hello all,
I was wondering if there is a site with instructions for the best way to introduce a new cat. I currently own two cats, both fixed and declawed. one is a 5 year old female the other a 3 year old male. they have been together since the five year old was two and get along like sibblings. problem is my dad is getting remarried and i am stuck living here for four more years and his girlfriend is bringing her fourteen year old, female cat who is not declawed. her cat has lived with dogs but when the dogs got too close or on her nerves she'd scratch them. my dad is considering getting her declawed or getting nail covers to keep my cats protected, but i'm worried about chasing and biting. so i need to know of a way to introduce this cat so that there is minimal conflict between the three of them. any suggestions are appreciated, because my dad would make me get rid of my cats if they start getting really nasty to each other. I'm honestly at wits end with this and could really use some advice, i love my cats and don't want them getting hurt.
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introducing a new cat
Replies (3)
There is a lot of information on this site about introducing a new cat - take a look at the many posts in this area!
Basically you need to isolate the new kitty and let her get used to the smells of the other cats through a closed door. Occasionally you need to "trade spaces" and put your cats in the closed area and let the new kitty roam about. After a week or so you can put the new kitty in a carrier and let the others sniff around her a bit. However, don't put your cats into a carrier together under these circumstances.
When they stop hissing at each other under these situations you can allow brief supervised periods together. Feeding them far apart but in the same room is a good start. You can gradually increase the time together, but they should not be unsupervised for at least a month or two. This takes time.
You might want to get a Comfort Zone Plug-in with Feliway to help ease the stress. Also rubbing Bach's Rescue Remedy in the eartips is another way to calm them down. Your vet can recommend further medications if things don't go well.
Here is a site you might want to check out - scroll down to "introducing new pets" for a good article on the subject:
Feline Behavior
Good luck!
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thanks for the quick response. i had checked other posts but none really had a thorough explination of what to do. i was wondering if it might be a good idea to bring the other cat over for short weekly visits before they move in. we have about one month so i think i could have them bring the cat over for an hour once a week and have them separated by a door and if things progress well have them put in the same room but with the other cat in its carrier as the site suggested.
Short weekly visits in a carrier might be a great idea! For the cats who are already there, of course. The newbie still will need to be isolated for some time, and the "trading spaces" concept will still need to be done.
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