What is your experience with bringing a new cat into the home?
Andrew asked:
Did your other cat or cats freak out and hiss at them? How long did it take for your cat or cats to get used to the new cat.
Did your other cat or cats freak out and hiss at them? How long did it take for your cat or cats to get used to the new cat.
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March 23rd, 2009 at 11:27 pm
give them all a little a while. The new cat is trying to get used to everything, and the older cats are like. .”hey WTF”. They will either respect eachothers space or be friends in the end. give it about a week or so.
March 25th, 2009 at 3:09 am
When we brought Lovey home to meet Oskar they were both a little afraid of each other. They both hissed at each other and ran away to hide. After about a week they would get close to one another, but Oskar would always kinda swat at her and pick fights. I think he did that mainly to show that he was the “master” of the house to secure his dominace. After about one month we caught them snuggling together and they would clean each other. Now they’ve been together for about two and a half years. They will fight like little kids sometimes, but all and all they get along now.
March 26th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Yes, it’s very normal for them to “freak out.” It can take anywhere from a few days to a few months… it all depends on the temperment of each cat, and how YOU handle the situation. Here’s some advice about introducing a new cat…
If you haven’t brought the kitten into your home yet, when you see it next wipe him/her down with a towel and bring it home with you. Set it very casually on the floor, and let your cats approach it, (don’t bring your cats to the towel like you’re showing them, let them find it on their own). If you have plenty of time in advance, then leave the towel around for several days, and even bring more towels with the kittens’ scent. Place them several places in the house, in the same way you “planted” the first one. It may also be helpful to rub each of your cats down with separate towels and bring them to the kitten.
When it’s time for the kitten to come home for the first time, as you are distracting your resident cats, have a friend, (someone who doesn’t live with you) bring the kitten in and place him or her in a room with the door closed. Also ask your friend to get the food and water dishes and the litter box set up in the closed room. Include toys and a bed, (or just a box with towels). The litter box should be in the opposite side of the room from the food, water and bed. DO NOT set up the kitten’s room before you bring him home. This will only confuse your cats. The point is to make your older cats think that the kitten suddenly (and magically!) appeared, without your knowledge.
Your cats will approach the door and pick up on the scent of the kitten. Don’t get discouraged or worried if you hear some hissing and growling, as this is very common. For the first couple days, spend a limited time in the room with the kitten and make sure to give your resident cats plenty of affection, even more than usual. Another helpful thing to try is to attach two toys with a string, and leave them on opposite sides of the door, so the cats can play together.
Cats are very territorial animals, and this is why you don’t want them to see the kitten as an intruder that YOU brought home and shoved in their faces. Cats are very much creatures of habit and routine, so when their routine is disrupted, don’t be surprised if they become very angry. You must be the judge of when they should meet face-to-face, but don’t push things too quickly, it may take a few days of sniffing each other under the door before they have settled down. When you believe they have calmed down and are ready, casually open the door a few inches. Remember, you are being nonchalant about this; do not force them on each other. You should pick a time after both the kitten and your resident cats have just eaten; feed them a treat that you know they will love, (like some of their favorite cooked meat). They will be content and their bellies will be full, so they’re less likely to want to exert a lot of energy in a cat fight. Supervise them and don’t be surprised if one of the older cats swats at or fights with the kitten. Don’t step in and separate them unless someone’s getting hurt worse than just a scratch on the nose. The kitten will probably retreat into his room at which time you should close the door. Increase the time you allow them to interact each day. Don’t leave them together unattended until you are confident that they comfortable with each other. Be patient. It may take a few weeks or even a few months, but if all goes well they will soon become the best of friends.
Extra tip: to ease the initial tension of introduction, rub each cat down with brewer’s yeast powder. Brewer’s yeast is available in natural food stores. It’s all natural, full of vitamin B, and will actually go good for the cats to lick it off. The smell of the brewer’s yeast helps disguise the foreign odors and each cat will basically smell the same. Don’t use anything like baby powder because the talc isn’t good for the cat to breathe or ingest. You should use the same grooming tools (combs, brushes, towels, mitts) on both cats to transfer their scents to one another.
Good luck!