NOTE: BEFORE YOU READ THE FOLLOWING
Getting a new kitty is a lot of fun but there is also a great responsibility,

especially if you have other fur babies already.

One of the first things I do (before I even bring them into the house)

is to bring them to the vet and make sure there are no underlying

diseases, such as Feline Leukemia or even something as simple as

upper respiratory conditions. They should have a good checkup.

They should also be spayed/neutered to keep them from spraying

and/or reproducing (however, your other kitties should already be fixed)

If you have any questions about this please refer to my

SPAY & NEUTER PAGE.

Depending on your vet, the examination and the altering may be two

separate appointments. No problem. Make two appointments.

Your first will be for the day you bring in your new baby. The

second will be for the next day for the altering. You may have to

work around your vets surgery schedule.

(The first appointment may be a bit difficult if you're bringing in a

feral but you will have to be patient and wait until the kitty feels

comfortable enough with you).

I know this must all sound overwhelming but it is in both the interest

of protecting your previous kitties and a piece of mind for you. This is

all not to mention the health of the new little one.

Bringing a new cat or kitten into your home and introducing it to your

resident cat can be quite nerve racking. You want them

all to get on together and welcome the new feline into the house, but this

seldom happens quite so easily - even though your reason for getting another

cat may be to keep your resident cat company, it may not rush out and

welcome the newcomer with open paws! Careful introductions can help to

smooth the way towards harmonious merging of animals - controlling the

situation rather than leaving the animals to sort it out for themselves will give

a much better chance of a smooth meeting and the best possible start together.

INTRODUCING CATS TO CATS

Remember that cats do not need to be social creatures - unlike the pack-

orientated dog they function happily on their own without a social

structure around them. They are unlikely to feel the 'need' for a companion

even though you would wish to have another cat around. You cannot

force cats to like each other - some will live with a newcomer easily,

others will never get on or they may just manage to live alongside

each other in an uneasy truce - you can only try. However, if there

is no competition for food or safe sleeping places (as in most good homes)

then cats will accept each other eventually and some will even seem to

form close bonds with one another.

While it may be a matter of feline choice as to whether cats get on, how

you introduce a new cat or kitten into your home and to a resident cat or

cats can make the difference between success or failure. Once a relationship

becomes violent or very fearful and the cat feels threatened it can be

very difficult to change the behavior patterns. Thus careful introductions

which prevent excessive reactions and take things slowly are vital.

Here are some factors involved in bringing cats together successfully:

ADULTS vs. KITTENS

A kitten is less of a threat to a resident cat than an adult cat because

it is still sexually immature. It can also be better to get a kitten of the

opposite sex to the resident cat to minimise competition. Neutering

helps to remove most of such problems, but may not eliminate them

altogether. If you are getting an adult cat again it can be better

to bring in one of the opposite sex.

Timing

Choose a quiet time when the household is calm - avoid festivities,

parties, visiting relatives or friends and find time to concentrate

on calm reassurance for both cats.

Smell is important

Remember that scent is the most important of the cat's senses in terms

of communication and well-being. You can try and integrate the new

cat into your home and make it less alien by getting it to smell of 'home'

before you introduce it to the resident cat. To do this stroke each cat

without washing your hands and mix scents in this way. You can also

gather scents from around the cat's head area by gently stroking it

with a soft cloth and dabbing it around your home and furniture to mix

and spread scents. Likewise letting the cat get used to the new smells

of the house and another cat before the initial meeting can make it more

tolerable. For this reason it can be very useful to delay letting cats meet

for a few days or even a week. During this time keep them in separate

 rooms allowing each to investigate the other's room and

bed without actually meeting.

USING A CARRIER/PEN FOR INTRODUCTIONS

It is up to you to make both the new cat and the resident feel as

secure as possible and prevent the newcomer from being chased or

threatened (or occasionally the other way round). Problems can arise

if initial meetings are allowed to deteriorate into a fight or chase.

The best way to avoid this is to use a kittening pen for initial introductions.

Kittening pens are metal mesh pens about 1m by 0.75m by 1m high with

a door which can be left open or shut securely. The cat inside can see

what is going on around it but feels safe inside its 'den'. You can put a

blanket over the top initially to make the cat feel more secure if you

think it feels vulnerable. The pen allows the cats to see each other, sniff

through the bars and have a hiss and moan at each other without any

attack or intimidation. The bars allow them to be close together

but provide protection at the same time.

If you have taken on a new kitten then it can be very useful to use the

larger pen as a base for the kitten to be kept in initially. Introductions

can be made using the pen and you can shut the kitten in with its bed

and litter tray if you are going out and don't want to leave it where it

can get up to mischief or get into danger. The kitten can be shut in

the pen at night (ensure water is available) with the other animals in

the same room and they can get used to each other in safety.

If you can't get hold of a pen or crate then you can use a cat carrier

or basket for initial introductions. Of course you won't be able to use

it as a den to shut the cat or kitten in for long periods because it is

too small, but it can be better than nothing.

HOW TO USE A CARRIER/PEN

Place the new cat or kitten in the pen/carrier and let the resident cat

come into the room. If you are using a cat carrier place it above ground

level so the cats are not forced into direct eye contact with each

other which can cause aggression. Let the resident cat come into

the room and give it attention and calm reassurance. If the cat decides

to run away without investigating the new cat do not force meetings

but accept that things may take a little time - this is probably the

type of cat which will not initiate aggressive meetings but will stay out of

the way and gradually accept the new cat in the household over time.

If the cats do show signs of aggression, distract them with a noise and

then praise them for quiet encounters. You can use tit bits to

encourage the cats to stay near each other and accept the other's

presence and make it a positive experience - you want the cats to

associate each other with pleasant happenings, not shouting or chasing.

If you are using a large pen then you can allow the resident cat free

access at times when the kitten/cat is in the pen over a number of

days so that they gradually get used to each other. If you are using a

carrier then you will need to be a little more proactive and orchestrate

frequent meetings. With both methods you can start to feed the cats at

the same time, the resident outside and the new cat inside the pen or

carrier on the floor. Throughout this process

there may be some hissing and spitting but this should gradually change

into curiosity and gradual acceptance - this may take several days or

weeks, depending on the individual cats.

FACE TO FACE MEETING

When you feel the time is right to let them meet without the pen

then you can again use food as a distraction. Withhold food so that

they are somewhat hungry and then feed them in the same room.

Choose a room where either cat can escape behind furniture or

jump up high or hide if it wants to. Put down the resident cat's food

and then let the new cat out of its basket to eat - you will have to

judge how close they can be - don't attempt side by side initially!

Be calm and reassuring and reward the behavior you want with praise

and tit bits of a favorite food. Gauge how the cats are getting on -

they may find their own spots and curl up for a sleep or you may need

to keep the new one separate again for a little longer, using meals as

a time for them to get together a bit more. Once you are sure they are

not going to fight or chase then you can start to utilize the whole house -

the cats will probably find places to sleep and routines which allow

them to live peacefully in the same house and partake of all the

benefits of food, warmth and attention while gradually becoming

used to and accepting one another.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

It may only take a day or two or it may take several weeks for cats

to tolerate each other. It may take months before the cats are relaxed

with each other, but you are on your way to success if you reach

the stage of a calm truce between them. It is amazing how a cold

wet day outside will force even the worst adversaries together in

front of the fire after a large bowl of food.