Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everybody!

My boyfriend and I moved in together about 3 months ago. He has an 11 year old cat who has always been an only kitty. Now I would like to introduce a new cat into our household. I found a 6 year old who is in need of a good home.

Do you guys think the too cats will coexist nicely? Both have been spayed / neutered.

Thanks
Leia

It's possible they can coexist well. A lot will depend on the cats' personalities and how you introduce them. At first it's important to let them have their space (from each other, and humans, if necessary), so hopefully you have enough room to give them their own "rooms" if they need them.

I had success when I introduced a kitten into my home with an adult (only) cat. Here are some tips:

- Bring the new cat in the house, but don't plop him right down in front of your existing cat. Instead, give him his own "room" and close the door. (Let your existing cat have the run of the house except for the new cat's room, rather than locking him up. He'll be miffed.)

- Let the cats learn each others' scents by rubbing a towel on each and then swapping towels.

- When you let the cats mingle, make sure you're there to supervise and break up any fights. Be ready with a spray bottle or a shake can (soda can filled with pennies) -- your existing cat may feel as though his territory is being invaded, and may be on the offensive.

- Keep visits short and sweet. If they seem to do well together, give them each a treat and separate them again.

- Eventually you can let them both have the run of the house.

I'm sure they'll be fine together -- being that they're both adults, they may vy for "top dog" in the house. But at least the new cat will be able to defend himself, since he's full grown. (I had to be careful with the little one -- she was only five weeks old and didn't have a clue on defending herself.)

Good luck, and let us know how it goes! I hope the information I provided was helpful.