Introduce cats the proper way and they can become friends. The cat at the back is 20 years old and the kitten at the front is around 10 months.
When you introduce a new cat to your home, it’s much easier if you can do it while the cats are young. However, this is not always possible. You might take in a stray, or look after a cat for a friend who is away on holiday. Usually, a new cat in the house years more exiting for you and your family than it is for the cat you already own. Cats are normally solitary by nature, though most will also come to accept or eventually tolerate any additions. Cats can also be very territorial, which is why you should always be careful when you are introducing a new cat to your current cat.
If you are introducing kittens, the entire introduction process can be short, lasting as little as a few hours. Kittens are especially curious, and it won’t take long for them to start playing with their new found friend. Introducing cats to each other also depends on the temperament and personality of each cat. When introducing a new cat to your current cat, please make sure that you give your current cat plenty of love and attention. This way, your cat will feel secure and know that he isn’t in competition with your new cat for affection.
When you bring your new cat home, make sure you keep him in a safe room until you have finished the introduction process and feel sure your current cat has accepted the new one. This safe room can be any small room in your home, such as a bathroom, laundry or spare bedroom. The idea is to use a room that your current cat doesn’t usually go in to. In this room, you should leave your new cat a scratching post, bed, water dish, litter box, and food dish, as well as some toys.
At first, your current cat may growl and hiss when he stands at the door, trying to tell the other cat that he doesn’t belong. If this happens, just ignore it, as punishing your cat for his behavior will only lead to more problems. Be very careful about picking up your current cat if he is growling as you could end up being bitten or scratched. After a while, your cat will stop this behavior when he is near the new cat’s door, and even appear to be ignoring it. If this happens, you should stroke him and talk to him gently.
If the introduction between your cats is not done correctly, fights can occur.
This is the best time to start introducing them to each other. The best way to do this is for you to hold one cat and your partner or a friend hold the new cat. I would suggest wearing long sleeves during this process. Have both cats in the same room but a room width apart. You will have to let your cats dictate what happens next but start moving slowly towards each other. If either cat becomes too agitated, then it is time to stop. Keep repeating this is often as you can, until the cats seem calm enough to be able to sniff at each other. When you feel the cats are ready, try putting one of them on the ground. Crouch down with the other cat, so they can get used to the scent of each other. When you feel that the time is right, put both cats on the floor, but stay in the room with them. As they get used to each other you should be able to leave them alone.
Once both cats are used to the scent of the other, you can start to feed them closer together. To do this, you should keep your new cat in the safe room with the door slightly open, and your first cat on the other side of the door with his food dish. Feed both cats at the same time, and after doing this a few times, they should start eating without any hissing or growling.
You should play with them both often, so they can smell and greet one another in their own way. If they start to fight you should break them up, and give them some time apart. Just like you would with children.
Be careful that your original cat does not try to become the Alpha cat. Signs of this happening can include the original cat pushing the new cat away from his food bowl or off the scratching post or similar. If this does happen, feed the new cat first, while holding the original cat. Same thing with the scratching post, take the Alpha cat off and put the new cat on.
Another potential problem with introducing a new cat to a house is territorial marking or spraying. Your original cat may start spraying, to mark his territory. Depending on the personality of the new cat, it might also do the same thing. While annoying at the time, this behavior won’t last long.
Introducing new cats to each other may take some time, especially getting them fully used to one another, although once they do – they will become playmates for life. While cats are often solitary, they do love to be social and once the new cat is totally accepted, you will have twice the joy in your home.
Liz Barton has a whole section devoted to introducing cats in her ebook *Cat Secrets Revealed.
Cat Behaviors or Just Who Owns Whom
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I had just this situation in the summer when I was introducing my new cat to the older one, which I have had for the past five years. This post was really useful –feeding them together definitely seemed to help– but it’s been a pretty slow process. One of the things that I use to help things along in addition long-term was a spray called Feliway. Worked like a plug-in and seemed to calm things down for both cats, so I would definitely recommend it for use especially after that difficult first stage.
Thanks for that suggestion about Feliway Alicia. It will probably be of help to many cat owners.
Kathy
Our daughter has moved back home with a sweet cat. However we have two cats that aren’t to happy to see her….one cat is 12 the other 9….the new little cat stays hidden under my daughters bed. We’ve only been able to get her out from under the bed once to introduce her. Of course they hissed and growled at her and it seemed to terrify her. How do we handle this so we can get the cats to live together peacefully? Any suggestions would be helpful…we have been following your suggestions….thank you for your help.
Hi Patti,
The cats who are already in the house are going to make sure they are the ‘alpha’ cats and that the new one knows this. It is going to take time and patience for them to accept the newcomer and it is important that everyone in the family makes a fuss of her to make sure she doesn’t become too timid. If possible, have her sleep with your daughter to give her that sense of security and have her carry her cat whenever she is taking her out of the bedroom, especially to begin with.
The important thing is to not allow the older cats to boss her too much.
Aren’t kids the best. My two (age 24 and 27) have come home as well. Luckily that’s where we want them to be! I must admit I moved in and out of my parents house for a few years.
Kathy
I just brought home a new male cat to my home. I currently have 2 other male cats. Things are not going well I didnt realize they needed a long introduction before face to face contact. Should I NOW seperate them and start from scratch? or is it too late to get a good introduction? They are growling and hissing but not fighting. Should I just let it go now and let them work it out? Or should I start with the seperating the new cat? And start at the begining of introduction?
Help
Hi Karen,
I would start the process again. Have someone there to help you if possible so you can hold the new cat and they can look after the other ones. You don’t say how old your new cat is. If he is a kitten, keep a close eye to make sure he’s not bullied. I’m sure one of your current cats is the ‘alpha’ cat in the family so make sure he doesn’t try to eat the new cat’s food etc.
Please let me know how you go and if I can be of more help.
Kathy
Hi Karen
I would start the introduction process again. If you can have someone there to help you it will be easier. You don’t say how old the new cat is but if it is a kitten, you’ll need to make sure it isn’t bullied by the other cats.
I’m sure one of your male cats is the ‘alpha’ cat in the home so you’ll need to make sure he doesn’t try to steal the new cat’s food etc.
Please let me know how you go and if you need any further help.
Kathy
We have a 3-year old cat that we’ve had for 2 years. She was already skiddish to everyone and everything, but had warmed up to us over the years. We found a 4-6 week-old stray kitten and brought him home without doping our homework. We’ve had him now just over 3 weeks. At first there was just hissing, but last week the older cat began and pawing at the kitten (sometimes aggressively). We thought at first she was trying to play with the kitten, but now we’ve realized she’s very angry. The kitten instigates things, as he just wants to play. He seems to genuinely like the older cat, and is sometimes afraid. The older cat is very angry, but sometimes tolerable. They have separate dishes and litter boxes in separate rooms, although they both like to eat from the other’s dish. The older cat will no longer sleep in the bed with us, even if we lock the kitten in a different room. We know we made a mistake, but what do we do now?
Hi Liz,
Whoops – go back to Introducing Cats.
Your older cat is jealous of the newcomer. Young kittens are so cuddly and beautiful to us, but interlopers for the resident cat. You’ll need to let the older cat know she is still number one by giving her as much love and attention that you can. Get down and play with her, give her special treats that the kitten can’t eat yet. Buy her a new toy. In general, bribe her with love to have her accept you again. But you’ll still have to pay attention to the kitten as well so it will be a balancing act. If at all possible, play with the older cat first so you don’t bring the smell of the kitten with you.
In ‘our’ years, your older cat is in her early to mid thirties, settled in her routine and enjoying life. Suddenly there’s this little baby that isn’t even hers in ‘her’ home, making a lot of noise, demanding to play at all hours of the day, taking attention of you away from her, and to top it all off she’s expected to ‘like’ this thing? Her nose is totally out of joint as my mother would say.
Take it easy, hour by hour and day by day. Do a proper introduction, even after this time, and hope that you will be forgiven.
Please let me know how it goes.
Kathy
I have 4 cats, 2 male and 2 female. One of the females is the mother of the other 3.
The issue I am having at the moment is one of the males got home from a 2 day stay at the vet for a urinary tract blockage. He is ok now, but the other cats are acting like they don’t know him, in particular the other male (his brother). He started hissing and keeping his distance from his brother.
We have them in the same room, the one from the vet just hangs out while the other may just crouch and watch. We go over and pet each one gently and and speak to them w/ a calm voice. Just a while ago while Albert (the one that is hissing) was eating and Wiggy (the one that was at the vet) came by to eat. We watched and they just kind of sniffed and ran off.
are things gonna be ok or do we need to “introduce” them to each other even though they have grown up together?
I would like to add an update to my question and i did not see an edit option so i guess i’ll make another reply post, sorry.
as stated in my previous post, 1 cat went to vet, hes home after 2 days, back with us and is 2 siblings and his mother. After closer observation they are ALL acting like he is a new cat, like they have never seen him before.
his brother is acting the way i mentioned in the above post. But after watching closely i noticed his sister wont go near him. no aggression, she she keeps clear of him. she may lay within a few feet but if she is up and moving she makes a nice large circle around him, and does it quickly.
I just witnessed him trying to cuddle up to his mother and she hissed. he backed off a second then tried again and she hissed again. He backed off completely after that. so i went and stroked the momma cat for a while, then went and stroked him in view of his mother, she watched. she came within a foot, crouched down behind him and would sniff his tail. after petting them both for a while at the same time the momma cat got up, walked by her son, gave a quick sniff near his ear then walked off.
all 4 of my cats before the 1 male going to the vet were super close, laying all over each other and grooming each other constantly, and the returning male seems to remember all off them. But they wont acknowledge him as the cat they know.
Am i going to need to introduce him as a new cat to all 3 of his family, or has he carried scent from the vet that the others dont recognize that will fade or what? its tearing me and my wife a new one seeing him wanting to play with his family and they are treating him like an outsider.
Hi Randall,
The cat that went to the vet came home smelling different. We can’t smell it but the other cats can. He smells of disinfectant, other people (vet, nurses), other animals and smells such as the rubber gloves the vet used when handling him. The other cats are responding to those smells and they don’t like them.
Give them time, he will wash them off himself and he will start to pick up the smells from home again. Handle him as much as you can as he will be feeling ‘shunned’ by the treatment of the others. Also the more you handle him, the more he smells like he used to. In rare cases the other cats will refuse to have anything to do with him no matter what you do. Unfortunately this happened with my two previous cats (mother/daughter) after the daughter was spayed. She became very timid and only trusted me for the rest of her life. If this does happen, read the article on Introducing Cats. That should help.
Please let me know if I can help in any other way.
Kathy
I have two medium sized dogs who have a lot of energy. I also have an 18 year old cat. A week ago I brought a new kitty to our family. She is 0ne year old. Never have been around any dogs. I try to introduce her to the dogs in a very gentle way but all she wants to do is attack them..very funny indeed. I hope someone can give me some advise on what I can do to fix the situation so we can all be together in our family room. Thank you in advance. I’m crossing my fingers
Florence
Hi Florence,
Kittens (and your one year old is just out of kitten stage) are normally curious and her ‘attacking’ is most likely playful and part of her learning process. It teaches her to catch her own prey such as mice. Are the dogs ok with her behavior? If they are accepting of her I wouldn’t worry too much. If they are reacting, get down on floor level holding her and have the dogs close by. If possible have someone there to look after the dogs. Let the kitten dictate what she wants to do. Let her sniff the dogs and get close while you hold her. When she’s ready, put her down and talk gently while she gets used to them. It may take some time but it could well be that she’s not used to dogs and just needs some reassurance. When my kitten was about three months old we introduced her to the family dog (who lives outside) and he was petrified of her. He still is, much to hubby’s displeasure, and he’s a Kelpie cross!
Kathy
Thank you Kathy I will try that method. The dogs are always on the lookout in fear that she will attack them. My corgi lays on the couch and growals at her and I’m sure that doesn”t help.But neither of the dogs will hurt her. The two cats get along well. I will try the method you suggested in hopes that will work. Thank you for your input.
Florence
I have recently tried to introduce a 17-yr-old female into a house with a 14-yr-old female. They seem ok when the resident cat is sleepy in the evening, but I daren’t try to get them together at other times during the day because the resident hates the new cat, who is terrified of the resident cat. I love them both dearly, but this is causing both of them (and me!!)some stress. The 17-yr-old has her own room, but I feel unable to integrate her into the household fully, and also feel that the resident cat may see her off the property when it comes time to let them both out through the same catflap. Any suggestions?
Hi Joan,
I think you need to give this time and go very slowly as you have two adult cats. Has the new cat come from a one cat family? Both will be wary of the other for some time. Feed them separately and definitely different litter boxes. You’ll have to let them set the pace but do keep it slow. Don’t let them both outside at the same time (for the obvious reason) but do let them out if it is safe. Keep showing each cat love and attention and if possible, have someone else hold the resident cat each time the new cat comes into the same room.
Good luck, let me know how it goes.
Kathy
Thanks very much, Kathy. The cats know each other because the new one used to belong to an elderly neighbour of mine (as a single cat), and then she went to live at a Cattery (for about 6 years) which I helped run. She has now become too old to cope with the stress of living there, which is why I have given her a home – much to my own cat’s disgust!! I promise I will take it slowly although friends of mine tell me I should just let them get on with it – an attitude I don’t agree with because my cat is so much bigger (and angrier!) than the new one. Each of them wants to be my only cat – typical!! Thanks for your encourage-ment,
We have a spayed female, about 11, we found her in the woods with eyes just opening. I bottle fed her and carried her around like a baby and she was always with me but as she matured she became quite independent. She goes out into our backyard but never leaves the area, if she hears the sliding door she comes running back. She is affectionate on her terms but is usually somewhere in the room I am in. We just brought home a 3 mo old male kitten, we kept him blocked off in den/kitchen area for the first 10 days, the female was able to come and go. She was very put off at first so we fed and watered her in the front room. After a week I brought her food into kitchen again as she was starting to come into the room. The kitten acts calm and inviting but the female just hisses and leaves. We started bringing them within staring sight of each other and the female wasn’t ready for anything close. It has been 2 weeks 2 days and the older cat is coming into the room more, but she is still leary and hisses/growls. The kitten has the run of the house also and they are coexisting even when we aren’t home. The kitten seems to know when to back off although he does give a little chase even after she hisses, but stays just far enough away. Now the kitten is in places that are Kookie’s, like the perch atop the climber in sunroom. Do we take Zak down, buy another so they each have a high perch, or let them work it out. I don’t want Kookie to feel pushed out because she isn’t coming to me much for a petting as it is. I am hoping that this is all good and it will work out. PS there are lots of cat places for hanging out so there is room for them to get away from each other. I am just hoping for the day they play and nap together. Thanks for any suggestions. Jeanette/Dana/Tootsie (yorkie)/KookieKat/ZakKat
Hi Jeanette and menagerie,
Put yourself in Kookie’s place – she has had you all to herself all her life. You are her mother. (I can relate to this as my 1yo kitten is exactly the same. I can’t move without tripping over her.) Kookie is top cat and has never had to share you. Now there is an interloper in HER home. He takes time and attention away from her, and now he’s even taking over her favorite perch! Her nose is out of joint (as my mother would say). The fact that you are able to leave them and come home to two live cats is good news. They can co-exist, but Kookie wants to make you feel as though you’ve abandoned her.
Yes, give Zak his own high perch and completely clean Kookies to remove his smell. Or let Zak have the old one and get a better one for Kookie. Give Kookie much more love and attention than before to let her know that she is still your baby. She is jealous of Zak which is why she still hisses at him. Zak sounds like he has ‘street smarts’ and knows when to back off.
They will learn to play together but it will take time. Napping together?? Perhaps in a couple of years.
Kathy
Hi Kathy
We have a female cat (neutered), 6 years old. We have space in our home for 2 more cats and would like to adopt a cat from a shelter to give them a happy home life. Our first priority is our current cat though. Sometimes we get the idea that she is lonely. Do cats need friends? If we do take on any cats should they be kittens or older cats and if we take on 2 cats, should they be male or female?
Beth
Hi Beth,
Congratulations on wanting to adopt from a shelter. I wish more people would do this. With your female, I’d be careful. She is set in her ways and is used to living in a one cat family. She may resent any ‘intruders’ but she may also be very happy to have the company. Kittens are cute but they also take up a lot of time and your resident cat may become jealous. Older cats are usually trained but it can sometimes be harder to resettle a new cat. What I’d suggest is to see if the shelter will allow you to bring home a kitten and an older cat for a few days to see how they all get on. If you explain the situation to the shelter they could be happy with the arrangement as there is a good chance they’ll be finding homes for two of their charges. This way you can see if your cat will accept the newcomers or will become aggressive towards them. I don’t think the sex of the cats is overly important, but they must me neutered/spayed. Many shelters do this before allowing them to be adopted.
Would you let me know how you go? I’d love to hear if you were successful with this.
Kathy