How to Introduce Cats
Introducing your cats
When introducing your new cat and your resident cat, it is important to follow some basic steps to ensure the process goes smoothly. Two cats can learn to live together peacefully, so long as you provide them with the right environment. However, even with careful planning, introducing a new cat into your home can be stressful for your cats. Initially, their encounters might be met with growling or hissing. Never just place your two cats together and hope that they will work it out on their own.
Instead, place the two cats in separate areas of your house. It is important to provide your new cat with a space of her own, such as a spare bedroom or office, with a strong human scent. This will help your new cat establish a sense of home. Place ‘scent soakers’, like beds, blankets, and scratching posts, around the room that can absorb your cat’s scent. Before they see each other, your cats should be able to smell and hear each other. A good way to do this is by feeding both cats near a shared door so they learn to associate the smell and sound of each other with a positive experience. Playing with your cats and handing out treats near the door is also a good idea. You can also take a clean sock and rub it on your new cat’s face to pick up her scent. Then, leave the sock with the resident cat and allow him to investigate it when he is ready.
Once your new cat has become comfortable in her surroundings, let the cats separately explore each other’s territories. This will allow for things like cat trees and litter boxes to take on a shared scent. This is an important part of the process because much of cat communication is based on smell. If everything is going well after about a week, you can try to visually introduce your cats. You can do this by installing a screen door or a tall pet gate that allows your cats to see each other. Continue feeding and playing with the cats within view of each other as long as they are comfortable.
Finally, it’s time for your cats to meet face to face. Make sure you are there to supervise, and that it takes place in a neutral room. They will likely sniff each other and may stand with tails up or just stare. Put out plenty of toys that they can share and encourage them to play. If one or both cats seem stressed, keep the encounter short, and then repeat for a longer time later.
Continued Care
Keep in mind that following the initial introduction, it can take a long time for your cats’ relationship to grow. In most cases, it takes cats eight to 12 months to develop a friendship with a new cat. Although some cats eventually become close friends, others never do. Even after a careful introduction and lots of patience, two cats may still not get along. If this is the case, then the goal for your cats should be peaceful tolerance of one another. While your cats may never cuddle or groom each other, they should be able to be in the same room together and not fight. If you are experiencing an ongoing problem with your cats co-existing, talk to your veterinarian. If your cats are physically fighting, they need to be separated until you seek professional help.
Place multiple feeding stations and litter boxes around the house. There should be one litter box per cat, as well as one extra. Provide multiple cat trees and perches so your cats won’t compete over resting spots. Provide both cats with sufficient playtime. If they prefer to play separately, be sure they each get individual attention. Reward any positive interactions between your cats with treats and praise. The more they associate positive experiences with each other, the more likely they are to get along.
References
Galaxy, J. (n.d.). The Do's and Don'ts of Introducing Cats. Retrieved from https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/blog/the-dos-and-donts-of-introducing-cats/
Simple Tips for Introducing Two Cats. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.petfinder.com/cats/bringing-a-cat-home/cat-to-cat-introductions/
Menon, P. (2019, March 15). What To Do if Your Cats Don't Like Each Other. Retrieved from https://moderncat.com/articles/how-tell-if-your-cats-each-other/
When introducing your new cat and your resident cat, it is important to follow some basic steps to ensure the process goes smoothly. Two cats can learn to live together peacefully, so long as you provide them with the right environment. However, even with careful planning, introducing a new cat into your home can be stressful for your cats. Initially, their encounters might be met with growling or hissing. Never just place your two cats together and hope that they will work it out on their own.
Instead, place the two cats in separate areas of your house. It is important to provide your new cat with a space of her own, such as a spare bedroom or office, with a strong human scent. This will help your new cat establish a sense of home. Place ‘scent soakers’, like beds, blankets, and scratching posts, around the room that can absorb your cat’s scent. Before they see each other, your cats should be able to smell and hear each other. A good way to do this is by feeding both cats near a shared door so they learn to associate the smell and sound of each other with a positive experience. Playing with your cats and handing out treats near the door is also a good idea. You can also take a clean sock and rub it on your new cat’s face to pick up her scent. Then, leave the sock with the resident cat and allow him to investigate it when he is ready.
Once your new cat has become comfortable in her surroundings, let the cats separately explore each other’s territories. This will allow for things like cat trees and litter boxes to take on a shared scent. This is an important part of the process because much of cat communication is based on smell. If everything is going well after about a week, you can try to visually introduce your cats. You can do this by installing a screen door or a tall pet gate that allows your cats to see each other. Continue feeding and playing with the cats within view of each other as long as they are comfortable.
Finally, it’s time for your cats to meet face to face. Make sure you are there to supervise, and that it takes place in a neutral room. They will likely sniff each other and may stand with tails up or just stare. Put out plenty of toys that they can share and encourage them to play. If one or both cats seem stressed, keep the encounter short, and then repeat for a longer time later.
Continued Care
Keep in mind that following the initial introduction, it can take a long time for your cats’ relationship to grow. In most cases, it takes cats eight to 12 months to develop a friendship with a new cat. Although some cats eventually become close friends, others never do. Even after a careful introduction and lots of patience, two cats may still not get along. If this is the case, then the goal for your cats should be peaceful tolerance of one another. While your cats may never cuddle or groom each other, they should be able to be in the same room together and not fight. If you are experiencing an ongoing problem with your cats co-existing, talk to your veterinarian. If your cats are physically fighting, they need to be separated until you seek professional help.
Place multiple feeding stations and litter boxes around the house. There should be one litter box per cat, as well as one extra. Provide multiple cat trees and perches so your cats won’t compete over resting spots. Provide both cats with sufficient playtime. If they prefer to play separately, be sure they each get individual attention. Reward any positive interactions between your cats with treats and praise. The more they associate positive experiences with each other, the more likely they are to get along.
References
Galaxy, J. (n.d.). The Do's and Don'ts of Introducing Cats. Retrieved from https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/blog/the-dos-and-donts-of-introducing-cats/
Simple Tips for Introducing Two Cats. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.petfinder.com/cats/bringing-a-cat-home/cat-to-cat-introductions/
Menon, P. (2019, March 15). What To Do if Your Cats Don't Like Each Other. Retrieved from https://moderncat.com/articles/how-tell-if-your-cats-each-other/