Introducing Cats

Step one: Setting the Scene

Your new cat/kitten should be confined to a spare room to start with. Make sure they have plenty of toys, a climbing tree and scratching post, food, water, litter tray and a couple of nice places to sleep. This is their base camp; the place where they will learn to feel safe. We may not be able to tell, but soon this space will become full of their scent, and this will make them feel relaxed and secure. 

Step two: Food helps!

After a few days when your new friend is comfortable and relaxed, begin feeding them by the door. Feed at the same time as your resident cat and place their bowls on the other side of the door. They’ll be able to smell each other, but not get to each other. Each time you feed them, move the bowls slightly closer to either side of the closed door.

Now they’re comfortable with feeding either side of a closed door, and there is no hissing or growling or aggressive body language, you can allow them a bit of visual contact. Crack the door slightly and allow them to see each other as they eat. If there is any aggression, go back to the beginning and start again.

Hopefully by now your friends are happily eating in direct view of each other. Perhaps they’ve even sniffed noses through the crack in the door! 

Some people use a baby gate at this point, gradually increasing how much they can see of each other until they’re totally comfortable eating in each other’s company, but with a barrier between them.

Step three: The old sock trick

While your new friends are getting to know each other through a closed door, it’s important that we remember that cats see the world through their noses. Well, not literally! Everything for a cat revolves around scent. Cats in the same social group will often rub against each other to mix their scents, so here’s where the old sock trick comes in.

Find an old sock and use it to stroke and fuss one cat, picking up that all important scent. Pay attention to the face and cheek area. Cats have lots of scent glands here! 

Take the sock (now full of cat scent) and repeat with the other cat. Do this several times a day, and you’ll be mixing their scents back and forth all the time. You can also swap bedding this way too, or even let your new friend have the run of the house and all its scents while your resident chills in the spare room with the others scent.

Step four: The big day…

Your new friends are happy and relaxed to eat whilst seeing each other, you’ve been scent swapping like crazy, and the old sock has done its job. Time for the big day! Wait until they’re both calm and relaxed. After a good meal can work well. Open the door and let them mix with each other. They may sniff each other, but hopefully there’ll be no aggression. Watch for staring and aggressive body language. If a fight breaks out, or there are signs of aggression or fear, separate again and repeat the scent swapping for a bit longer. 

Don’t be tempted to let them fight it out. If your cat shows signs of fear, separate before that fear finds an outlet as aggression. Provide them with some enrichment at this time so they learn that when they’re together they get good things. Puzzle feeders work really well, but avoid toys that will get them worked up.

End on a high, and separate one last time. The next time you mix them, consider leaving them together. Keep them under close supervision to start with, but soon your new friends will be happy and comfortable sharing their home, thanks to the hard work that you put in. Congratulations!

If you have any further questions of worries, feel free to contact us on info@thecatwelfaregroup.org