Introducing a New Cat to an Existing Cat

Before getting a new cat, consider the temperament of the cat that you already have. If the cat is extremely shy and scared, or very demanding and aggressive, maybe you are destined to be a “one cat family.” There is no need to make an existing pet miserable by having their world turned upside down by a newcomer. Don’t forget though, cats still need human companionship and attention; make sure that you have the money and time for cat related chores that adding another cat to the house will entail.

If you decide to bring home a new cat, make sure to take the cat to a veterinarian for updated vaccinations and a general checkup before exposing him or her to your new cat. This will ensure that the new cat will not be transmitting any diseases or parasites to your other cat.

Age and Sex Combinations
In choosing a new cat for your household, consider the interactions between different sexes and ages of cats. If you have a young, active cat, a rambunctious kitten may be the kind of cat that will better fit into the current situation. If you have an older cat, or one that is less active, the high energy levels of a kitten may be too much and an older, more sedate animal may be best.

Neutered male cats are sometimes more easygoing and calmer with the introduction of a new cats, but it depends on the temperament of the specific animals in question. If you get a cat of the opposite sex from the one that you already have, make sure that you have them spayed and neutered to prevent unwanted litters. Unneutered males will fight, as well as spray to mark their territories in response to another unneutered male around.

Introducing the Newcomer

This should be done slowly and with a great deal of patience. Don’t just throw them in a room together and expect them to get along immediately. Put the new cat in a room by itself, with its own food, water, litterbox and sleeping place. Let the two cats get used to the smell of each other on opposite sides of a door. The existing cat may be very interested in the smells and sounds of a new cat in his or her territory and will likely crouch near the door, sniffing and growling periodically at the cat on the other side.

After a couple of days of getting used to the smells of each other, you can place the new cat in a cat carrier and allow the existing cat to investigate while they are still physically separated. When they do finally see each other for the first time, expect some growling and hissing as they stare at each other, but the carrier will be an effective barrier so neither one can hurt the other. Talk quietly and move slowly to reassure both of them that everything is all right. Keep the introductory sessions short at first, and lengthen the times that they can see and partially interact when they get more used to one another. When they seem more relaxed around each other you can take the next step and open the carrier’s door to let the new cat out. Always supervise the first few interactions, but don’t interfere with them unless a real fight breaks out or one decides to chase the other.

Don’t hold either cat, because if one becomes aggressive or tries to scramble away you could be injured. Hissing and batting at each other is part of the way that cats figure out what the status of their relationship will be. If a fight does break out, do not reach in and grab one of them, that is a sure way to get injured yourself. Make sure to have some water in a squirt bottle handy and use that to break up any fights. If a fight breaks out, or one runs away and is chased, go back to keeping one in the carrier and keeping them physically apart. If one is aggressive and the other timid, try putting the aggressive one in the carrier and letting the timid one determine how much interaction they will have.

When you finally can let them roam the house freely together, realize that they may never be the best of friends. Sometimes cats will merely “get along” and never be the types of friends that curl up together in the same bed.

Indoor-only or not?

If your existing cat is an indoor-only cat (good for you!), then the new cat should also be indoor-only. Otherwise you can run the risk of the “partially outdoor” cat bringing in parasites and diseases which can infect your other cat. Indoor cats are generally safer, healthier, and live longer than their indoor-outdoor counterparts.

Litterboxes

Make sure that you have a litterbox for each cat, and that one cat is not dominating the litterboxes and not allowing the other to use them. Keep them in separate areas, if possible, and make sure that both are cleaned regularly. Litterboxes should be in a quiet area, away from busy or noisy places which can keep a new cat away as much as a dominating cat can. If necessary, you may want to try different types of litter depending on the preferences of the cats involved. If your cat is used to a clay litter, and the new cat has always had clumping litter, consider keeping them using their own litter type. If the introduction of a new cat to the house causes one to “forget” to use its cat box, remember that the introduction of a new animal into their territory is a stressful experience. Use positive reinforcement to encourage your cat to use its box, with praises when it is used, and try to keep the other cat away when it is using it.

Favorite Places and Perches

Even if your cats have decided to get along together, even curl up together to sleep, they will each want their own space. Cats like to be off the floor, and having multiple perches with good views of activity (such as a perch in a room where there is a lot of human activity, or a window seat where they can watch the goings on outside) is a good idea. Bringing in a new cat may cause some conflict on who gets the best seats in the house, which your existing cat has likely claimed for its own. Try to provide enough good perches for both cats to be able to enjoy the views from the heights.

Feeding time

Each cat should have its own bowl, because some cats will get possessive over food. If your existing cat is fed on a “free feeding” basis and the new cat requires meals, or one or the other has a special diet, you will probably have to provide separate eating areas and police them regularly. Feeding one on a chair or counter while the other one gets fed on the floor is a good way to separate them. If one is fed regularly with “meals” you could change the other cat’s diet to reflect this. If one of the cats is a kitten, make sure that it is getting kitten food and that the adult cat is not eating it. Kitten food is formulated for the high energy needs of a growing kitten or pregnant mother, and an adult cat can become obese and unhealthy if they eat too much of it.

Finally

Be honest with yourself about getting another cat. Do you have the time to devote to more than one animal? Do you have the money it takes to get two sets of shots, two servings of food, two litterboxes, etc.? Is your cat a good candidate for another cat, or would it consider the new cat a threat? Remember, your feelings are not the only ones that matter in the decision to bring another cat into the house!