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Stow away breakable items – Do you have fragile treasures out on your mantle, table, or bookshelves? It’s best to put them away where your cat can’t knock them over and break them. Scratching Post – This is a must-have to help keep your cat from scratching up the furniture. Brand Name Cat Food – Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation if you’re confused by all the choices. First off, you need to be sure this cat doesn’t already have a home by checking for a collar and ID tag. A veterinarian can scan the cat for a microchip, which would have identifying information.
When the cats have repeatedly, over at least several days if not weeks, had positive or neutral interactions without showing signs of stress, they are ready for unsupervised time together. By this point, the cats are increasingly comfortable with each other, but have not yet directly interacted. Now you can give them supervised time together without the baby gate.
Introducing Your Cat to a New Cat
Add a litter box in your preferred location as she settles in, keeping one in her safe room. Set up her food and water bowls in the kitchen or where she is normally fed. She may return to the room if she feels anxious, so don’t be too quick to dismantle everything.
Once the door is shut, place the new cat in a corner of the room or in an area they can hide. You might even want to give the new cat some alone time to settle down and start exploring the new space. If your cats do not immediately take a liking to each other, don’t worry! There is a chance that they can grow closer or at the very least trust each other enough to live in peace. Giving them the time and space to adjust increases this likelihood.
Step 2: Introducing Cats by Scent
Providing you cat with a safe haven and her own cozy spot when adjusting to the new how can be very helpful. By providing your mobile number, you agree to receive autodialed, recurring text messages from the HSUS with updates and ways you can help animals. You will receive text messages with ways to help animals right from your phone. 17 Fun Tattoo Designs For Dog Lovers Dog parents will love these ideas. Gift Your Pet December’s Walmart Pet Lovers’ Box With The Dodo Sign up today to receive December's box before the holiday. The Dodo spoke to some experts to get all the tips you need for introducing your new cat to your home.
Gradually increase the amount of time the cats spend around each other while you are home and supervising. Once they are routinely spending 4 or 5 hours together without incident, you should be able to give both cats free run of the home overnight and then when you are away. The average time frame is a few weeks but it could take months for the cats to learn to tolerate each other. Proceed with caution when you decide it is time to introduce your cat to other cats. It should be with an open mind and an abundance of patience that you tackle this newest member of your family. Continue feeding both cats on their respective sides of the door, and continue switching them back and forth.
How To Introduce New Cats To Each Other
Always stop the play on a good note and reward the cats with a treat. If things are going well, gradually increase the amount of time you play with them. Bringing a new cat into your home is a big deal for your resident cat. Because your cats are likely to initially view the new cat as a threat as opposed to a friend. That’s not an ideal way to start a relationship, but that’s the reality with cats. By following these guidelines, your new cat is likely to be accepted by your current cat and there will at least be peaceful coexistence and, ideally, bonding.
If your cat has never been around other cats except when they were a kitten, it may take them awhile to adjust to a new cat in the home. Ideally, the new cat is known to enjoy the company of other cats as this will likely make the introduction process easier. It’s a good idea to adopt a cat around the same age and/or who has a similar energy level. Many shelters and rescues can tell you a cat’s background, including if he’s lived with children previously, so be sure to ask.
Look for a cat who’s good with kids
Cats are known for being creatures of habit, so being thrown into a whole new environment can be a lot for them to handle. Be sure to spend a lot of time with each cat or group of cats individually. Cats have a unique way of communicating that involves rubbing their heads together. By doing this, they leave behind a scent that they can recognize. This helps them stay in touch with each other and lets them know who is part of their social group. If he is only comfortable having the sides of his face and chin rubbed, dont keep trying for a full-body caress.
Close the lid – Keep toilet lids down so curious cats won’t climb up and fall in. Wherever you get your new feline from, you will want to stock up on essential cat supplies. Use this checklist to help make sure you have everything you need for having a new cat in the house. Check with the airlines for their policies and cost, including carrier dimensions.
With both cats now acutely aware of the other’s scent, it’s time to let them actually see each other. The work you’ve done up to this point has resulted in predictable behavior between the two cats and a cordial “scent handshake” at every meal. It’s a mistake, though, to assume that they will be just as cordial once the visual element is introduced. Instead, begin at the beginning and reset the Challenge Line; take the feeding line back all the way to where they can see one another and eat with little or no disruption.
This could potentially build positive association with cat food and the scent of the new feline friend. If they seem calm after this exchange, you can move to visual contact. Inside the separate room, have an area where the new cat can hide if they are afraid. Also have a comfortable sleeping spot, bowls for food and water, and their own litter box. Consider putting a calming diffuser in the room, as well as in your cat’s favorite spots. This reproduces cat facial pheromones, lowering their stress levels.
By doing this exercise every day, you are getting their scent onto each other. When they meet face to face, they all smell like something they are used to. You can escalate the procedure by taking cooking vanilla and dabbing it on the base of their tails, where they can’t lick. It just cements the scent issue, making them smell the same scent, vanilla. Introducing your new cat to your other pets at home can be a tricky process. However, it is one of the most important things to do correctly with your cat or kitten.
With this combination, it’s best to do everything you can to make the introduction as calm and stress-free as possible for everyone involved, especially the cat. If your dog is rambunctious, you may want to tire them out with a long walk beforehand. It would be best if you also use a leash during the first encounter to keep control of the dog so that the cat can set the pace of the engagement. To keep your cat safe and sound, check your home for any potential hazards.
Place food, water and litter boxes out in the open so your cats don’t feel trapped when they access these resources. Make sure you have a litter box for each cat, plus at least one extra. Some cats may exhibit personality changes after moving to a new home. Cats are territorial by nature so a shift in location could increase their stress levels. Within a few days, your cat should become acclimated to her new surroundings and recognize furnishings and objects from her old digs.
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