Jun
Introduce cats to one another
So its time to introduce cats to one another. We have already shown you the best ways to settle your new kitty into your home and meet the humans who they will share their life with. But that isn’t the end of the introductions; if you already have pets in your home, then you might wonder how best to introduce your new kitty to the other cats or dogs that make up your family.
One of the most important things to remember is that you should take control of the situation and not leave the animals to “sort it out themselves” this can not only be dangerous but could cause issues that last longer than those first interactions.
So with this in mind, we have put together our top tips for introducing your new addition to your current cats to help you to create a harmonious family home!
Kitty meets kitty!
You may have noticed that cats are not the type of creature that requires company; they are quite often territorial animals who will happy chase away a cat that they feel is invading their space.
This may mean that your cats will not instantly become best friends.
That said, cats can learn to live together and even become pals over time. This will usually depend on how you introduce them to each other (as well as making sure that there is no competition for food or a cosy place to sleep).
Scent of success
One of the simplest ways to get your cats accustomed to each other is by swapping their scents. To do this you will need to stroke each cat with clean, soft cloth and dabbing it around the house or simply leave it in the cat’s favourite sleeping place.
You know that the cats are starting to become used to each other when they stop avoiding the cloth.
Through the looking glass
Once the scent stage has been successful you can allow them to meet each other face to face, albeit with some glass in-between. Where possible you can separate the cats with a glass or mesh door. If the cats seem settled with each other then it is time to bring them together.
Time to come together
Now is the nerve wracking part. Time to bring those kitties together in the flesh.
The best way to introduce them to one another is within one room. It is important to ensure that there are easy escape routes open to both cats so that they can leave if they feel that they need to.
It is best to bring them together in a good sized room with plenty of shelves or furniture that they can jump up onto if they feel nervous.
You should be present in the room whilst they get to know each other and it is down to you to play with each cat, or fuss them both so that they put their attention on you rather than each other.
The first meet should only be for a short amount of time and then this can gradually extended. Remember that it can take days or weeks for your cats to become accustomed to each other and patience is the key. They may hiss and spit at first but given time they may very well become used to each other enough to live quite happily in your home.
Come back for the final part in our new cat care guide; bringing in the dogs!
