Domestic Cats Behaviour Article

How to Successfully Introduce a New Cat into Your Home

If you are a current cat owner and have decided that you would like to add another cat to your family, you should be made aware that there is no guarantee that your current cat will be as excited about the new addition as you are.

You see by nature, the cat is a solitary creature except when it is time to mate of course. A cat by nature is also territorial and does not like encroachment upon what he perceives as his domain. Any cat which feels that he is territory is being encroached upon by another cat will be met with fierce opposition. It is therefore very important that you use good judgment and tact when introducing a new cat into your home.

One important distinction that you must be made aware of all such is the fact that introducing kittens to one another is an entirely different process than introducing cats to one another. Kittens being playful by nature are more apt to accept new additions to the family, with the introduction phase being a fairly short process, sometimes as little as ten days.

Adult cats are a different story entirely. The introduction period for adult cats is more up to the individual personalities of each cat. You must also consider the temperament of each cat when introducing one cat to another. Once you have introduced a new cat into your home you must be sure that you do not skimp on the attention that you give your current cat. Make sure you give him all the love and attention that he is used to getting, or you may find yourself breaking up cat fight after cat fight. It is very important that you make your current cat feel that he is not in a competition for your affection.

When you are introducing a new cat into your home, the best place for him to stay is in a room that your current cat usually does not does not go into. You should place all the things you do cat needs in the room with camps such as a water and food dish, a bed and a scratching post. You should also place within the room he own personal litter box.

Now your current cat is not stupid, and he will know that there is a new cat behind that door. The purpose of placing the new cat into a room to himself is not to try and fool your current cat, but rather it is and introduction tactic which will allow your current cat time to accept that there is another cat in the home. The prepared for your current cat to stand outside the door to hiss and growl at the other cat to let him know he is not welcome. Do not attempt to dissuade your current cat from doing this, as he will see it as a punishment for protecting his property and his claim on you. This can turn lead to behavioral problems which do not want to deal with.

Once the two cats can sit at the door without having a hissing match, you can start to safely introduce them to one another face-to-face. You will have a much better chance of success if you first start by feeding both of the cats out of the same dish. This will allow each cat to a custom themselves to the other cat's scent, which is crucial for the cats to accept one another.

The next step is to feed the cats in separate dishes in the same room, but keep them far apart to begin with. After you have had several successful feedings in this manner, you may begin to move the feeding bowls closer together each time you feed them. This will eventually get the two cats together living harmoniously under one roof.