Introducing Your Cat to a New Cat
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The individual personalities of the cats are more important than any other factor, such as sex, age or size. Be aware that the more cats you have, the higher the likelihood that there will be conflicts among them. Pets can’t talk to us, but they have other ways of communicating.
Once your cats are fine with each other with the barrier in place, you can put them in the same room. Preferably, you would do this by leaving the door cracked and allowing the cats to enter the other’s space on their own accord — with your supervision, of course. Your cats should be kept in completely separate areas at first. You should allow the new cat to get used to their litter area.
Don’t start introductions right away.
It may take a few days and sometimes much longer for your new cat to become comfortable in your home, especially if you already have other animals. So be sure to give your new cat ample time to gradually get used to its new surroundings. With a toy in each hand , engage the cats in interactive play using a separate toy for each cat. Ideal toys are a fishing rod toy which has a rod with a long string and feathers attached or a cat laser light.
It’s also important that all the cats are getting enough daily play time as this will help reduce their stress. For the first few times your cat and kid meet, make sure you’re there to supervise, and keep the meetings short. Similar to how you introduced yourself, let the cat make his way to them at his pace, and don’t force the interaction.
Introducing a New Cat to Your Other Cats
Go in and visit your new cat, play with him, pet him, feed him, and make him feel that this is now home. Remember that your cat is confused and frightened , and you need to reassure your cat that all is well in their life. Even leaving a TV or radio on is a good way to give your cat some background noise. Cats require a few, basic supplies in order for them to be happy and healthy. These supplies include food and water, a litter box , a scratching post or scratching pad, a comfy bed or cozy spot, grooming supplies, and some toys to play with.
B. Separate Base Camp – Base camp is a defined area of your home that is the heart of a cat’s territory. So first, decide where you’re going to set up base camp for the new cat, so he feels like this space is essentially all his own. This could be the master or a spare bedroom, an office, or even the bathroom when there is no other option.
Separate Space
Beyond preventing unwanted litters of kittens, spaying and neutering your cats creates a more harmonious environment for everyone sharing your home. Once males are fixed, they tend to be calmer and happier cats. If your cats are male and aggression seems to be an issue, have your boys neutered so they enjoy napping rather fighting with each other. To find each cat’s happy place, keep an eye out for the places your kitties choose to go for a nap on their own. Deck out the discovered spot with their favorite blanket, bed, and toys. With all their goodies bearing their own familiar scent, your cats will rest easy in their special space.
As long as the human scent is strong, it will help the cat establish a sense of home by comingling scents. If you’re bringing a new cat into a household with multiple cats, introduce each resident cat to the newcomer individually. After each of your cats has met the new cat one-on-one, you can start to allow all of the cats to mingle as a group. While many cats make a smooth adjustment to a new home, some may have a more challenging time adjusting to an unfamiliar environment. Interaction can sometimes be seen as aggression, even if it’s you shoving the kitten in the old cat’s face. You should always allow cats to interact on their own terms, and don’t be surprised if that involves ignoring each other.
This allows them to grow comfortable with the scent of the other without immediately being in direct line of sight. Additionally, this should help alleviate some of the hissing and aggression when you evaluate the waters with them in the same room. Leave the cat separated in another room for a period of time—even up to a week or more. The biggest mistake people make in building the relationships with their home cat and a newcomer is they just immediately let the newcomer roam through the house. Patience is absolutely key in this process to building a lasting relationship between the cats.
The new cat should be confidently exploring their room and showing social behavior with the people in the home. The resident cat should be acting as they always did prior to the new cat’s arrival. During this separation period, you can switch the cats’ bedding so that they get used to each other’s scent.
At first, you can try feeding them on opposite sides of the same door. You can do this by simply cracking the door or setting up a screen door. The initial method doesn’t matter; just be sure that the cats can’t physically access each other. And the litter box is prime real estate as cats don’t like to share their potties.
Introducing cats can be easy if you plan ahead and do some prep work. To avoid any feline outbreaks it’s best to gradually introduce your cats to each other. This will give your pets the proper amount of time to get to know one another instead of just grouping them up right away.
More often than not, the kitten will be more bothersome than a threat. Make sure that your current cat has their own space just for them when they want to get away from a troublesome kitten. Cat shelves that require a bit more strength and length to get to are ideal since the kitten won’t be able to follow your cat there when it needs a break.
If your cat has lived harmoniously with other cats in the past, the odds are good that she’ll adjust to a newcomer. However, it’s impossible to predict whether or not any two individual cats will get along. You should provide the new cat with a few days to get comfortable in their new home before starting any introductions. The new feline already has enough on their plate; they don’t need to deal with your other cat on top of everything else. When introducing cats of any age, special attention needs to be lavished on the resident cat. This was their home first and a newcomer can turn the quiet life she knew before upside down.
It is highly recommended to have multiple resources for multiple cats. The general rule regarding litter boxes is one box per cat, plus one, so it is advisable that you keep the new cat’s box, but you may be able to move it if you prefer a different location. The door to the room can then be opened and the resident cat allowed to explore with the kitten in the crate. The kitten can be distracted with some treats or high value toys and the resident cat can be offered a high value food treat also to reinforce positive associations.
Learning how to acclimate a cat to a new home can, at times, be a little stressful. However, by marking off each item on this checklist, you can be better prepared for your new four-legged family member, and you can help the new transition go as smoothly as possible. Collar and ID Tag – Even indoor-only cats can get out unexpectedly, so be sure to put an ID tag with up-to-date contact information on their collar.
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