How do you introduce two cats?

[Karen]

I was wondering if anyone could give some advice on how to introduce a new cat member of the family to a resident cat (and possibly also how to introduce a cat to a dog). Even though I grew up with cats, we only had one at a time. Thanks in advance for some help!

[Wibidad]

Two cats are better than one, and I have four! They all get along very well, but the first days of introducing a new cat to your other cat(s) needs a bit of patience.

On the first day, keep the cats in different rooms if at all possible. You can use a shoebox to make a temporary litter box for the new cat during the separation. Feed the new cat in his or her room. The old cat will know there is a newcomer, and you'll hear hissing, which can sometimes sound terrifying- but this is normal. It WILL stop once the cats get used to one another.

On the second day, let the cats meet during meals, but keep an eye on them so there is no fighting (hissing is OK). After feeding, seperate them again.

On the third day, let them meet for longer times. They may spend the time hissing rather than eating, but this is OK. If they seem relaxed, you can leave them together (supervised).

On the fourth day, they will hopefully be ready to be together for good. In any case, you should let them do what they want, including hissing. They will possibly grab at each other, but this is normal too. Just be a referee so it doesn't get out of hand, which is when one cat is clearly hurting the other. Biting should not be allowed.

If the cats don't hit it off early on, it may take time. Just be happy if they show tolerance at first.

If you have to leave the house during these first days, make sure to separate the cats, unless they clearly do get along. After Day 4, they SHOULD be together as much as possible.

Male and female cats generally get along within 2 or 3 days, though when both cats are older than 2 years, it may take a week or even 10 days since the older cat will be more protective of his or her territory.

The great thing about having more than one cat is that they can keep themselves busy when you aren't home or when you are sleeping. My cats show a lot of affection towards each other and they still like a good rub from us.

Feel free to ask any other cat related questions.

[Karen]

Thank you for the advice, Wibidad, it's really helpful! :)

It sounds similar to two dogs, in some ways; you have to let them figure out who's who and where they stand in relation to each other and accept that the process is not instantaneous. It took 2 weeks for my two same-age female schnauzers (one mine, one foster) to start getting along with each other, but after that they became good friends. Patience, patience in the meantime...

[alwaysamess]

Great advice! I'm excited to have a new girl coming this Saturday, but a little nervous, too. I just want the transition period to be short for both cats' sakes. I'm sure she's so ready for a new home, so I hope she quickly gets comfortable.

I'll let you know how it all goes.

[alwaysamess]

AAAAAAH! I need your reassurance!!! Support me and tell me it's all going to work out! I studied your advice, but seeing it is different.

Tonight, I just received the new cat. Old cat was scared and freaked out. New cat was like, "Hey, what's up?" They are in seperate rooms, but I thought I'd get them to make a visual, too. It was brief, no physical contact allowed. All from a distance.

New cat is in her own room. New cat isn't crying at all. It seems she loves her new room and being alone. Big surprise since she was so needy and whiney with the rescuer.

I went in to say goodnight about 2 hours after she had been here. She meowed sweetly to me and cuddled up to me and curled up in my lap, purring. Old cat was sitting outside the door, nothing different from the previous 2 hours.

Then I don't know WHAT happened, but new cat suddenly freaked the **** out! I swear I thought she was going to attack me. I think I screamed. She turned into demon cat, hissing at my hand that was petting her, then hissing at me, then I jumped up and she reared back like she was going to attack me. She was clearly facing me, NOT the door at this point. She was hissing at me so intently that I hissed back at her. Is this correct? I mean, I want her respect because I am the "boss cat" to them, yes?

I think it dawned on her: there's another cat in the picture. I'd already been all over new cat with the old cat smell on me. Good grief, the old cat smell is everywhere. But why did she suddenly just freak like that?!

Maybe I'm internalizing this way too much. I know it is probably because of old cat, since she was really throwing a hissy when I opened the door to try to get out of the room and old cat was watching from a distance.

So I'm freaked now, too. Is she going to turn into bitter demon cat or am I just really freaking out?

Now I'm afraid to go in there tomorrow morning. Guess I gotta be a woman, yeah? I think I'm going to really take my time on this introducing thing. My dream is to have them running marathons through the apartment together and loving every minute. Is there hope? Will my wish ever come true?! I think I might delay their first contact. Old cat hasn't had new cat completely in his territory yet, but one thing that worries me is that, though old cat was once a scraggly stray like new cat, he's now a confident large strong male cat. She's this little bitty malnurished skin-n-bones whose already been through hell. I've gotten to where old cat is too much for just me to handle for baths...he's just too strong, quick, and limber. I'm just afraid that if old cat decides to attack, even if I'm reffing, one good shot at her a split second before I could intervene might really pack a punch on new cat. Though he's never had one aggressive bone in his body, I still worry that in this situation, you just don't know what will happen.

Sorry for the ramble. FYI, old cat is business as usual right now, except he goes and visits the door sometimes. He hasn't made 1 hiss yet, though he's had a few iffy groans. Still giving me kisses, still begging me to play, still playing with intensity, all with the occasionally sniff on parts that have made contact with new cat.

Sorry...this might turn into a play-by-play on the forum. Thanks ahead of time for any support you can offer me.

[annie]

Don't worry alwaysamess...You said it yourself: the old cat's smell is everywhere and the new cat might have suddenly thought that he had gotten into the room while she was not looking . She HAS to be nervous the first few days and she will. Keep in mind that she doesn't only have to adapt to a new kitty friend, she needs to discover and mark a new environment and owner as well!

Wibidad's advice is very good, though there are many ways to go about these steps too. I used to work for the Spca and I always told the new "adopters" to give the cats time. They need to establish their hierarchy, and there's nothing you can do about it. There's one thing you should keep in mind: never force them to do anything!

The first step is always to put the new cat in a room alone during the first few days. By the way, it is a good thing that your old cat is watching; it means he knows someone is there and he can slowly take the information in.

Then, when your new cat is ready to discover more than one room, she will start to sniff and meow toward the door more and more often. You can then open a simple crack, under surveillance. I suggest you get the old cat in another (closed) room for the first few outings of the new cat. She can thus get used to the environment before actually facing the old cat...

As Wibidad said, adaptation often depends on the cats and they will let you know. Hissing and scratching is normal too. Some cats take up to ten days to get along and sometimes they simply tolerate each other and won't get beyond that point. Nature is nature.

There is one point however where I have a different opinion, and it is about the meal time. I don't believe the cats should be introduced during meals, for the old cat can become very possesive. If there is one thing cats will fight for, it is definitely food!

I have four cats at home and the last one I brought in was sick and had five 10-day old kittens with her. Still, my other cats sniffed and hissed (with me watching all the time) to finally end up being the best buddies in the world. At the beginning, they were only allowed a few minutes in the room every day. And you know what? Every time they were together, I thought they would never ever get along, until I saw the babies suckling on my two other cats and my cats letting them do it - with round wide-opened eyes...

[alwaysamess]

Wow! Thanks! After a good night's sleep and your advice, I certainly do feel reassured.

I went in this morning cautiously and new cat was cordial, though not overly affectionate. I noticed that she had succesfully used the litter box (yay!). Through the night, she had also pulled the two toys I left for her inside her awesome kitty bed house and she ate.

I'm still surprised at how quiet she's been. The rescuer had said she was very vocal, always wanting to be around people and always crying out for attention. She cried out 2 minutes tops since she's been here and that was at the very beginning. I guess she really does need to be alone for a while. I also hope she just really likes her new room I set up, especially the cool comfy bed she's lounging around inside. :-D I wish I were a cat so I could try it out, too.

I tried to play with her, but she was just lukewarm. Understandable.

I never got attacked! YAY! But I can tell she's not ready to go the next step yet. I'm going to give her another day and we'll see what happens.

As for the food thing, I was just going to have them meet. I don't have a feeding time here. My old cat was always too interested in what I was doing than eating, so I just fill up his bowl once a day and he eats when he likes.

Your experience on this was very helpful. I hope my old cat doesn't become a pushover! But nature is nature, right?!

[Karen]

Annie and Wibidad, thanks so much for your answers, and alwaysamess thank you for your questions! Please do keep updating, I'd like to read the play by play, I'm learning a lot :)

New kitty must think she went to heaven with a room to herself full of comforts and toys. Did you choose a name for her yet? Oh, and maybe she was crying so much at the rescuers house because that was before her spay operation. ?

[alwaysamess]

Photo session! Much more affectionate than before.

http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/th.033cb08653.jpg (http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/image.php?033cb08653.jpg)

Look at that nuzzling action!
http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/th.3344df2ca7.jpg (http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/image.php?3344df2ca7.jpg)

Kissy kissy!
http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/th.ecc4b4361e.jpg (http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/image.php?ecc4b4361e.jpg)

Tofu getting close enough to the Door of Doom. That Fila sock has that new cat smell on it.
http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/th.64987c0631.jpg (http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/image.php?64987c0631.jpg)

If you notice, new cat has a weird ear. Look at it:
http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/th.f5dd51cb7f.jpg (http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/image.php?f5dd51cb7f.jpg)
http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/th.d05614978b.jpg (http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/image.php?d05614978b.jpg)

The shelter at Siheung said that they punch a hole in a cat’s ear to mark that she’s been spayed. Huh?! I’ve never heard of this before. Now her ear is bent and is scabby and puss-y. That breaks my heart, really. You can see where they put a bunch of iodine on it and it stained her fur. She’s going to the vet at 7:30 on Monday, so they’ll hopefully give me some antibiotics. It doesn’t look good to me, but I have nothing to put on it. Nothing I can do until tomorrow.

Is this hole punch thing usual? And also, FYI, the rescuer (Emily) said that they seemed nice at the shelter but 1. she’s got a scabby hole in her ear and 2. she ate 3 bowls of food immediately upon arriving at her house like she hadn’t eaten in days. Hmmm…

[Wibidad]

Glad to see new cat is adapting to new home. She is cute!

That "demon cat" thing is always so scary, but it does go away. It will resurface from time to time when the cats have something to compete for- a new toy, for instance.

I want to clarify the point that Annie disagreed with- when we let the new cat eat at the same time as the older cat, we made sure each cat had his own portion on his own dish, so there was never any fighting over food. And the cats see that food is something they'll never need to fight about.

Good luck and have fun with the new kid!

[Karen]

Oh my god, I've never heard of putting holes in ears! That looks so painful, poor thing. I hope it heals soon.

Anyway, she is so cute! She's so lucky to have you!

[alwaysamess]

Ok, more play-by-play. Haha!

I switched their abodes today for about 10 minutes. Old cat didn't like being in her room one bit. He cooed to me when I put him in here like, "Why do I need to do this?" And he hung out by the door the whole time kind of like he was in denial and wanted to flee for his life. She just went around sniffing.

Then I let old cat out, put new cat back in her room. Then, when old cat was near, I opened the door. New cat's like, "Yay! Lalala...what?!" New cat froze. Old cat froze. I was so nervous. They were about a meter apart. Old cat cooed curiously to her. She groaned and growled and hissed back at him. Old cat made some sudden awkward body language moves with some high pitched cooing, which made me nervous, but they weren't agressive at all. It was like he was trying to say, "I'd like to check you out." New cat wouldn't have any of it. She stayed on the defensive, kind of like, "Don't you dare come over here! It's not cool! You don't want to mess with me." Lots of hissing on her part.

I shooed her back in, then I took a long nap. When I woke, new cat cried a little, like, "I'm ready to come out now!" So I called over old cat and opened the door again. This time, she knew old cat was there yet trotted out like they were cool with each other. No growling. But old cat froze not knowing what to do. I think it was more in fear. So new cat froze, too. They were only a foot apart (ACK! I was a nervous wreck inside!) They stared at each other and old cat cooed some weird cooes to her, again, didn't sound the least agressive to me.

It's like she wanted to get by him but wasn't quite sure he was going to let her do it. So she turned around and said, "I'll just go check out what's behind me." And she did. (I was SOOOOO nervous.) When she turned, old cat came up fast behind her but not to attack, if that makes sense. She turned around startled and he cowered back. She followed through with her agenda, trying to pretend as if she didn't care he was there, but I could see she was still very alert. He, on the other hand, was dying to get closer. She was on one side of a corner, he on the other. He desperately tried to touch noses with her, but he was so jumpy and a little uneasy. She almost agreed to the touching of the nose, then bailed out of the deal. She jerked suddenly and groaned lowly. He totally backed off in fear of an attack. He was bothered by her when she rubbed a little scent on the corner. He quickly tried to distract her with a sudden move in her direction.

So there is progress being made with both. I know old cat is very very smart. When I play with new cat, I can tell she's pretty sharp, too.

Here's my own analysis:
She's still cool in her own room, but she now knows that if she wants to have access to the rest of the house, she's got to handle old cat. When she called to be let out that second time, she knew he was out there and came out very open even when she saw him, only later to bail on that approach. She's so smart...she was trying to act casual to see if she could get by him. haha!

Old cat, on the other hand, is a little unsure of what to do. He's actually quite jumpy around her. When she's in the room, he's business as usual. He's not upset with me in the least. His routines haven't changed. He's playing like it's his job (nothing new). He hasn't hissed once through the door. He'll smell me after I go visit and he'll sniff under the door once I've closed it. I would say that during their encounters, he's very interested in her. He really wants to meet her, but doesn't want to piss her off or get attacked. He's really trying to get close to her so they can begin to sort things out. His voice went deep on the first encounter, but it was at the end and I think he was expressing that he was scared of the situation. He's make sudden moves weird moves but again, he's not growling or hissing at all. It's like he's dumb boy on a date. It's almost like he's trying to get her to agree to closer proximity.

Is it ever possible that a cat might attack without any warning signs whatsoever? I'm just insecure, that maybe he'll try to rub noses and then CRUNCH! Bite the heck out of her tiny cute face.

I guess things are going well...??? I'm quite surprised at old cat's behavior up to this point. He should be hissing like crazy.

[Wibidad]

It sounds like things are progressing normally. Relax- I know the hissing and sudden movement can be scary, but it is part of the process.

To answer your question, it is possible that a cat will attack without warning, but it won't be anything to really worry about unless it develops into a real fight. If they are holding eachother and biting eachother, you must break it up. Anything short of that, you should let them hash it out.

When a cat suddenly goes into attack mode, the other cat will likely back off and the standoff ends then and there. Sometimes, the other cat doesn't back off, but hisses back or makes a counter attack, and the first cat will back off. This is all normal.

Sometimes playing looks like fighting. Cats will grab eachother and roll around. Just look out for the biting.

When we brought our second cat home, we experienced everything you described. Now, the two often sleep in a loving embrace.

[annie]

Hey there,

things are apparently going fine indeed.

Wibidad, I hope there is no grudge about the food thing when introducing the cats. :/
I was just giving her many options, for my male was really possesive and would simply eat in every single bowl every time the other cats wanted to eat. He used to push them aside...It caused some problems and I had to separate the food and then slowly get the bowls closer and closer. Even then, I had to supervise and control my male on many occasions.
I really agreed with all the rest, and you seem experienced with cats. So anyway, no grudge! :D

[annie]

Oh, about the ear punch, I once heard about colour marking to identify the spayed / neutered animals. But that was fought against by the population. So a punch... I think that is pretty cruel. Maybe we should suggest the colours instead. That would be an upgrade.

[Wibidad]

Annie: No grudge at all! What works with my cats may not necessarily work with all cats. All of my cats are male, so the dynamic may be different as well.

I can only base my advice on what has worked with my cats so, if your experience differs, it is good for people to see that there are many options, as you said.

[alwaysamess]

Thanks to everyone! Things continue to run smoother and smoother for all of us up in here. The reassurance was so great to have.

Tofu (old cat) has totally stepped up to the plate. Much respect to him. All he wants to do is recruit her to play with him. He waves his arms in front of her. He gladly lets her drink from his water bowl. She, on the other hand, is all hissy and stuff, but she just wants to explore in peace. She just wants him to leave her alone for a while.

I predict in a week, things will be totally awesome. :-D

[alwaysamess]

Yeah, I know. Here I am again. Need some advice.

Everything would be going along just fine if it weren't for old cat bugging the living heck out of new cat. New cat just wants to be let out and explore, but she's so darn annoyed by Tofu jumping playfully on her every 2 minutes. It's even annoying me and I'm just watching.

I'm not interferring. Is that right? Any ideas to make my cat less annoying? (Yeah, I know...dumb question. Just makes me feel better asking.)

[alwaysamess]

And now he just tackled her playfully and bit her on the neck. Dang it! It stressed me out. She let him do it and I guess it didn't hurt cuz she didn't yelp.

HELP!

[Karen]

If you think they're playing too much or too rough, you can always call a "time-out" (I do hate that word, though) and put one into another room. I still do this with my dog and the foster dog when their wrestling gets out of hand (beard-biting is a Schnauzer sport, I think) and they've been together for almost two months.

Maybe New Cat would like to explore a bit without being played with for an hour or so... understandable.

But actually it really sounds like all is going well. Kudos to Tofu for being so welcoming!

[Wibidad]

It all seems pretty normal.

If you want to let new cat explore without distraction, you can keep old cat locked up for a short period. New cat may just become more assertive in time.

You could also try to occupy the old cat's attention while new cat is busy exploring, though new cat will probably be drawn to that as well.

[alwaysamess]

Thanks. It makes me feel better. I have now started giving Tofu time-outs and locking him up while she has access to the house sometimes.

He's relentless. I'm constantly exhasperated by him. He just won't quit. She's this itty bitty thing and he just jumps on her full force constantly and doesn't get a clue. When I let him out, sometimes he makes a running leap right on top of her. No wonder she got the name Cobra...she's gotta deal with him every 10 seconds, so I'd be hissing and growling all the time, too.

There's no way they can be together while I'm not in the house. Tofu's gotta constantly be monitored. He's too rough with her and out of control. I just don't know what to do. Last night, I thought I would let them work it out. And for 2 hours, it was constant chaos. (She had 1 hour to herself before that to roam.) She has to be on her guard constantly. She has places she knows he can't jump on her, so she runs from place to place. Sometimes I'll catch her with a wagging tail, but mostly, she's downright annoyed. She's constantly hissing and growling.

She doesn't want to be in that room anymore, but I can't offer 24 hour access to the rest of the house. I can't even offer it when I'm sleeping. I put her in there for her sake, because I can't ref all night, you know? That's a shame. Will I ever be able to have them together unsupervised?

Tofu's in love. He feels like he won the lottery. But dude needs to lay off!

[Wibidad]

They should be able to be together unsupervised. This weekend, if you have the time to stay home, give them complete freedom and let them hash things out. Even if they fight, let them do it (unless, of course, serious biting occurs, and there IS playful biting as well, which is fine). Tofu may well get it out of his system, or the new cat may become more assertive. They are still defining their positions. If she knows where to run when he gets to be too much, then she'll be fine.

If they have as much time as possible together over the weekend, you can probably leave them unattended soon after.

Even when our cats all get along well, we do occassionally come home to find hair pulled out during fights. Cats will fight- that is normal. But they have no intention of maiming or killing eachother. Usually, when a cat realizes he/she is hurting the other one, he/she will back off, having made the point.

Do your cats each have their own "bed" or cat house? That can also help- our cats each have their own place, a covered, cavernous cat house, and they each know which one is theirs and respect the "property" of the others. If your cats have this, the new cat can easily retreat when she feels bothered by Tofu. Sure, he can try to bother her in her house, but if he has his own place, he may just understand the limits.

[Wibidad]

I can't resist. Here are some of my cats, getting along. At first, they went through what your cats are going through now. I hope this offers some encouragement :)

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u93/wiwi_dad/S5031398.jpg
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u93/wiwi_dad/S5031594.jpg
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u93/wiwi_dad/Rajafiddlerhug-vi.jpg
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u93/wiwi_dad/rajaminouche1-vi.jpg

And the classic.....
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u93/wiwi_dad/EC8AA4ECBA9410002-vi.jpg

They really are best friends!

[alwaysamess]

Oh my! Fantastic pics! We should start a bragging thread because now I want to show off mine, too. :-D

Thanks so much for your advice. That makes me feel soooooooo much better. I've already cleared off my entire weekend so I can let them have around the clock bonding.

I've got to Cobra-proof my apartment. Last night I ordered Kyochon chicken and the little thief snuck up next to me and STOLE a huge spicy chicken leg!!! Haha! I was surprised because Tofu has absolutely no interest in chicken nor does he feel the need to steal. Cobra still has that scavenger in her from being on the streets. She also tried to destroy an empty pizza box waiting to be recycled. I guess the smell of pepperoni was too much for her. I leave the food waste bags on the counter and now I know I have to find a new place. She eats so much now and is already getting fatter! That's good because she's underweight and anemic.

[alwaysamess]

I bit the bullet today.

My friends at work told me, "Just leave them out all day and let them go at it. It's time. Cut those apron strings."

I knew I would be gone all day so I was conflicted. Do I let her out or do I leave her all cooped up all day long? She continued to ask to get out of her room knowing full well that Mr. Annoying was lurking. So I let them have free reign of the house. I thought about them all day, envisioning WWIII going on, things being broken, blood everywhere, mangled cats limping around when I returned home.

I came home to no catastrophes, no mauled cats, no ripped fur, nothing. Woohoo! (Just a whole lot of litter box stuff to clean. Two cats really make a huge difference in the cleaning department.) They seem a little calmer than before. They both greeted me at the door together. I think Tofu's starting to get the memo now. He's not as persistent. When he gets near her and looks like he's going to pounce, she doesn't get as upset. He still tackles her mercilessly, but it's every 15 minutes versus every 2.

She seems to be realizing that she gets to stay here. She walks around like this is her joint now. She also follows me around and walks right in front of me. I of course trip on her and have to stop and pet that cute little face. She knows what she's doing. And she does all of this with Tofu two steps behind her, bless her heart.

Yay! The peace mission moves forward!!!

[Karen]

Cheers to you, Tofu and Cobra! That's great news. I hope we can see photos of them playing together in the near future! Super :) :) :)

[Wibidad]

Congratulations! It will be just a matter of time before Tofu is holding the door open for Cobra and bringing her flowers :)

[alwaysamess]

Thanks, guys!

Funny you should talk about how in love Tofu is with Cobra...

I was just sitting here laughing so hard I cried. Cobra totally wears the pants in the house now, and if she could take over my throne as queen, she would, but I'm too dominant! Sorry, babe!

Tofu keeps pushing for a relationship. She sleeps right next to me when I sit on the sofa and play on the computer. Tofu lurks around on the perimeter. Tonight he got closer...then closer...then sat on the arm of the sofa. Then he came up to her and started sniffing her bum, tail and legs. She was dead asleep. I was laughing so hard already because the lovingness, obsession, and gentle care on his face linked together with his actions were killing me. It was a had-to-be-there moment. He sniffed the heck out of her hinds. She stirred and started her warning growls.

Bless his little heart! He started gently licking her legs. She growled, only being nervous at how new it was for her. He never gave up! He pushed on! He wouldn't take a little growl for an answer. He licked with more passion and purpose. After a while, her growls quieted and he got to lick her tail with no objection. Way to perservere, little guy!

This is like a new show everyday! He's sleeping right next to her now but not with her, having won her temporary approval. He's getting there, though. Boy, does he think she's so cool! Here I thought I got him a sister. I actually got him a hot girlfriend!

Sorry...I can't help but talk about my cats! :-D