Bringing Domicile a New Cat or Kitten

  • General Tips
  • How to Introduce Cats to Cats
  • How to Introduce a Shy Cat Companion
  • How to Introduce Cats to Dogs
  • Tips for Kids

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Whether you're bringing home your starting time, second or fifth cat, it's extremely of import to prepare alee of time. Before making the decision to add a new cat to your household, please consider the following:

  • Is your dwelling big plenty for all cats to have adequate territory?
  • Are any of your current cats (if relevant) suffering from a chronic illness where the added stress of a new cat may cause further health issues?
  • Are any of your cats already suffering from behavioural issues such as inappropriate marking?

In one case you've advisedly considered all the to a higher place factors and are ready to add a new feline family member, the following sections will assistance ensure a smooth transition and integration with other family members and pets.

Full general Tips for Bringing a New Cat Home

Small kitty sleeping
  • Set up a safe room. A safe starter room or sanctuary for the new cat volition provide the cat with the quiet and safety s/he needs while becoming familiar with the scents and sounds of your domicile. The starter room can be any size simply must accept a secure door and ceiling.
  • Cat-proof the safe room. Check out our Cat Safety Tips and Escape Prevention sheet for more than information.
  • Give kitty a place to hide. New cats are oftentimes nervous and similar to hibernate. Cardboard boxes or sheets draped over chairs make platonic hiding spots when you commencement bring kitty home. If you've adopted a shy cat, we recommend removing big items of article of furniture from the room, such every bit beds and dressers. It is much easier to interact with a true cat hiding in a box than a cat hiding nether a bed.
  • Aid your new cat get to know you. Place a t-shirt or a slice of your clothing that contains your scent in the safety room.
  • Equip the safe room with cat food, water and litter. Place food and water on one side of the room and an open (unenclosed) litter box on the other side. Shyer cats may not eat much during the first 24 to 48 hours and may feel temporary diarrhea from stress. If your cat has not eaten in 48 hours, try some extra tasty treats such every bit canned tuna or salmon. If this is non successful, yous may want to consult your veterinary for advice.
  • Give your new cat a new post. Put a new scratching post (at to the lowest degree one metre tall) inside the rubber room. Scratching is a natural and comforting behaviour for cats. Information technology's also of import that the scratching postal service is new and has not been used past other cats. Your new cat does not want to exist stressed by the smells of other cats while s/he is first adapting to his or her new surroundings.
  • Feliway saves the day. If your new cat is an adult, you can use a store-bought production called Feliway. Feliway imitates natural true cat pheromones and helps a new cat feel more comfortable. Feliway comes in a spray and diffuser form.
  • Requite your cat some cat toys for entertainment. Provide toys such every bit mice and balls in the safe room for when y'all are not around.
  • Spend fourth dimension with your new cat. In the offset, visit ofttimes for brusque periods of time. Visiting can mean interacting directly with the new cat in the form of play or petting, or quietly reading a volume or chatting on the telephone in the aforementioned infinite every bit your new companion. Go on in heed that a nervous cat may growl, hiss, twitch its tails or pull its ears dorsum. The all-time response is to speak softly followed by giving the cat some time lonely.
  • Transition beyond the safe room. When you and your new true cat have established a trusting relationship, the cat is ready to begin exploring the house. Be certain to brainstorm this process when you are dwelling house to supervise. Close nearly of the doors so the true cat begins its orientation in stages. Too many new spaces at in one case tin be stressful and frightening. If you've adopted a shy cat, exist certain not let it in the basement for many weeks. Most basements have many hiding places—some inaccessible to humans.
  • Ready to explore the roost. Remember, integration into the rest of the house is dependent on the personality of your new cat (likewise equally your existing pets). Sometimes the integration process can brainstorm in but two to four days; however, sometimes it is best to await a couple weeks. Shy cats in particular may need a longer integration period.

How to Introduce Cats to Cats

Phase ane – Cat Smells Cat

  • Successful introductions take time. DO NOT and we echo Do Non effort to innovate the new addition to your resident cat(s) immediately upon arrival. Y'all may damage the new human relationship irreparably and initiate fear, acrimony, aggression, spraying and litter box problems in the new cat and/or resident cat(s). Successful introductions take time.
  • Permit the cats sniff out the situation. Allow "smell" be the first introduction as the cats sniff each other from nether the "safe room" door. Within ii to four days, brainstorm exchanging the bedding between the new and resident cat(s) daily. This helps familiarize the cats with each other'south scents.

Phase 2 – True cat Continues to Aroma Cat

  • Let the sniffing continue. If there are no marked signs of aggression from the cats, such as hissing and growling, the next pace is to confine your resident cat to a room and allow the new cat explore your firm for a couple of hours each day for several days.

Stage three – Cat Sees Cat

  • Organize a carrier meeting. Place your new cat in a carrier and put the carrier in a location of your dwelling outside of the safe room (for example, the living room). Let the cats to await at each other and sniff through the carrier door.
  • Whatever signs of aggression? Keep the visit short and return the new cat to its rubber room.
  • Repeat this phase 2 to 3 times daily (if possible), until cats announced to exist more comfortable with each other.

Phase 4 – Cat Meets True cat

  • Allow the cats meet at their own pace. If at that place are no signs of aggression betwixt cats, go out the door to the safe room open up a crack. This volition allow the new true cat to explore and/or your resident cat to visit. Supervision is necessary for the safety of both cats.
  • In case of aggression, have a spray canteen filled with water or a towel handy. Always stop serious threats and/or assailment immediately, equally a serious fight may damage the potential for successful integration and human relationship.
  • If over a menstruum of weeks your integration program is non going well, consider the installation of an inexpensive screen door from a building supply shop. The screen door allows the cats to continue to get to know each other by sight and smell, while keeping both parties safe. Each cat can take turns in the screened room.
  • A Feliway diffuser may also prove helpful when integration is difficult.

Phase 5 – Integration Consummate

  • You may notice some occasional hissing, swatting and grouchy behaviour over the side by side few months (and years). This is normal. Cats are hierarchical by nature and must plant and affirm the pecking club inside your household. Plus, much similar humans, all cats have the occasional "off" mean solar day.

Please notation: The 5 phases detailed above offer but gauge timelines. Some integrations may proceed faster or slower and integration is dependent on the personalities of the cats involved. Remember, you know your true cat(s) all-time. Utilise common sense and patience when integrating a new true cat or cats.

How to Introduce a Shy Cat Companion – The Exception to the Rule

If you've adopted a shy true cat or kitten to provide companionship for your resident cat, a quicker integration may exist all-time. Shy cats are oftentimes used to and welcome other feline companionship. They will be very lonely on their ain, so we recommend that the integration take place very quickly (1-3 days) unless there are significant issues.

How to Innovate Cats to Dogs

Phase 1 – True cat Smells Dog

  • Follow the steps detailed in Stage 1 of the How to Introduce Cats to Cats section above.

Phase ii – Switch Spots

  • If in that location are no other cats in your home, confine the dog to one room and allow the cat begin to explore the balance of your firm for one to 2 hours each solar day until the cat is familiar and comfortable with the layout of your abode.

Phase 3 – Cat Meets Dog

  • Bring the dog in on a leash. Once the cat is used to your abode, let the cat roam loose in one room. Keep the dog on a leash and have dog treats ready in your pocket. If possible, have another person the true cat is familiar with on the other side of the room to reassure and distract the cat from the dog.
  • Sit and meet. Go along the canis familiaris seated and focused on y'all as the leader. Try offering the dog a toy. If the domestic dog focuses on or accepts the toy, reward the domestic dog with a treat. If the dog tries to stand and move towards the true cat(southward), correct the dog slightly with the leash and reward him or her with a care for. If at any point the dog is non responding to your commands or the cat'due south stress level appears elevated, remove the dog from the room. Keep repeating this process until the domestic dog is responding to you and either ignoring or accepting the true cat(due south). This process helps teach the canis familiaris that cats are non prey, toys to be chased, or threats.
  • Lookout man. Never go out the domestic dog and cat(s) unsupervised until you lot are absolutely sure they take built upwardly a mutual, trusting and respectful relationship.
  • Make certain kitty has some space for alone time. Fifty-fifty once the cat(due south) and dog(s) are comfortable with each other, cats nevertheless like having the selection to retreat to a space abroad from the dog. Place a baby gate beyond the doorway of a room in the business firm where the cat or cats like to hang out, or purchase or build a tall cat belfry then they can retreat when needed.

Annotation: The length of fourth dimension required to successfully integrate cats with dogs varies depending on the previous experiences of the animals involved. For example, your canis familiaris may have had previous encounter with a true cat or the cat may have had prior feel with a dog. Often, when the cats and dogs are used to being around the other species, integration tin be quicker.

Tips for Kids

To help introduce your new true cat to children, we've included a little bulletin with some tips from the cats:

Hullo there! I'm your new cat and I'd like to tell you a few things:

  • Your business firm is brand new to me, and so I am a bit nervous and shy.
  • It volition take me a few days to feel comfortable, so please exist patient.
  • Delight don't hunt me; I will starting time to play when I feel more comfortable.
  • I will learn nearly my new house by smelling everything.
  • Because I'k new, I might run abroad from loud voices, noises and fast movements.
  • Considering I'grand a bit nervous, I might hiss; that'south how I say, "I am scared."
  • I need tranquility times only like you do, and then I might notice a hiding spot and take a nap.
  • Delight put my litter box in a quiet spot and let me use information technology alone.
  • Delight call up to selection upward all my legs when y'all behave me or my tummy will hurt.
  • I won't hateful to, merely since I have claws I might scratch you if we play also much.
  • I'm not sure where to slumber withal, so I might attempt a lot of places earlier I go comfortable.
  • Delight pet me gently and don't pull my tail; I am small and can be hurt easily.
  • Make sure you don't let me outside. I don't know where I live and I'll get lost.
  • Oh, and i last thing. Please remember to close the door to outside behind you. I'm naturally very curious!

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