When you have a cat and are considering of adopting one other one, GREAT! The extra, the merrier. However it’s best to know which you could’t simply deliver a brand new cat house and count on the 2 cats to get alongside instantly. Friendship will probably be extra probably for those who perceive how one can introduce cats on their phrases.
Cats are territorial animals who don’t love change so you shouldn’t introduce your new cat to every other pets instantly. They’ll all must decompress for a bit first. The introduction course of can take wherever from a number of days to some weeks. It is extremely vital that introductions should not rushed and they’re completed correctly. It’s one thing that you must get proper the primary time. It’ll be definitely worth the wait.
Earlier than you deliver the brand new cat house, arrange a secure area from them to start out out in. A big rest room or a bed room is purrfect. Gaining access to the entire home can be overwhelming for a cat. They like calm, quiet, and comfortable areas, particularly when they’re stressed or in a brand new area. The room must be arrange with meals and water bowls, a litter field, some toys, a scratch put up, and a few cozy hiding spots like a cardboard field with a blanket inside or a coated cat mattress. Don’t fear in case your new cat is hiding underneath the mattress or within the closet at first. They’re simply confused and can come out and discover their new house when they’re prepared.
Whereas your new cat is confined to the one room, feed them close to the door and feed your authentic pets on the opposite facet of the door. This can assist them to affiliate one another with one thing optimistic – FOOD! Treats like Love, Nala mousse is usually a enjoyable reward too. Scents are extra vital to cats than sight so they may “meet” by smelling one another by means of the door.
After a number of days, swap the blankets or beds that the cats use to allow them to proceed to odor one another’s scents earlier than bodily assembly. Change their toys too so that they affiliate the other cat with one other optimistic factor – PLAYTIME.
Hopefully the brand new cat is feeling assured and able to discover their new house after a number of days. If they’re utilizing the litter field and consuming their meals, that’s a superb signal they’re prepared for extra. If they appear excited to enterprise out, you possibly can enable them some free time to discover extra of the house. Throughout this time, put your resident cat within the new cat’s momentary room to allow them to sniff round.
If that goes nicely and everybody appears comfy with the brand new scents, attempt having them meet nose to nose. Use toys and treats and loads of affection so the cats maintain associating one another with optimistic experiences. There could also be some hissing or swatting at first – we’re cats in any case – and that is completely regular. Cats normally work issues out on their very own over time. Maintain the preliminary conferences quick and candy, simply fast little bursts of supervised enjoyable. Regularly enhance the size till they’re spending increasingly more time collectively. Reward good conduct and supply frequent rewards.
Be affected person and don’t get discouraged if the animals do not get alongside instantly as this course of can take weeks. Friendship doesn’t occur in a single day.
Most significantly, make sure you bathe your resident cat with a lot of love and a focus so that they don’t really feel threatened or upset. You aren’t changing them. You might be simply including extra like to the household!
Love, Nala