Introducing a New Cat or Kitten…
…to Your Resident Cat
Introducing one cat to another requires some forethought and patience. Once you decide to bring a new cat or kitten home, you should prepare a room where she will spend the first several days separated and adjusting to her new environment. Do not choose your resident cat’s favorite sanctuary or resting-place for this function. The idea is to fit the newcomer into your resident cat’s routine, not to make your resident cat feel dethroned. Aside from the benefits of helping your new cat adjust to her home, providing her with her own room will also give your resident cat time to adjust to the idea of a new cat in the home without having to be overwhelmed by sudden eye-to-eye contact.
For the sake of your resident cat, keep the new cat in her room for at least a week or two before beginning visual introductions. During this first week or so, feed both cats on either side of the door that the newcomer is in. Then, move to letting them have visual, but not physical contact with each other while eating (a baby gate helps to accomplish this). Once the cats are accustomed to this, move to allowing physical contact during meal times. Eating typically creates a calming effect on cats, which is necessary to learn new behaviors – in this case accepting the presence of another cat. Also, meal time is often highly anticipated by cats, so allowing them to see and smell each other only during this time helps to create a positive association with the other cat. Before moving to each successive step, ensure that all is going well with the current situation; moving too fast can make the adjustment take longer overall.
While the cats are adjusting through meal time associations, you can also help by swapping smells. Exchange the new cat’s bedding with that of the resident cat so they can become acquainted with each other through the all-important sense of smell. You can also take a washcloth or sock and rub it on the new cat’s cheeks and then put it out where your resident cat can inspect it. Cats have “friendly” pheromones in their cheeks and forehead, and swapping these scents can help to reassure your resident cat that the newcomer is not a threat. Finally, you can swap the cats for a short time, putting the resident cat in the new cat’s room and vice versa, making sure not to let them see each other during the exchange.
Once everything is going well surrounding meal time, you can allow contact outside of meal times. Praise both cats generously and with treats when they are tolerant of each other’s presence. Never scold or use harsh tones when they are together or they will associate unpleasantness with being near each other. Give special attention to the resident cat, as it is the old friend who is likely to need the most reassurance. Until they can share the home peacefully, give the new cat loving attention only when the resident cat is not around.
During this whole process, do not be discomfited by hissing, growling, back arching, or big-tail displays from one or both cats at first. And do not panic if your cat goes off his food or off to the farthest reaches of the house to sulk. This is a normal part of the process of adjusting and figuring out how the cats will all fit into the household.
Finally, remember that the time you spend gradually habituating your cats will eventually be rewarded with years of harmonious feline companionship.
…to Your Resident Dog
Just like introductions to a resident cat, introductions to a resident dog should be done slowly and in a controlled manner. Your new cat will be spending her time for the first week or two in a separate space, acclimating to her new environment. After the first week or two, rotate which animal has freedom and which is confined to allow each animal plenty of time to investigate the other one’s scent.
Sometimes the dog should be confined to a crate or another room (or taken to another location if he can’t be left alone) to allow the cat time to roam free and investigate the smell of the dog.
When no one is home, the dog or cat must always be securely confined separately so unsupervised interactions are not possible.
Once the dog is calm (or at least not obsessed with the cat) and the cat is calm, eating, and using the litter box normally, you can proceed to the next step.
Allow both animals to be in the same room at the same time, but keep the dog securely leashed.
Continue with this type of introduction until the dog is calm and ignores the cat, and the cat is calm, eating, and using the litter box normally. If the dog stares at the cat or the door separating the cat, try to distract him and get him to look away with treats or a happy voice or by gently guiding the dog away on a leash. Once the dog is away from the cat, try offering a treat. If he takes it, repeat this process until he is no longer focused on the cat or door.
If there is any fear or aggression displayed on either animal’s part, keep them separated longer.
Continue indefinitely until both the dog and cat seem happy and relaxed around each other.
Unsupervised time together can occur after the cat and dog have been supervised around each other for a significant period of time (a month or so) and you are positive they will not hurt each other.
WARNING SIGNS
If the dog remains overly focused, does not take his eyes off the cat or the door, completely ignores you or lunges suddenly as soon as the cat moves, this is probably a dangerous match. If, at any time, the dog lunges toward, growls at, snaps at or shows any aggression toward a calm, quiet, still cat, this match will probably not work out. The same holds true if a cat attacks a calm, quiet dog. If you are committed to making the relationship work, you will probably need a professional at this point.
…to a New Baby
Babies are often quite a shock to a resident cat as their presence changes the home environment and the cat’s routine quite drastically. However, with some pre-planning, the stress caused by this change can be minimized. One of the first steps is to desensitize the cat to things like a baby’s cry and smell. Start before the baby is born and begin with playing a tape of a baby’s sounds (crying and laughing) at low levels when you are petting or giving her a treat, increasing the volume over time as your cat becomes more comfortable. You can also borrow a blanket or towel from a friend with a baby and put it on your lap while you pet your cat. Be sure not to lavish too much attention during the months before the baby is born, as you will be very busy after the baby’s birth and sudden loss of attention from their favorite person can hinder the cat’s adjustment progress.
Once the baby has arrived, you can continue your work by rewarding her with treats and attention as she is exposed to the baby and the baby’s things. By doing this, you are teaching your cat to associate a pleasurable experience with the object she fears. As the baby grows and begins to walk, make sure to create a “baby-free zone” where the cat can get away from the child if they get too grabby while learning appropriate interaction with pets. In time, you will reduce and eventually eliminate the cat’s anxiety and help create a cat that is a confident, friendly, and relaxed member of the family.
09/16