We have already discussed the slow introduction your new cat will need to your home. Introducing your new cat to other pets will need to be done with even more patience. Cats are territorial by nature and stress very easily, thus introducing new cats to other cats or dogs must be done carefully. If introductions are done improperly, it can potentially be traumatizing or dangerous. Follow these tips to introduce your new cat to your existing pets:
• As discussed, keep your new cat in a quiet, small to medium sized room for the first 7-10 days and keep the new cat separate from the other pets.
• Take time and make opportunities for the animals to get accustomed to each others’ scents. You can do this a number of ways:
— Swap the bedding that each animal has been using.
— Handle your new cat and then visit the other animal in their separate area. Allow your pet to come to you and investigate the new scents.
— Allow the animals to sniff each other through the bottom of the doorway.
— Carefully watch each pet’s reaction to the scents in order to gauge their responses to each other. Once your new cat is adjusted to your home and both animals appear comfortable with the new scents, you can begin introducing the pets.
• Set up a controlled and safe introduction. The pets should be kept behind barriers that allow them able to see and smell each other, but a physical barrier, such as a screen door or baby gate, should still be in place. Remember to take things very slow and to closely watch how the animals react to each other. Any pet fight is very dangerous and extremely stressful and a bad introduction could compromise the pets’ relationship forever.
• Some hissing and growling is totally normal. This is part of the adjusting process, but it can also mean that the introduction is going too quickly for the cat. Make a loud noise or use a water-filled spray bottle to break the cat’s concentration. Allow the pets to relax before reintroducing them.
• If you are introducing your new cat to your dog, you must proceed with even greater caution. Be sure that your dog is obedient to commands such as “sit”, “come”, “stay”, and “leave it” prior to the introduction to your new cat. After your cat and dog seem comfortable meeting through the barrier, you can move on to a face to face meeting. Be sure to keep your dog on a leash and keep plenty of treats around for both animals to be used to reinforce positive interactions. Allow your cat to approach your dog and DO NOT force any interaction between them. It is very important to move at a pace that your pet is comfortable with. Be sure to provide a hiding place for your cat just in case he becomes uncomfortable with the situation. You must also provide your can with a high place (such as a high cat tree or bookcase) to escape from your dog if your cat feels the need to do so. Animals are much better judges of animal behavior so trust your pets’ reactions and don’t force their interaction. These meetings should be brief and repeated until each animal responds without fear or aggression.
• Pet interactions should be watched for at least 2 weeks or until you are completely sure that your animals will be safe. When you are not home or not see their interactions, keep the animals securely separated. Even after the animals have become well adjusted to each other, it still may not be safe to leave them together unattended. This is a decision you will have to make based on your knowledge about your pets and their interactions. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
• If you have any questions or problems related to pet introductions, please feel free to contact Found Animals or consult with your behaviorist.
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