We know your kitty is the cutest tattooed little one ever with that cute little button nose and that soft “I just wanna cuddle you all day” fur. That’s why you might be thinking, “Why not adopt another kitten?” You get double the hugs and the OG cat gets a feline best friend – or do they?
Just because you fall in love with your new furry friend doesn’t mean your current cat will feel the same way. So how do you make sure your resident cat (or cats) become friends with (or at least tolerate) the new addition? Here are some tips on how to foster those feline friendships and get your extended family off to a good start.
Leave excess baggage at the gate
Before you bring your new cat home, you want to make sure he doesn’t bring any unwanted guests with him. Even if you adopted your cat from a shelter, it is important to have it checked by your veterinarian to make sure it does not have parasites (eg fleas, ticks, mites) or contagious diseases (eg .: feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency). viruses, rabies) that could be transmitted to your other cats, pets or to yourself. Your vet can also examine them and make sure they are healthy and ready to play with new friends. Also, spaying or neutering them at this time (if they haven’t already) will help reduce the risk of urine marking in your home in case one of your cats is territorial (which they is naturally) and would decide to publicly claim the couch. like theirs.
Create a safe space for acclimatization
You know how intimidating it can be to step into an unfamiliar space with people you don’t know – and the same goes for your new cat. It’s best to let them adjust to their new space gradually and wait a bit before meeting their new feline friend. Find a room where they can stay alone for at least a week. Provide bedding, food and water bowls and toys, and a litter box as far away from food and water as possible.
Place their cat cage on the floor and let them explore the room on their own. Be sure to keep the door to the room closed, but encourage your cats to sniff each other under the door. If your new cat seems a little stressed, you can try adding a feline pheromone diffuser or spray to the room to help her feel calmer.
Nice to feel you, new friend
Humans greet each other in different ways, but feeling each other down is generally not a common (or acceptable) method. This is a common way for cats to get to know each other, as the pheromones released by their scent glands are a form of communication for cats. To help your cats get used to each other’s scent, you can rub a towel over each cat and bring it to the other cat to investigate. You can also change food bowls and litter boxes.
There’s a whole new world out there
Once your new cat has acclimated to its bedroom environment for about a week and has met its new friend under the door, it’s time for it to explore the rest of the house. Put your current cat in a separate room while your new cat explores – it’s not time for them to meet yet. This will allow your new cat to investigate the sights, smells and sounds of their new home without being distracted and potentially stressed by their new friend.
It’s finally time to meet!
Once your new cat seems to have adjusted to its new home, it’s time for the feline friends to meet “in chat”. One method of introduction you can try is placing the new cat in its carrier in the middle of the room. This way your cats can see and sniff (and possibly hiss) each other safely, without any claws. Encourage them to stay calm and give them plenty of treats to get the meet and greets started off on the right foot. Limit sessions to a few minutes at a time to begin with, then gradually extend their meeting time as they become more comfortable with each other.
Alternatively, if you have a friend or family member to help you, you can try playing with the cats separately at opposite ends of the room, while handing out delicious treats. Start with five-minute play sessions, then gradually increase play time and reduce the distance between cats. If you’ve been doing this successfully for about a week, you can try letting them approach each other.
Every cat needs their own space and essentials
When they finally meet, there’s a chance that your cats will be immediate BFFs (best feline friends), but there’s also a (more likely) chance that the first encounters won’t go so well. It’s important that both cats have an easily accessible escape route that includes a safe place to hide from the other cat. They can’t venture out of this area for a while, so make sure they have access to food and water and a nearby litter box.
To avoid a cat fight at dinner, make sure each cat has their own food and water bowls and provide a litter box for each cat, plus a spare. So if you have two cats, you need three litter boxes. Place litter boxes in quiet, low-traffic areas where each cat will have some privacy. Also, make sure you have multiple scratching posts, cat trees, rest areas, toys, etc., so that every cat has equal access and you can avoid an “It’s mine!” quarrel.
Watch for signs of stress
Until you are sure your cats are friendly with each other, or at least not likely to release their claws at the mere sight of each other, it is best to keep them in rooms separated when you are not at home. When you’re home, be sure to keep an eye on their interactions so you can intervene if necessary. The chart below can help you recognize signs of stress or potential aggression by understanding your cat’s “tail talk”.
If any (or all) of your cats are showing constant signs of stress and not adjusting to their new roommate, seek advice from your veterinarian. Urinating outside the litter box can be one of the first signs of feline stress, and a long-term conflict between cats could trigger an episode of feline idiopathic cystitis or other health issues.
Slowly introducing your new cat to their new home and new friends, plus using lots of positive reinforcement for all of your cats, will hopefully get them on the right path to becoming friends. This may take a few weeks, so be patient and watch them carefully. Keep in mind that they may never be best friends, but hopefully they will at least tolerate each other’s presence (eventually).
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