Adoption Whiskers and Tails: Cat to Cat Introductions

Greetings fellow Coonie enthusiasts! We hope these discussions will provide some helpful tips to better prepare you for making your new cat or kitten a happy member of your family.  This will be a multi-part series, so if a topic isn’t covered in the current discussion, watch our posts for it.  And if you have questions, make a comment and we’ll respond.   

After scouring ads, submitting multiple applications, and navigating through the adoption process, you have finally made it! You are ready to bring your new furr baby home; congratulations! Worried that your existing cat won’t be as thrilled as you are? It’s a realistic worry, so today we are going to delve into the all-important friendship making process. That’s right, it’s time to talk Cat-to-Cat introductions! STOP  Read that one more time. See the single most common mistake we humans make is putting a timetable on things, so we end up rushing. Well, you can’t do that here. Get rid of whatever you had set in your head; both cats will thank you for it. You must work at each cat’s pace. This isn’t about us; this is about creating a safe environment for the kitties to co-exist. See, cats coming from the shelter/rescue need time to decompress. You would feel pretty overwhelmed too, if you had just been living in a kennel then went to a new house with tons of new sights and smells. It can be sensory overload! The last thing kitty needs is to meet the entire family on the same day. So let’s take it slow, take it step-by-step. The best thing for your new cat is to have a room set aside just for them, with food, water, a litterbox, and toys. A lot of people will use their bathroom, a second bedroom, a basement if they have it. One of the reasons for this is that cats are very good at hiding, and yours could take days to find if it discovers the purrfect hidey hole in your house.  Or it could escape outdoors and be next to impossible to catch; believe me, it has happened.  

But what about those of you living in a one-bedroom or even a studio apartment? You don’t have the luxury of unlimited space, so a large dog kennel is a great idea (or even what they call a cat cage playpen {check out Chewy or Wayfair}). It gives kitty a safe space and allows the chance for them to observe their new world (drape a blanket over it, so that it covers all but one side to cut down on the sensory overload). While newbie is settling in, make sure to give extra time to your current furbaby.

Be it play, brushing, or an extra special treat, make sure your current baby doesn’t feel ignored. This will also help to cut down on them feeling territorial, after all they did have you first. Let your cat get used to the smell of the newest family member, and be prepared for a few things:

Hissing:  This is a totally normal reaction. Cats react to unfamiliar scents this way quite often. It is kinda their way of saying: “Hey! Hey! This is weird. I’m confused, and a little worried.” Get everyone used to scents first. Take something your cat has slept on, and give it to newbie. Take something newbie has touched and give it to your cat. DO NOT SCOLD THEM FOR HISSING. Instead, we want to use positive reinforcement, “It’s okay, everything is fine. There’s no need for you to feel stressed.” Site-swapping is also ideal. Take new kitty, while your furkid is closed up somewhere, and let him explore. Then let your furbaby explore newbies’ space, while newbie is locked away somewhere else.

Growling: Yeah, this is normal too. Cats are great predatory hunters, but they’re pretty big wimps. They are not interested in actual fights unless they feel cornered, that’s why most cat brawls are a ton of noise making. Plus cats are super confident creatures, and they have an awesome sense of self. “Ew, fight you with my claws? But I just came back from the groomer! No, just no.”

Keep up the scent and site swapping til the hissing and growling cease. Now let’s move on; it’s time to let your cats see each other (kennel users I have not forgotten you! It’s going to be impossible for your cats to avoid seeing each other. But make sure when they do for the first time, that your current furbaby is eating). Get your cats on a scheduled feed time. That way when you go to attempt this they are eating. Food is an amazing thing: it has this power to keep your cats distracted and have them associate the encounter with a positive experience. You want to start off feeding them far apart, and then slowly bring the dishes closer together day by day. Always make sure to end the session on a good note, and take your time. There’s no rush, you have all the time in the world to get your cats acclimated to each other. When you remove the barriers and finally let your cats have a shared space together, make sure they have something to do. Wand toy play, laser pointer chase, jingle balls; you want them focused on toys and play, not staring each other down.

Your cats are most likely not going to become inseparable overnight, and that’s okay. Set yourself attainable goals for their relationship with each other, that way you have something to look forward to as well. If they fight, break it up and then try again. Some cats get acclimated in the course of the week, some take a month, some can take several months, or even a year. You know your existing cat’s comfort level and his history, so make sure to be understanding of newbie’s situation as well.