Introducing cat to new home with other cats - help?

[Mannequin]

I am moving in with my BF over the weekend, and of course I am bringing my cat with me. My cat Chandler (nickname "Mad Cow") is about three, he's fixed but not declawed, and is strictly an indoor cat. I keep his front claws trimmed down, and though he hasn't had any shots recently, he was current on them as of the month I first adopted him. I've never seen him interact with other cats, so I am a little concerned about what to do when he gets to his new home.

BF has two cats living at his house right now. His roommate's cat Sisco does not go outside and is a very sweet male cat, fixed but not declawed. BF's ex left her cat at his house and now does not want to take her back, so we also have Chia over there. Chia is a declawed and fixed female cat, and has been at the house the longest. She's kind of weird as far as temperament goes, very vocal and bites when she doesn't want attention. She goes outside sometimes, never for very long. Chia and Sisco have their own territories staked out, and though Chia instigates disagreements once in a while, she just growls and bats at Sisco. They have not been fighting that we know of. They have separate litter pans, and they sometimes eat out of the same food dish.

I am worried about what to do once I get my little man over there. I know that when he first gets over there, he'll probably be most comfortable in a room where I will be setting up my office since all of the furniture and things will smell like home to him. I don't want to confine him to that room forever. Does he need to get shots again? How should we introduce all these cats to each other? I don't want my kitty to get hurt or to scare or hurt the other kitties!

Thanks in advance for your help.

PS - Here's a picture of Mad Cow! I hope his new friends like him...

 

[AmberGretchen]

Hi equestrienne - congrats on the big move coming up - your kitty is adorable

In most cases, cats can be introduced to eventually get along and co-exist peacefully, the trick is in doing the introductions correctly. Your instinct to confine Chandler to one room is perfect to begin with. Make sure he has his own litter pan, food and water bowls, something soft to sleep on (even better if it smells like you), and his favorite non-string toys (or just throw a couple of mice in there if he doesn''t have particular favorites).

If all goes well, he should settle into that room pretty quickly, and he and the other cats should start to get curious about one another (they will most likely sniff at the door, possibly mew, maybe even hiss or growl). Once they seem pretty relaxed but curious, try exchanging things that smell like each cat - i.e. a towel or blanket or bed that smells like Chandler, and something similar that smells like the other cats, to let them get used to the smell. Next, if that goes well, try having them switch places for a few hours - put the other kitties in Chandler''s room and let him out into the house (depending on how large the house is, you may want to close off parts of it so he''s not overwhelmed).

Do this exchanging of cats for a few hours each day until everyone seems comfortable with it. Then try opening the door to Chandler''s room (with him in there) just a crack, and let them sniff each other a bit. Depending on how it goes, you can then close it and go back to the original arrangement and try again on subsequent days (i.e. if there is a lot of hissing/swatting/growling), or try opening it all the way and letting them get to know each other.

The most important thing in this whole process is to pay attention to the kitties'' comfort levels. If they seem really stressed or unhappy, go back a couple of steps in the process. Take it at their pace, and you''ll be really glad you did. We used this method to introduce our newest kitty, and it worked like a charm - everyone gets along beautifully now.

If you are at all in doubt about them getting along even after letting them out together, put Chandler in his room when you aren''t there to supervise, until you are confident they won''t get into big fights with each other. Its good that they are all fixed - that should reduce aggression in general, and especially between the two males.

One more minor thing about Chia, the declawed one - she may bite because she is declawed. There is significant anecdotal evidence showing that declawing leads to personality changes as well as increased biting behavior and other problems (besides being cruel and unnecessary and extremely painful for the cat). Anyway, just an FYI.

 

[gwendolyn]

We''ve always done a gradual introduction at my house when I was growing up. If there is a new cat being added to an existing mix, that cat is kept into a room for the first couple of day. The other cats can smell the new cat, and therefore start to get used to his/her presence, but not totally flip out because it''s just smell so far, so they can''t get into a fight or anything. Then, after a couple of nights like that, we''d open the door and let them sniff each other. It usually didn''t go over that well, so after some time (half an hour, maybe?) we''d separate them again. We''d do that a couple of times, and then, by the time the one cat was let free to roam around the house, the other cats knew to expect him/her. They weren''t the best of friends that quickly, but the most the other cats would do is occasionally hiss at the new one. That usually stopped after a few days, and then pretty soon they''d forget that the new one was new and would all hang out together.

 

[Mannequin]

Thanks so much for the advice, AG and gwen! I''ll be sure to set up Mad Cow''s "home base" in the office as soon as he gets to the house. I am glad that these strategies worked for you guys, I hope we''ll also be successful and fight-free with them. Do you think Mad Cow needs shots before meeting his kitty roomies???

AG - Declawing has never been my choice with my cats, and I choose to trim my little man''s front claws rather than remove them. I also make sure he has his own scratching toys and encourage him to use them with a bit of catnip.

I agree that part of Chia''s behavior is due to the declaw surgery. The poor girl also had a traumatic upbringing. She lived in a house with two big unruly dogs and spent nearly the first two years of her life on top of the kitchen cabinets. As she got older, she had to deal with a toddler who liked to torment her to no end. I feel bad for the cat, so I always try to play with her and treat her nicely, and she''s gotten much better.

 

[AmberGretchen]

equestrienne - I''m not a vet, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I would say that yes, a trip to the vet is in order before Mad Cow meets his new roomies. They are technically supposed to go in for a well kitty checkup every year or so, and he may be due for some of his shot - I believe they give the one for Feline Distemper every three years, and while the odds of that are not high, the consequences can be devastating. So I''d definitely take him in.

How heartbreaking about poor Chia and her life so far - that''s so wonderful that you are taking the time to be sweet to her. I''m sure that over time it will make a big difference, and I''m sure that she appreciates being treated with proper gentleness and respect is helping her enormously even in the short term.