Connoisseurs and cat lovers rarely keep only one furry friend at home - often in the future they take a small kitten into the house so that the mustachioed pet does not feel bored and lonely. And at the same time, the problem often arises of how to make friends between a long-living cat in the house, which considers itself the rightful owner of the house, and a young, newly arrived cat.
Every owner has a desire for young and experienced cats to become friends and live in complete harmony and understanding. This is easy to achieve by following some rules and using little tricks.
Two cats at home. Acquaintance
This is a very important point! How the acquaintance of two previously unfamiliar cats goes will determine whether they will be able to maintain subordination in the future, or even become friends.
Wrong
There is no need to shake an angry cat from the tightness of the carrier and frightened by new smells onto the head of your sleeping pet with a joyful exclamation: “Here is your new friend!” The consequences of such human behavior can have unpredictable consequences, ranging from a harmless puddle on the carpet to cardiac arrest of one of the animals, especially if the cat is already of advanced age.
Right
To prevent a fight from happening in the first minute, the new tenant should be brought into the house in a cat carrier and this house should be placed in the middle of the room.
Let the new occupant remain in the container behind closed doors until the cats learn to sniff each other through the bars without hissing, rebounding, or raising their fur.
When your cat stops overreacting to rustles and meows from the carrier, and the “alien” stops howling menacingly when the owner’s cat approaches, the doors can be opened, but you personally are not recommended to leave the room yet.
Make sure that the new cat leaves the carrier without being attacked by your warrior. Any attempt to attack must be stopped immediately, like a skilled referee, by throwing your own cat some distance (in the red corner), and returning the newcomer back to his temporary refuge (in the blue corner of the ring). Instead of shouting: “Break!” It is very convenient to use a glass of cold water or a regular hand spray gun.
Only when two cats can restrain themselves and react relatively calmly to each other in the field of real visibility, will you be able to exhale: “The acquaintance has taken place!”
Two cats: what to do?
If you have a cat and want to get another cat, this is the most difficult case. Cats, as a rule, are much more sensitive to the appearance of rivals in the house - and this is exactly how they perceive each other. It is almost impossible to make friends with two adult, uncastrated cats, because at the level of instincts, their territory means for them the possibility of procreation.
Although there are cases where two cats become friends, they are most likely exceptions to the general rule. Most often, their relationships in the same apartment look like a sequence :
- Quiet breaks when cats ignore each other;
- Fierce fights as they try to demonstrate who is in charge.
If after several days of irreconcilable battles there is no improvement in their relationship, it is better to stop trying to make friends between the cats. After all, this is dangerous: cats can hurt each other, and they are constantly in a state of stress, which can lead to illness. It's not worth the risk.
If you fail to make friends with adult cats, you can give one of them away. But there is another way: castrate them. If you decide to choose the second option, you will face certain difficulties, such as operations and caring for the animals in the post-operative period, during which it is better to keep the cats away from each other. But after this, you are more likely to be able to reconcile the two cats.
To make cats friends, you should act in exactly the same way as when introducing two cats: you need to allocate in advance for each their own place for sleeping, for feeding and for the tray, and place them as far as possible from each other.
Two cats at home. addictive
Cats are territorial animals, many are ready to defend their “family nest” to death in the literal sense of the word. A new resident who arrives in someone else’s “family nest” will be forced to conquer part of this territory for himself to live.
Wrong
After the initial acquaintance has taken place, pour the food into one bowl and, having filled the cat’s litter box with fresh litter, tell the cats: “Next, figure it out for yourself!” It’s even worse to try to put the cats on the same bedding or, having captured the “new guy” in your strong hands, start stroking him in front of your pet and “singing songs of praise to him.” Don't put your cat under stress! In the best case, by morning you will get a couple of fresh “mines” in the corners of the room, in the worst case, a fierce fight between cats in the middle of the night is guaranteed.
The worst case scenario is that your cat will begin to fade away, deciding that you no longer need her, and it will be very difficult to restore her health and her trust.
Right
Provide each animal with its own resting place, bowl and tray. Build a bed from several layers of fabric. If possible, place them in different rooms and close the interior doors tightly.
In the morning, swap the top parts of the bed - put your cat's bedding on the “alien”, and the “alien” pillowcase on your animal. Don't forget to do this every day for 10-15 days, even if it seems to you that the cats have already gotten along together.
Don't shoo your cat away from the "invader's" bowl, and don't shoo the "invader" away from your purr's bowl! At this stage, two cats learn to trust each other: permission to share prey is one of the main signs of a united family!
How else to make two cats friends
You can stretch a construction iron mesh across the room, either as high as the ceiling, or closing the top so that the cats cannot get into each other’s separate territories.
In this case, bowls of food should be placed side by side, but with a mesh separating them. On the contrary, space trays with cat litter as far as possible. This arrangement of “interior items” will help the mustachioed and striped ones quickly get used to living together.
This method is convenient for you because you can safely leave the house without worrying about the life and health of your tenants. After all doubts that the two cats have found a common language have disappeared, the net can be removed.
Is it even worth getting a second cat?
When bringing a second furry creature into your home, you must not forget about the feelings of the first. In some cases it is better to wait.
Veterinarians and experienced owners do not recommend bringing a neighbor to an elderly mustache. An active relative will take a lot of attention from the owner. The old-timer will feel deprived, become depressed, and begin to refuse food. Particularly sensitive old people can die from stress.
An adult uncastrated male poses a threat to a baby up to three months of age. Therefore, a small kitten is an undesirable neighbor in such a family. There is no need to bring a new animal if there is a pregnant or lactating female in the house. She will begin to attack the stranger, protecting her nest.
But there are situations when a second animal is practically necessary. We are talking about sociable pets who stay at home for 10-12 hours every day. Alone, a cat or cat feels uncomfortable: they begin to act out and even take a crap. Then a second pet is the only right way out.
Two cats at home. Cohabitation
Don’t think that if your two cats have learned to tolerate each other, then all your worries are over. You will have to make some more efforts to truly make friends with the cats.
Now everything in your house will equal the number “2”:
- food bowls – 2;
- drinking bowls – 2;
- beds or rest houses – 2;
- toilet trays – 2;
- scratching post – 2;
- favorite toys - at least 2.
You will have to feed, comb, caress, and clean up after two pets, who equally count on your love and attention. How to make friends with cats for real, without causing them any harm, either physical or moral?
- Watch your behavior: each pet should receive the same amount of attention and affectionate strokes.
- Feed cats the same food at the same time. Be sure to use both bowls, even if the animals agree to eat from one!
- Never offer one cat a treat from your hand while ignoring the other!
- Do not pick up two cats at the same time, bringing their bodies closer together. Cats have an extremely negative attitude towards forcibly changing the boundaries of their “personal space”.
- Select a stronger individual and make sure that she does not start to “wind up”, provoking the second cat (cat) to fight. We stop the attempt to “figure it out” with a loud, stern shout or with the same bullet gun. Under no circumstances should you throw anything at the cat or (God forbid!) hit it in this situation! - This will be perceived as an act of joint aggression between you and the other cat against the one who is starting the fight.
- The best way to make friends is to learn to play together. Start the game by gradually including both mustaches in it, and then quietly withdraw yourself, giving them the opportunity to play together. But don't leave the room! – Keep your finger on the pulse (bulletizer)!
- Nothing brings you together after a noisy game like relaxing together and the affection of an older comrade - your affection! In addition, such affection will be perceived as encouragement or a reward for the time spent together.
- If you notice that the cats are lying down on the same bedding or affectionately rubbing against each other (the exchange of smell is no less important a fact of trust, like the sharing of food!), then you can rest assured that these two will get along quite well with each other!
Difficulties with adding a second cat
Most likely, you will avoid difficulties with “introducing” a new tenant if you decide to add a second one of the same kind to your “minor” tomboy. Kittens easily adapt to new toys, food and companions. In addition, a new comrade, as a rule, is also combat-minded (in the good sense of the word). In less than an hour, these two idiots will be driving around the house with all their might, knocking down all the decor you lovingly selected on their way. In general, if your two cats are the same age, the adaptation process between them will be faster.
Adding a cat to a cat, a young animal to an old one, or a castrated to an uncastrated animal has its own nuances, its pros and cons.
- The cat willingly accepts any cat on its territory - a plus. He will try to cover her constantly, even if she is not ready to breed. The result: attractive scent marks throughout the house for an intractable lady, loud calls for “friendship” around the clock and, quite possibly, an unwanted cat pregnancy – minus.
- Two castrated cats are unlikely to show aggressive behavior towards each other for a long time - a plus. One of them will definitely try to leave - minus.
- Never get a neuter if your cat has not undergone this operation! And vice versa! Neutered cats get along with stud cats only if they grew up in the same house with the “young claws”! Unneutered cats will also not get along together if there is not enough free space: the cat is an extremely territorial animal!
- Sterilized cats quickly find a common language with each other - a plus.
- The older cat will always try to dominate the younger one. It’s good if the younger one is ready to give in, otherwise short-term battles (without much damage, of course) will be frequent - a minus.
- Old cats and female cats are usually grumpy, but tolerate the proximity of kittens. A cat, if she once had kittens, may well adopt a nimble child. Don't disturb her - that's a big plus!
- An old cat, if the little one bothers him too much, can simply kill the bully - minus.
A simple “old-fashioned” method will help reduce the degree of obvious aggression towards a small tenant: Wash the kitten with the same shampoo you use to wash a cat or any neutral, odorless one. Wrap it to dry in the older cat's bedding and massage it thoroughly with this bedding. Great help!
- If an old cat comes into your home, be especially attentive to it. Cats don’t like sudden changes in anything, and for the “old lady” a new environment and even a second cat in a house she doesn’t know is real 100% stress! Stress is a huge disadvantage for an “older person” and a serious blow to health. The cat will try to avoid fights, but will try to hide as deep as possible and will cry for a long time and plaintively - meow, calling for the previous owner.
- Contact your veterinarian, he will definitely select a drug that will help relieve tension in the “old lady” - a plus. It happens that one of the cats needs certain treatment. This, of course, is a minus.
- But the second animal, which can observe the process, according to the owners, seems to be imbued with sympathy for the patient and tries in every possible way to alleviate his suffering, lying next to him, licking and calming the unfortunate man. There are no talk of any fights or territorial disputes during this period - a clear plus.
It happens that an animal, having come to you for temporary care, remains with you forever. Or you suddenly want to take another furry friend into your home.
How long does it take for cats to get used to each other?
Bringing a cat into your first cat's home is not difficult, but remember that each cat will behave differently. If the owners have a cheerful, optimistic animal, and the newly acquired pet has a wayward character, the familiarization process may take a long time. It is almost impossible to make friends between male cats in the same apartment; if we are talking about castrated pets, the task is simplified, since animals that have survived the operation lose the instinct to preserve the territory. As a rule, the period of rapprochement between animals varies from 1 week to several months, but with patience, lonely cat lovers can adopt and have three or more cats in one house.
