can be removed without necessarily compromising good care. Still, single-cat housing is critical to the overall cat care program of every shelter. “It’s important not to build community rooms only,” says New Hampshire SPCA community programs manager Susan Carney, “because cats are so different and personalities call for other types of housing, such as cages for the shy [cats].” In fact, shelters joining the rush to dispose of their organization’s cages may inadvertently be disposing of cats’ safety, security, and health. The HSUS does not recommend that organizations create a completely cageless environment for cats. For the welfare of the animals and the safety of the visiting public, it’s important that cats either be housed individually or grouped in contained and well-managed colony cages or rooms. It’s also essential that cages be provided to isolate incoming cats or cats under quarantine. Cages are needed even in colony rooms themselves—for gradual introductions of new members, for safe confinement areas during cleaning times, and occasionally for nighttime sleeping arrangements when staff are not present to monitor feline interactions. And single-cat housing is still necessary for those cats who aren’t social butterflies. “If other shelters are like ours, you will find that your cat population does not consist of well-adjusted neutered cats (those perfect for those community rooms),” says Carney. “Mostly we get strays, unneutered and unwanted cats that are not well adjusted. These cats fill our cages, and at times the [colony] rooms remain empty.” Far from being on the verge of extinction, single-cat housing is actually preferred by many shelters, says Kate Pullen, the HSUS’s director of Animal Sheltering Issues. “Shelters that keep singly housed cats in modern cages—ones that are bigger and have shelves, portals, and separate spaces for litter boxes and bedding—are doing an excellent job of providing for those animals’ safety, health, socialization, and comfort needs,” says Pullen. “We wouldn’t want any agency to feel obligated to move to colony housing if they’re already meeting the needs of their cats in single-cat housing and prefer that arrangement.” Staff at the San Francisco SPCA use colony housing for their cats—but on a limited basis and with great caution. The shelter keeps one or two cats in its 4-foot by 6-foot rooms and, occasionally, a maximum of six cats in its larger 12-foot by 18-foot rooms. But the SPCA prefers single-cat housing because, for one thing, the cats coming into the organization are often not well-suited for colony areas, says cat behavior specialist Dilara Parry. Rather than minimize the stress of already stressed cats, group housing could very well aggravate it. Parry also worries that colony housing could negatively affect adoption chances, particularly those of timid cats who have to compete for attention with a dozen or more cats in the same space. “By housing our cats in very small groups or singly, adopters can see the ‘whole cat’ much better,” says Parry, who has also worked at the Massachusetts SPCA. “This is especially important for that shy cat who no one pays attention to in a huge colony of outgoing, affectionate cats.” Monitoring individual behaviors in a group environment can also be too difficult for Parry’s tastes, she says, recalling the tale of a colony-housed cat in one West Coast shelter who stopped eating; staff did not discover the loss of appetite until too late, and the cat had to be euthanized. Litter box issues present another concern, says Parry. “We like to know which cat urinates outside the box so we can monitor that behavior—missing the litter box may be a behavior issue, but it can also signify a medical condition that needs treatment,” she says. “It’s virtually impossible to tell which cat misses the litter box in a group setting.” And even though disease control programs can greatly reduce the risk of an outbreak, colony situations are sometimes asking for trouble, say some shelter managers who still prefer individual caging. If one cat gets sick, disease can spread like wildfire—Parry recounts having to quarantine an entire colony of cats after one contracted ringworm, even though the San Francisco SPCA has a state-of-the-art facility, well-trained staff, and a top-notch disease control program. Clearly no shelter’s colony housing is immune from the risks. “For everyone who says colony housing is the way to go, there are as many reasons why another shelter wouldn’t want to go down that path,” says Pullen. “As long as you are addressing all of the needs of your cats—whether through individual or group housing—then you are doing a good job.” | 
