When you decide to add a new cat to your home, it’s normally more exiting for you and your family than it is for the cat you already own. Although most cats are solitary by nature, most will also come to accept or eventually tolerate any additions. Cats can be very territorial, which is why you should always be careful when you introduce a new cat to your current cat.
If you are introducing kittens to one another, the entire introduction process can be short, lasting as little as 10 – 15 days. Introducing cats to each other all depends on their temperament and their personality. When you introduce a new cat to your current cat, you should always make sure that you give your current cat plenty of love and attention. This way, your cat will feel secure and know that he isn’t in competition with your new cat for affection.
When you bring your new cat home, you should let him stay in a safe room until you have finished introducing the cats. Your safe room can be any small room in your home, such as a bathroom or spare bedroom. The key here is to use a room that your current cat doesn’t go in. In the room, you should leave your new cat a scratching post, bed, water dish, litter box, and food dish.
At first, your current cat may howl and hiss when he stands at the door, trying to tell the other cat that he doesn’t belong. When this happens you should ignore it, as punishing your cat for his behavior will only lead to more problems. After a while, the first cat will start to act calm when he is near the new cat’s door. As he starts to act calm, you should pet him and give him praise.
When your first cat starts to go by your new cat’s door and doesn’t howl or hiss; you can start introducing them to each other. The best way to do this is to get them used to each others scent. You can start letting them eat out of the same food dish, although you’ll want to feed them at different intervals at first. This way, the scent of each cat will be present at the food dish, and each cat will get the scent when he eats his food.
Once both cats have got used to the scent, you can begin to feed them closer together. To do this, you should keep your new cat in the safe room with the door closed, and your first cat on the other side of the door with his food dish. This time, feed both cats at the same time. After doing this a few times, they should start eating without any hissing or growling. At this point, they are ready to be introduced to one another.
When you introduce them to each other in the same room, a bit of growling and hissing is to be expected. Although they may be used to each others scent; your first cat will still feel a bit awkward with your new cat being in his territory. You should play with them both at first, so they can smell one another and greet in their own way. If they start to fight you should break them up, and give them some time apart.
It may take some time to get them fully used to one another, although once they do – they will become playmates for life. Cats love to be social, although it may be a bit rough at first, especially for your first cat. Cats can be very territorial, especially if you have a kitten around. If you get both of them used to each other early on – it will be a lot easier to add future cats to your home.
social group or not. Our goal is for the cats to recognize each other as part of the same social group by creating a common scent. The idea of scent swapping is that both cats can become completely comfortable in the presence of the other cat's scent before they physically bond. By ensuring this, they are more likely to accept each other's physical presence if they see each other as more than part of the same group. For more information on how cats communicate with pheromones and scents, click here. Step 1:
Change the beds Begin the scent change by taking a piece of the litter box (such as a blanket) from each cat and placing it on top of one of the other cat's litter boxes. There should be enough beds for two cats so that this change of beds does not leave the cat with limited sleep / rest. Each cat is expected to rest in the other cat's bed so that their two scents can mix to create a common scent. Relax and watch the reaction of the two cats on the bed. A cat that exhibits negative behaviors toward the bed, such as active avoidance or even hissing, may be less likely to welcome a new cat into its home and may need to transition to steps at a slower pace. If the cats show a relaxed attitude in the presence of the beds, the beds can be moved back to the original cat room to allow more mixing of the scents.
Step 2: Have each area of the cat explored If the cats in each other's beds (and in the areas that are scratched) do not show signs of a bad smell, then as an additional measure, the house cat can be locked up for a while (for example, the cat can be closed at night. To the owner's room ) inspect the new cat area of the cat living in the house. However, repentance should only occur if it cannot cause distress such as frustration. Alternatively, the new cat can be temporarily removed from its room (and locked elsewhere) to allow the cat to explore the room in it. It is recommended that the latter only occur when the new cat is completely relaxed, so it may not be okay until a few days after the new cat is introduced.
Step 3: Allow eye contact Cats should only show each other if they are generally completely relaxed in the house and if they encounter the scent of another cat. Mutual vision must take place through a physical barrier. This can be achieved in a number of ways, including: a door that opens slightly (so they can't get through) wire mesh fence - some people make a wooden door frame that fits over their existing wire mesh door frame stair gate for children Recommendation to use positive boxes only for introducing kittens Crates similar to those designed for dogs should not be used for introducing adult cats, as the small space in the crate limits their ability to escape another cat. However
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