When introducing a new cat into a home with an existing cat, it's essential to follow a process that minimizes fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) for both animals. Here’s a guide to promote a smooth and stress-free transition, helping both cats coexist peacefully.
Prepare a Safe Space: Before bringing the new cat home, create a designated room where they can feel secure. It would be ideal to choose a room with a window, set up a night light, and include a pheromone diffuser to help the new cat feel more at ease. This room should include all the essentials like a litter box, food, water, toys, and hiding spots. The new cat will stay in this space for a minimum of one week. During this time, avoid all direct contact between the new cat and your existing cat. Although they will smell each other around the door, they should not see each other during this phase.
Scent Introduction: Start by introducing the cats to each other’s scents before any face-to-face meeting for the next week. You can do this by swapping bedding or using a soft cloth to rub one cat and then place it near the other. Additionally, you can brush one cat and later use the same brush on the other cat, allowing them to smell each other indirectly. If no growling or yowling has occurred for a week, you can begin setting up feeding times and treats by the closed door, supervising closely for any stress signals. This gradual introduction helps both cats get accustomed to each other’s presence in a non-threatening way and builds a positive association with the other cat’s scent.
Controlled Visual Introduction: After a week of a successful scent introduction phase, use a barrier like a baby gate to allow the cats to see each other without direct contact. Continue setting up feeding times and offering treats near the gate while you supervise, observing for any stress signals. You can also begin engaging both cats in play sessions on either side of the gate. This helps build a positive association with the other cat’s presence while keeping the interactions controlled and safe. Gradually, as both cats become more comfortable, you can increase the duration of these sessions.
Gradual Increase in Interaction: As the cats become more comfortable with each other during the controlled visual introduction, you can start increasing their interactions. If things continue to go well during the first three phases, place your existing cat in your bedroom with the door closed and allow the new cat to explore the house. This gives the new cat an opportunity to familiarize itself with the new environment without any complications from the existing cat. During this time, you can observe the new cat's behavior and see what areas or items in the house interest them. After a couple of hours, return the new cat to its room and let your existing cat out. Continue with the controlled visual phase and gradually extend the time and proximity of their interactions as both cats show comfort and ease.
Provide Multiple Resources: Ensure that each cat has its own set of resources, including food bowls, water stations, and especially litter boxes. For two cats, you should provide at least three litter boxes, placed in different locations around the house. This helps prevent territorial disputes and reduces the risk of one cat ambushing the other at the litter box, which can be a common source of street. In addition to litter boxes, it's important to provide ample perching locations and vertical spaces, such as cat trees or shelves. Cats feel more secure when they can observe their environment from a height, and having multiple elevated spots allows each cat to find its own safe space. As the cats become more comfortable with each other, they should be able to be out and about in the home with minimal issues, as long as you go slow and continue to provide plenty of resources to minimize competition and stress.
Resources:
The Pet Staff - How to Introduce Cats (The Pet Staff)
Kitty Insight - Introducing Cats (Kitty Insight)
Meowa - Best Way to Introduce Cats (Meowa.com)
Feline Behavior Solutions - Cat Introductions (Feline Behavior Solutions)
Recommended Reading:
Play With Your Cat! by Mikel Maria Delgado, PhD
The Cat Behavior Answer Book by Arden Moore
Understanding Cat Behavior by Beth Pasek
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