If you love cats very much, you will probably want to have not just one cat, but several. In general, a cat should not be alone in the house and there are a number of reasons for this.
For example, cats, contrary to what many people think, are social creatures. And although they can easily be the only pet in the house, they benefit from interaction with other members of their species.
Also remember that your cat may become bored if left alone for long periods of time. This often happens when we are away from home for a long time, for example, when we are late at work or go away for the weekend. Even if you asked someone to visit your pet while you are away, the cat may feel sad.
Although sometimes cats warm up to each other quickly, often if you approach the process of introducing cats incorrectly, your pets can create a battlefield in your home.
The time you spend introducing the cats to each other will pay off. For example, you won't have to clean up the consequences of cat fights every day in the future. Just a couple of weeks can determine the trend in the development of relationships between cats for a long time.
Assess the situation
There are a few simple rules for choosing a cat for a home that already has one.
- If you are thinking about adopting one kitten for your adult cat, consider whether you can adopt 2 kittens. Then they will spend all their irrepressible energy playing with each other while the adult cat gets used to it.
- If you have multiple cats, use a dominant cat or male cat to introduce the new one. In the cat world, hierarchy is important. As the main sign of a newcomer, the rest of the four-legged animals will follow his example.
- If possible, try to match the new cat to the personality of the old one. For example, if you have a good-natured, lazy cat, there is a very high probability that an aggressive and super-energetic newcomer will simply run over him.
- If possible, ask one of your friends to bring the new cat home, not yourself. At the same time, behave as if nothing had happened. As if it wasn't your idea to take home another pet. Cats understand this.
How to introduce a kitten and a cat
“Say hello to your little sister!”
The arrival of a new kitten in the home is a special and wonderful time for the whole family...except your adult cat!
No matter how gentle her character is, she is still a cat and therefore instinctively exhibits strong territoriality, indicating that the habitat is in her possession. The appearance of another furry creature in her line of sight may cause her to have a negative reaction. Envy as the new arrival suddenly takes all the hosts' attention. Discomfort because cats are extremely sensitive to the cleanliness of the litter box they use. Aggression and despondency, because the little guy who irritates her is constantly hovering in front of her nose.
However, by planning the entire process in advance and studying the psychology of animals, you can make the dating process less difficult and lay the foundation for the formation of friendship and cooperation between animals that will allow you to create a “family with two cats.”
Step 1: Prepare the house
If possible, before a new kitten arrives in the house, take a new toy or blanket and bring it to the breeder, rub the kitten with it so that its scent remains on these items. Then leave these items at home so that your cat can become familiar with them. When a cat and kitten first meet, she will no longer perceive his smell as something threatening to her.
Set up a separate room (maybe a spare bedroom or utility room) that the new kitten can occupy for its first few days in the house, with water and food bowls, toys and bedding. And don't worry - these are just temporary measures.
Step 2: Let the animals get used to each other's smell
On the day the kitten arrives, keep your cat in a different room containing things she is familiar with and familiar with. Bring the kitten into the house, quickly show him all the rooms so that he begins to get used to the new environment, and then place him in the room prepared for him.
Only now can you let the cat out of the room where she was (but make sure that she does not meet the kitten). Let her smell your kitten-scented hands and treat her with treats to reinforce the positive connection between the new scent and the pleasant experience.
Gradually spread the kitten's scent throughout the house over the first few days by rotating the food and water bowls. Once both animals have become accustomed to each other's scent, allow them to explore each other's territory separately, but do not allow them to meet.
Step 3: Let them finally meet
It is best to arrange an “official” introduction during feeding, when hunger will overpower all other irritants. When you first meet animals, you can expect them to hiss and grumble - this is normal and allows them to determine their own place in the hierarchy. Keep a blanket ready in case full-scale hostilities break out. But it is quite possible that your preparations will have an effect and the animals will be able to “get to know” each other enough to be peacefully nearby at least for the duration of lunch.
Step 4: Reinforce Success and Praise Them Equally
Immediately after the first meal together, separate the animals and keep them apart until the next feeding, gradually increasing the time they spend together. When they are together, divide treats and attention equally between the two of them, not only to reinforce the positive experience, but also to demonstrate that you are not favoring one over the other.
Remember that you are the “leader of the pack”, you do not have to determine which of them takes the place of the “main cat” and who obeys - they will figure it out on their own in the usual way in nature. You just have to demonstrate objectivity and honesty in all your dealings.
Everyone loves fluffy kittens, and an important part of bringing a second cat into the home is the excitement surrounding the new baby. But by remaining calm when introducing your kitten to family members, laying the foundation for a respectful relationship between the animals, and sharing your love equally, you will receive even more love from both of your pets in return.
Here's a recipe for creating a happy family with two cats!
Be patient!
The process of introducing cats to each other can take from 2 hours to 2-3 months. Don't be upset if the pets don't start communicating warmly from the first minutes. During this period, both cats require a lot of affection and attention. It is necessary to connect in their minds having fun and spending time together. And in the end they will become best friends.
Patience and perseverance will turn even a battlefield between cats into a heavenly and peaceful place for your furry friends.
Designate a “safe room” for your new cat. There should be water, a tray (don't put it next to food), a scratching post, toys and a bed or house. It is very likely that cats will hiss and swear at each other through a closed door. This is absolutely normal, they are just starting to build relationships and hierarchy.
Introducing cats to each other
Remember that cats do not need social connections - unlike dogs, who are pack animals, they live happily on their own outside of any social structure. Cats don't tend to feel the need for a friend, even if you would like to have another cat.
You won't be able to make cats fall in love with each other - some of them will easily get along with a new neighbor, while others will never get along or will only learn to live next to each other, maintaining an uneasy peace. You can only try. However, if there is no competition for food or safe resting places (as in most good homes), the cats will eventually accept each other, and some animals may even form a close bond. How cats get along with each other depends only on their desire, but you can still influence the success of the operation: it depends on how you introduce them. If the relationship becomes tense or frightening, if the cat feels threatened, it will be very difficult to change its behavior later. Therefore, it is extremely important to introduce animals carefully and gradually so that this does not cause an unnecessarily violent reaction.
Here are a few factors that influence the success of your first meeting:
Adult cats or kittens? A kitten poses less of a threat to the first cat than an adult animal, since it has not reached sexual maturity. You may also consider choosing a kitten of the opposite sex to reduce competition between them. Sterilization helps solve most of these problems, but does not get rid of them completely. If you are taking a second adult cat, it is also better to choose an animal of the opposite sex.
Time Choose a moment when the house is quiet and calm - avoid introducing cats during holidays, parties, visits from relatives or friends, choose a time when you can give full attention to your pets and support them.
Smell Matters Remember that smell is the most important of a cat's senses and the most important for communication and well-being. You can help your new cat fit into your life without being a “stranger” by mixing her scent with the scent of home before introducing her to your first cat. To do this, pet each cat and, without washing your hands, mix the smells. You can also collect secretions from the glands on your cat's head by stroking it with a soft towel, and then wipe all corners of the house and furniture with this towel. Giving your cat a chance to get used to new smells in the house and the smell of another cat before the first introduction will make her more tolerant. For this reason, it is better to postpone the first acquaintance of cats for several days or even a week. During this time, keep them in separate rooms, allowing each to explore the other's habitat and bed in the absence of the owner.
When introducing cats, use a cat pen or cat carrier. Your goal is to make sure both of your pets feel as safe as possible and that the new arrival is not harassed or aggressive (or is not aggressive himself). If the first acquaintance turns into a fight or a chase, problems may arise. The best way to avoid this is to use a special kitten pen when you first meet them. It is a metal honeycomb structure approximately 1m x 0.75m x 1m (l/w/h) with a door that can be left open or tightly closed. The cat, being inside, can see everything that is happening around, and at the same time feel safe in its shelter.
You may want to place a blanket on top at first to make your pet even more comfortable if you see him feeling vulnerable. A pen allows cats to see each other, sniff, meow or hiss without directly threatening or attacking. The bars allow the animals to be close, but at the same time protect them from each other. If you have a kitten, it makes sense to buy a larger pen so that you can keep your pet in it from the very beginning. Using it, you can introduce animals; you can also close the kitten in it, placing its tray and bed inside if you are going to leave and do not want the kitten to encounter any trouble or danger in your absence. The kitten can be locked in a pen at night (make sure it has a bowl of water) in the same room with other animals - then they will get used to each other in a calm environment. If you can't find a pen or crate, use a cat carrier or basket for the first introduction. Of course, it is too small and will not serve as a shelter for your cat, and you will not close your cat (kitten) in it for a long time, but it is better than nothing.
Behavior check
Please try to follow these guidelines to help your new pet fit into your family. Don't forget to praise and pet both cats. Don’t forget about the rituals and traditions that you have developed with your long-lived pet, this will help alleviate stress in your purr.
It may not work out the first time, that's normal. If things take an undesirable turn, immediately breed the cats and start from the last successful stage. If the aggressor is always the same cat, give it a short time out and come back to this a little later.
Once you are sure that the cats get along with each other under direct supervision, you need to check how ingrained their friendship is. To do this, do the following:
- Meet your cats again, but this time without treats or other incentives.
- Move outside the room, but continue to observe your pets' behavior. Do they still behave well even while you're away?
- Continue to observe how cats communicate from time to time. All cats sometimes growl and chase each other, but actual fighting, non-playful biting or other displays of aggression are signs of a problem.
Causes of aggressive behavior in cats
When a pet begins to hiss and growl at the sight of a kitten and tries to drive the baby under the sofa, you should not yell at her or punish her, because this will only aggravate the problem and in the future it will be very difficult to make friends with animals. The owner must understand that this behavior of the cat is quite natural and in this way it shows its dissatisfaction and resentment.
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If a cat has been the only pet in the apartment for several years, then it is natural that it perceives its home as its sole possession and does not want to share the territory with anyone, be it a dog or another cat.
We should not forget that cats are very jealous creatures, so the appearance of another animal is considered a betrayal on the part of the owner and will try to get rid of the rival in any way. This aggressive behavior is especially typical for cats that came into the house from the street or from a shelter. Animals are afraid that they will again find themselves unwanted and abandoned, and this is the reason for their hostility towards the stranger.
In addition, owners often make the common mistake of paying all their attention to a small kitten, forgetting that it is at such a moment that the cat needs the love and care of the owner . And it will be much simpler and easier to establish friendship between a cat and a kitten if you show the adult pet that with the birth of the baby, the attitude towards her will remain the same, so that she does not feel deprived of the owner’s attention and affection.
