Cat introductions how long

This next stage should only occur when cats are fully comfortable with seeing one another through a barrier. Removing or opening the barrier should happen quietly, ideally at a time when the cats are both engaged in a pleasurable activity such as play or feeding.

Never force the cats together and try to observe passively. The main aim is that the cats are comfortable with the presence of one another; they do not need to be physically interacting. If the cats show any signs of negativity towards one another or any signs of distress, replace the barrier to separate the cats and go back a stage. If cats appear to be relaxed in the company of one another, then physical supervised access should be as frequent as possible.

Once commenced, free unsupervised access should be as frequent as possible. At other times the new cat is still kept separate. If friendly behaviours are seen between the new cat and the resident, they can be kept together for increasingly longer periods although always make sure they have access back to their own parts of the house.

At this stage, it is particularly important that each cat has its own resources in separate locations from each other ie, not all in one room and from the resources of the other cat s in the household as this will help prevent the cats from feeling in competition with one another. With time, if things are going well, the separate room can be kept permanently open and the new cat and resident cat s are free to come and go as they please.

In some cases, however, where some conflict begins to show, a separate room or other restricted area eg, accessed through microchip operated cat flaps can be made available to a single individual or individuals that do get along well, allowing cats to access the whole environment but also to retreat to areas in the absence of the cats they show conflict with. Additional opportunities for utilising vertical space such as shelves, walkways and perches can help cats to maintain their own space.

The key point is to continue to monitor, as relationships between cats can change over time and between different contexts and adapt according to the cats. If you are struggling to successfully complete this introduction process or the cats experience a breakdown in an initially good introduction, it is a good idea to seek professional help.

Contact your vet who will be able to provide you with advice or refer you to a qualified behaviourist. All our advice is freely accessible to everyone, wherever you are in the world.

However, as a charity, we need your support to enable us to keep delivering high quality and up to date information for everyone. Please consider making a contribution, big or small, to keep our content free, accurate and relevant. Your purchase directly supports the leading global cat welfare charity, International Cat Care.

They provide cat owners, veterinary professionals and those who live and work with cats the resources, support, and advice they need to better care for cats. We use cookies to improve our website to make sure you have a better browsing experience. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy. Click Yes to help us continue to make these improvements. When my cat Jesse was 11 years old, I brought home a new female kitten, Abbey.

She still does this occasionally, five years later! On the other hand, my mother-in-law adopted a mature male cat and had an existing older male cat at home. Their introduction took about three months, but after a lot of patience, baby steps, and positive reinforcement, these two cats live in harmony in their shared environment.

So how do you integrate a new cat into a family with an existing cat? When you want to push the new and existing cats together, STOP and think. Keep all of these things in mind as we go through the steps for a smooth introduction. Set up a Safe Room for the New Cat. You may also want to install a pheromone diffuser in the room, which contains the F3 facial pheromone.

When you bring your new cat home, bring her to this room with NO interaction with your existing cats; place a towel underneath the door to prevent new and existing cats from seeing and smelling each other prematurely. Spend some time playing with your new kitty! Make sure she settles into her room and knows where everything is. The Nose Knows! Free-ranging and feral cats lead complex and busy lives. They maintain far larger territories than most people realize, and these territories often contain a variety of environments, such as forests, farmlands, urban gardens and yards.

Within these territories, cats explore, hunt and scavenge for food alone. They only occasionally interact with other cats. In fact, they actively avoid it. The introduction must be gradual. Following the initial introduction, it can take a very long time for a relationship to grow. It takes most cats eight to 12 months to develop a friendship with a new cat. Although some cats certainly become close friends, others never do.

Unfortunately, there are no reliable guides for deciding the best matches among cats. Some cats are very social and enjoy living with other cats, while others prefer solitary lives.

The individual personalities of the cats are more important than any other factor, such as sex, age or size. Use the same approach when introducing your new kitten or cat to your dog. Keep them separated at first, and then allow them to meet visually while being separated by a gate or screen.

When you put them together for the first time, keep your dog on a leash to prevent him from chasing and scaring your cat. Make sure your cat has access to vertical space to feel safe around your dog. Before introducing your children to your new cat, explain to them that cats are sensitive living creatures with feelings like theirs.

Your cat may feel nervous, just like they feel when meeting someone new, so they need to be careful not to scare them. Explain that they should be very gentle when petting them, and never pull on their tail, grab them, chase them or make loud noises around them. Introduce your children to your new cat gradually in short, supervised sessions. Ask your children to sit on the floor with a cat toy, and allow your cat to come to them. Have them shake the toy and try to get your cat to engage.

If your cat plays and approaches your children, have them practice giving slow, gentle pets without being too rough or loud.