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Introducing a new cat to into an established home to a resident cat is not that easy as you would first think. Even if you got the other cat to keep your current kitty company, the key thing here is not to introduce the newcomer in exactly the way you would meet a new person yourself. In fact it takes a lot more time! Many cats are solitary creatures and most prefer to be alone and independent. Cats do not seem to have the need to form social bonds in the way that dogs do. Two cats might never completely embrace one another and become best friends but some cats really enjoy the company of another cat, to play with, to sleep with and groom, not to mention it’s a great way of keeping your kitties trim with all the exercise they give one another! An older resident cat will usually accept a younger new comer into the home if jealousy doesn’t become a factor. You need to make sure there is no competition for food, safe sleeping places or the most important – litter trays. Even when cats bond, they will still need to be able to slip away into a nice quiet spot to rest and relax. Stress in cats can lead to various feline ailments such as the Cat Flu which is a virus that can not ever be fully recovered from once contracted. The most important sense to your cat is “smell”. It is important for your newcomer to be placed in a small room of the house, say, the bathroom, with it’s own litter box, sleeping area and food. Take care to place the sleeping area and food is well away from the litter box. Cats are very clean creatures which will need you to clean out his littler box at least twice a day. This is a good way to integrate the new cat into your home as your new kitty will get used to the new smell of “home” and your resident cat. Also your resident kitty will also be able to get used to the smell of the newcomer, which will both help them settle in a lot quicker. Ways of helping your resident cat and newcomer to get used to each other without face to face contact just yet is to stroke each cat without washing your hands, so you can mix scents of both cats. Stroking the cat around the head where the sent glands are located is the best area as this way the new cat gets use to the new smell of the house and another cat before the eventual meeting between both cats. After a few days or so or even a week, slowly introduce the kitties to each other. With Binx and Rufus, my partner would hold Binx at one end of the room and I with Rufus at the other. Much to my surprise – Binx my 4 year old was very curious and it was Rufus, the kitten newcomer who had the hisses and the back arched! Over a period of a week, bringing them closer and eventually letting them go to scope each other out was a good and relaxing way for them to meet, ensuring that constant supervision was available! In the end, patience does have it’s rewards. Binx and Rufus are now great companions, even though Binx would much rather lounge around in the sun, and Rufus to attack Binx’s tail at every chance he gets, they seem to have an understanding of play, where it can look rough but it lacks the screeches and meows that a traditional full on cat fight. If you feel your kitty’s play fighting is getting too much, cool them off in separate rooms. Many things can work for different cats, use this as a guide when you are thinking about introducing a newcomer to your resident kitty, and you can’t go wrong! The Complete Cat Care Team have put together a great product, that covers everything from toilet training your kitty to looking after your senior cat! |
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