How To Introduce Your Cat to a New Cat

Many people decide to add an additional cat or two to their family, hoping for the cats to become best buddies. Then your current cat will have someone to play with while you are gone all day. For some animals, introducing a new friend is no big deal, but for others it induces tantrums and terrors! Here are some tips on bringing everyone together with the least amount of stress for all.

Here is what you will need:

• A room with a door you can keep shut.
• Separate food and water bowls for your new cat
• Litter pan for your new cat
• Toys (you can use toys that you already have, if you have enough to go around)
• Blanket or cat bed for new cat
• Water pistol or spray bottle

Now, follow these daily steps:

Day 1

1. Set up the room for your new cat. Ideally you would want to set up the above items in the room before you bring the cat home, but it's OK if that was not possible. Your new kitty will explore while you get everything ready. It is best to keep the food bowls and bed on the other side of the room away from the litter.
2. Keep your new cat in its carrier. Do not try and carry your new cat through the house in your arms! Chances are high that your new cat will be spooked and try leaping out of your arms while tattooing them with special claw marks, or your current cat will start growling and being generally upset at the intruder.
3. Take your new cat into the room with you and shut the door.
4. Open the door of the carrier. Do not try to force the cat out of the carrier! Let your cat exit the carrier at her own pace. Otherwise you're adding even more anxiety to whatever your new cat is experiencing.
5. Spend time in the room with your new cat. Let him sniff around. Speak gently and reassuringly.
6. After about a 1/2 hour, leave the room and shut the door. You can go back later. You just don't want to ignore your old cat; she will be jealous.
7. Find your current cat and lead her to the room. Do not open the door! Do however let your old cat sniff around the base of the door. She smells the new cat and this helps her get used to the scent.

Day 2

1. Fill the water pistol/bottle with water.
2. Bring your old cat into the room. Pet your new cat and offer reassurance to your old cat. Have your old cat spend at most about 15 minutes in the room. If they try and attack the new cat, or vice versa, reprimand the offending cat with a quick squirt from the bottle. Say no or make a warning sound that you will be consistent with.
3. Take your old cat out of the room and shut the door. Hopefully this will not include too much agony.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 a couple more times that day.

Day 3

If your cats interacted well together, you can:

1. Open the door and allow free mixing. Congratulations! You and your cats can now move freely throughout the house.
2. Set up the new cat's bowls next to your old cat's bowls. This will train your new cat and also help stop fights during feeding time. Show your new cat where you have moved his bowls to.
3. Set up your new cat's litter pan next to the old cat's litter pan. This can be a temporary measure while the cats still make final adjustments to each other, or your can just keep the two pans going. Two cats generally can share one large pan, so it is up to you. Show your new cat where you have moved the pan to.
4. Show your new cat where the scratching post is. This of course is only if your cats have front claws. If your cat has front claws and your do not have a scratch post, for your own sake get one. Otherwise there is a good chance your furniture will become a scratch post. Play with her by the post and gently praise her if she scratches where she is supposed to scratch.
5. Pet your cats. Show equal affection to both of your cats in front of each other, so they understand everyone is a super kitty.
6. Maintain your discipline. Cats can be trained. Be sure to stop any unwanted behavior immediately with a squirt from the water pistol/bottle and your warning sound. Eventually, just the warning sound will stop your cats in their tracks. Also, praise your cats when they perform the behavior you are looking for. Remind your cats of where you want them to scratch if they stray. Sometimes adding a little catnip to the scratching post will help lure them to the correct area.

If your cats did not interact well, keep them separated for an additional two days, bringing in your old cat for supervised visits. On the fifth day follow the 6 "Day 3" steps above.

Even cats that are bitter enemies at first can over time warm up to each other and play chase and wrestle and play other cat games. Remember to keep your patience, reinforce good behavior and correct unwanted behavior. Most of all enjoy your cats!