How to get one cat used to another cat

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 13 February 2021
Update Date: 19 November 2024
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Introducing a NEW Cat to Your ESTABLISHED Cat
Video: Introducing a NEW Cat to Your ESTABLISHED Cat

Content

The introduction of a new feline at home is something very common among cat owners, however, that idyllic image of several happy cats often turns into a reality of huffs, chases, fights and stress. Due to the nature of the species, it is not always easy to get along quickly and pleasantly.

In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will explain to you how to make a cat get used to another, talking in detail about what you need to consider before adoption to ensure a good relationship, and how to act when two cats are already living together and conflicts arise.


How to choose a second cat?

It's perfectly understandable that you might want to adopt a cat based on its age or physical characteristics. However, it is essential to take into account the specific character of the individual to ensure a good coexistence. It will be important to ask the shelter or foster home if the cat is properly socialized, otherwise it is very likely that it does not know feline language and demonstrates fear or aggression to your feline. Also ask about the cat's activity levels or play needs, among other questions, to know if they will be compatible day to day.

An elderly cat who needs a lot of calm and tranquility will easily experience stress if you adopt a fussy and active kitten. Likewise, cats that have a very close bond with their owners and that hardly show an interest in playing will feel very uncomfortable in the presence of a feline that constantly wants to start playing.


How to introduce a new cat into the home

Once you've chosen the perfect companion, you'll need to proceed by adapting the house for the cats, putting in shelves, cots or a scraper so they can move to a safe place whenever they feel uncomfortable. You should also ensure that the new feline has its own utensils: bowls, bedding, litter box, and scraper.

To ensure a favorable environment, you can also use cat calming pheromones, which are synthetic copies of the natural pheromones that cats release to their kittens that provide well-being and relaxation for all kittens.

Introducing the cats

Once everything is ready, you should take your new cat home in a rigid carrier box. Never let the cat loose at home as soon as it arrives, since this can cause running, nervousness and favor the appearance of aggressive behavior.


You can use the 15 day method, which consists of starting with the two animals indoors, separated and without the possibility of even making eye contact.

The first coexistence initiative will be to mix the odors. You may change the accessories or simply touching one cat and letting the other sniff you, and vice versa. Continue with these exchanges until there is no negative reaction from either cat.

The next phase is visual, and in it you can already allow the animals to see each other through a glass, or keeping one of them inside a shipping box, for about 10 or 15 minutes. If one of them is uncomfortable, end contact and try again until the reactions are positive. To offer treats or caresses creates a good environment, which allows one cat to associate positive feelings with the other.

Lastly you can let them share a space, always in your presence to be able to separate them at the slightest sign of conflict. Each cat should have its own litter box, feeder, scraper, etc. These items should be easily accessible to both of you.

Why doesn't my cat accept another cat?

cats are territorial animals and customs. They like to live in an unchanging environment and have their own space and resources. That is, your bed, your litter box, your feeder, etc. And while it's possible that your cat is a very sociable animal and willingly accepts the company of a second individual, the most common is that he is dissatisfied with the arrival of another cat in its territory.

He will manifest this by acting against the newcomer with greater or lesser intensity, or by developing a stress frame. In the first case, hostility will be evident. On the other hand, in the second, it can go unnoticed, as there are no direct attacks against the new cat. While this is a significant problem, throughout the article we'll look at how to get one cat used to another.

My cat does not accept another kitten

If you introduce a new cat into the house without any precautions, it is most common to witness symptoms of non-acceptance in both cats, such as the following:

  • The cat snorts for the new kitten or vice versa, and this is usually the most common sign. In some cases, the hostility comes down to this gesture or, at the most, the cat will growl at the new kitten.
  • Other signs of hostility will be paw, stare, or block access food, litter box or rest areas.
  • There are also cats who react by stressing. They seem to ignore each other and withdraw, hide, stop eating, clean themselves excessively to the point of losing hair, etc. All of this describes a stress scenario.
  • In the most serious cases, the cat attacks the new kitten, or vice versa. Fortunately, this is not the most common behavior, but there are cats that cannot even see another cat. In these cases, you will notice very specific body language: ears too close to the head, behind or to the side, hunched body, raised tail, huffs, grunts, growls, and other warning signs. In the most severe cases, the tail will stand up and the cat will attack while emitting powerful meows.

It is important to know that aggressive reactions between cats do not depend on the sex or age of those involved.. Thus, it may very well be a cat that snorts, growls or attacks, and a kitten of a few months can fall victim to this situation.

However, you should know that even in situations as serious as the attacks can be, it is possible to redirect the situation and accustom a cat to another kitten.

How long does it take for one cat to get used to another?

Now that we've seen how to get one cat used to another, it's important to keep in mind that we can't set fixed deadlines to finalize these presentation questions, as these must be adapted to the reactions of each cat. You should follow the steps explained and move on to the next only when both cats are comfortable with the new situation. The process can take days or weeks, and it's important that you have patience, as trying to advance it can cause stress to animals and end up delaying coexistence.

How to correct jealousy among cats?

Some problems among cats, like the ones we've described, are interpreted by some caregivers as jealousy in cats, but the truth is that cats have not been proven capable of expressing this feeling. On the contrary, disputes between cats who have just met are explained by the behavioral characteristics of felines. In this way, these supposed "jealousies" are corrected by following guidelines that improve well-being of both individuals and that favor a good association between them.

How to improve coexistence between multiple cats

To finish off the article, let's share some basic advice that every tutor should know to make two cats get along:

  • Always use the positive reinforcement (caress, words, toys...) so that the cat associates the presence of the other in a positive way. On the contrary, avoid the use of punishment, as this can cause the feline to negatively associate the presence or approach of the other cat. Although conflicts do occur, you should not yell, "punish" or reprimand cats. Try to separate them calmly and firmly.
  • Make sure all cats have their own accessories and places to retreat to when they feel scared, uncomfortable, or looking for reassurance.
  • Use a synthetic pheromone diffuser to help you improve individuals' well-being and create a more comfortable environment. Enough plug it into an outlet not to be found under any furniture, far from windows and doors, in the room where they spend the most time. In about 7 days you will start to see the effect on your cats, ie a reduction of conflicts and hostile signals.
  • If serious fights continue to occur and none of the measures taken seem to work, consult a veterinarian specializing in ethology to rule out health problems and arrive at an accurate behavioral diagnosis.
  • You might also consider, with the guidance of your trusted veterinarian, neutering adult males, as studies indicate that aggression is reduced in 53% of cases, escapism in 56% and tagging in 78%.[2].