Introducing a new cat into the household

[Lottie]

I have been offered/asked to take on a cat from a friend of my sister - this new cat is a British Shorthair (Blue) female who is apparently under a year old, she is being rehomed because the mother has two very young children and is returning to work full time so she feels that she cannot give her the attention she needs. We already have an almost two year old male British Shorthair cat called Claude (Colourpointed) that we completely adore, our two children are four years and nineteen months old and have been taught to respect pets so I am not too worried about that aspect. Claude is very relaxed and we definately have enough room and time for another cat so providing thats the real reason she is being rehomed, I feel quite optimistic that we could provide a really nice, loving home for her.

Those of you that have experience of bringing a new cat in to a home where there is already one in residence, what was your experience like and what do I need to be aware of? How can I make this transition easy for both Claude and the new cat? This is a big responsibility and although I am REALLY EXCITED!, I want to do the right thing so any advice will be warmly welcomed.

 

[lulu]

I'm presuming that they're both neutered. We just brought a third guy in last fall and it went smoothly.We kept the new guy, Teddy, in the half bath for the first few nights with his own food and water and bed. During the day we would let all three have the run of the house while we supervised. When we weren't around they were separated.

There was some hissing at the new guy the first couple of days. That's been my experience with other introductions too. But after about 48 hours the two boys were playing and wrestling. I think it's important to fuss over the existing cat too, so they know they're not being displaced.

 

[Matata]

It's crucial that you put the new cat in a 2 week quarantine prior to introducing to your cats, no matter how healthy you think the new cat is.

This is what I recommend:

Set new cat up in a room with bed, toys, litter pan. If you can do this in your bedroom that would be great. Allows a lot of bonding time if kitty can sleep with you. If not, a spare room or a bathroom will do. Sit with new cat frequently to get it used to you and new environment.

After a few days, exchange the new cat's bed with your current cats' bed to get everybody used to the others' smell. You can use a towel or toy or anything convenient.

As your new cats acclimate to the presence of the new cat, try feeding your current cats outside the door of the room where the new cat is.

Once the 2 wk quarantine is over, let the new cat explore the house while your other cats are locked in the room where the new cat stayed. Do this for a few days then start letting them see each other. I used a cat crate for introductions. New kitty sat in the crate while other kitties got to sniff and then I switched.

It's important not to rush introductions and expect a spat or two for the first month after they're introduced as everybody works out the new pecking order.

 

[Pandora II]

We just stuck them all in together - much hissing and spitting all afternoon... sharing a basket by breakfast the next morning was the norm.

Never had any real issues other than over who sat on whose knee. One of our males was a bit dubious about a new kitten - kitten wanted to be friends, cat was crazy about peanut butter so we peanut buttered the kitten.

Thats with introducing around 5 separate times - four were Siamese, one was a Bengal/Siamese cross, all our existing cats were Siamese. All our cats have been very laid back and non-aggressive (unless you were a dog - then they would attack) but very definite pecking orders.

 

[justginger]

With all the fosters we've introduced to our resident cats/dogs, we've started them as Matata describes, but rarely had the luxury of 2 weeks. However with this being a one-off and not one cat in a parade of dozens, it is the safest and surest method. We do all of the same things, but are generally making face-to-face introductions at Day 2-3. It varies based on the new cat's temperament - some have been so curious and friendly that they were in "general population" after the first night of isolation, some took a week or so.

Good luck and well done.

 

[lulu]

I'm glad Matata went through that because what she describes is the gold standard of bringing a new cat into the house. The last two times we've brought a new guy into the fold they've been youngsters and that might have made it easier. We only have shelter cats, but it turns out our last rescue is a ragdoll (so says the vet) and he is extremely laid back. So the cats' dispositions play into it. Are British shorthairs laid back cats or high strung?

You'll know pretty soon into the process whether you can accelerate the routine like Pandora and I did.. And no matter how well they get along I wouldn't leave them alone unattended for a long period of time.

 

[distracts]

When we introduced my new and old cats (both now deceased, as this was almost two decades ago), we started by putting the new kitty in the bathroom for a couple of days with all the things he needed (it was a pretty big bathroom - a spare room that your current cat doesn't go in much is just as good). That way New and Old could sniff each other under the door and get to know one another without Old feeling like her territory was being totally invaded. For the week after that, we let New and Old out together under supervision so we could watch what happened. They got along alright, though New was a kitten and Old was about 12ish and was very impatient and spent quite a lot of time whacking the little kitty! But the little kitty was head-over-heels for Old and followed her everywhere and copied everything she did. That was their dynamic - they weren't bffs but at minimum they tolerated each other and there wasn't any fighting between them.

I didn't know about the two-weeks thing at the time, though I had read lots about introducing new cats in books and magazines. But I was also only 8 years old, so I'm not surprised that I missed something...

 

[movie zombie]

if you can, visit with your sister and the cat. get the new cat's smell on your clothing, shoes, etc. take a scarf and rub it on the new one to be introduced into your household. go home. give your cat attention and let him smell the clothing. rub him with the scarf. do this several times. leave the scarf in the room when you're not there.

when you bring the new cat in, isolation is a must unless you are physically present in the same room. that scarf you took for your visit? continue to leave it out in the room when you and the new cat are not present. take it slow and easy.

much depends on the age and temperment of each cat. make sure to give both cats plenty of attention. do not leave them alone together until you are absolutely sure they won't end up costing you in vet bills.

 

[Matata]

To clarify, the isolation isn't as much a socialization exercise as it is a health precaution. Changes to the environment are stressful to cats, whether or not they outwardly show it. Stress can cause illnesses that may or may not be contagious. A particularly nasty one is FIP caused by mutation of a virus common to cats. A known trigger for FIP is stress. FIP has no treatment or cure, kills swiftly but in a very nasty way.

 

[movie zombie]

its both. i would hope that in this situation sis' cat had been seen by a vet and had initial vaccinations..........but hope is nothing more than wishful thinking in many instances.

 

[Lottie]

Thanks for the advice everyone its much appreciated. Lulu, British Shorthairs are very relaxed, easy going cats which is why they usually do so well around families.

However the owner has now had a rethink and decided that she would rather rehome to an older person or a couple with no children, which I completely respect but I am also very disappointed - in my mind I had already moved her in and was checking off what I needed to get sorted on Matatas list.

Still, I think it would be a good thing to get Claude a bit of company so I have emailed the lovely lady he came from and she looks likely to some new arrivals in the summer, in three days I have gone from considering wether or not to take in a someone's cat, to having reserved a female cat in an as yet unborn litter

Pandora your peanut butter tip made me laugh, when we got our first ever cat I had read that putting butter on a kittens paws would encourage it to groom itself and therefore help it feel at home. It didn't occur to me that they meant the top of his paws and not the bottom, so my poor kitten spent a little while ice skating around the kitchen floor.

 

[justginger]

Why not consider rehoming another homeless BSH instead of "ordering" a new one? There are dedicated breed-specific rescues who handle unwanted purebreds that would undoubtedly LOVE to see you adopt one in need. BSHs are unfortunately surrendered all the time around here - even my non-specific rescue group has rehomed about 7 in the last year.

 

[GlamMosher]

Sorry to threadjack, but this is to do with introducing a new kitty!

Justginger, we are having lots of trouble with Dolly and I am hoping you might have some advice. She is an absolute psycho! She constantly picks at our older cat who eventually retaliates and then she squeals cos she is being hurt. I am constantly separating them. The big cat (4yo neutered male) is actually very good with her, and puts up with a lot, even grooms her, but she just won't leave him alone.

I am worried he will hurt or even kill her, as he is so big (he is about 9kg, a bit fat but mainly just a big cat) and she is so small.

Any suggestions? I am wondering if I can extend her trial period for a week or 2, or whether I should just return her for a cat free household to have.

 

[justginger]

Glam, it is not unusual for a pesky young kitten to bother the poor, patient older cat of the household. Bloody whippersnappers! I would not be too concerned about him actually killing her though - and honestly, a good swipe or bite might go a long way in teaching her who is boss. She's testing boundaries and it's up to him to put them firmly in place. If you'd like to help him along, perhaps only have them together for the next day or two when you are in the immediate vicinity...and when she really starts bothering him, give her a spray with a waterbottle. Try your best to not get him as well, or the poor bugger will be getting it from both sides.

If things are truly not going well, of course she can come back into care - call the foster mum you adopted from and speak to her about it. It's important to find the right dynamics for your family and your situation - even if that means perhaps considering getting an older cat as a companion for him instead.