Every cat is exclusive, so how they modify to a brand new home and the time they take to take action can fluctuate.
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Bringing home a brand new cat might be equally thrilling and scary for each resident pets and the brand new feline member of the family, particularly if friction arises between the animals.
To fastidiously introduce new cats to the household in a method that encourages a peaceable coexistence, Paula Plummer, a veterinary technician on the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, gives house owners step-by-step steerage that may assist guarantee all pets are comfy each step of the way in which.
Creating A Safe Space With Privacy
There are typically three steps for introducing cats to pre-existing pets. The first step is to offer an area away from different animals that permits the brand new cat to change into aware of the brand new home and new individuals.
Owners ought to place their new cat in an remoted secure zone, similar to a bed room or workplace, the place all of their requirements — meals, water, litter field, toys, mattress, and many others. — are available solely to them.
“Cats need their own private areas so that they can adjust to their new environment in their own time, but they should also have lots of positive interactions with anyone living in the home to know humans are safe,” Plummer defined. “How long it takes for a cat to adjust is dependent on each cat, and signs that a cat hasn’t adjusted to their safe zone because they are scared, anxious or stressed include hiding, putting distance between what they are scared of and themselves, or trying to escape from their environment.”
Plummer encourages house owners to inventory the cat’s secure zone with hiding locations, heights, toys and objects that present heat, similar to new bedding or blankets.
“Cats naturally want to be elevated to watch over their area, which is why they love cat trees,” Plummer stated. “If they are not able to do these things, it can be challenging for them to adjust. Additionally, cats can feel threatened by another animal’s scent, so their belongings should be brand new and not hand-me-downs or items that belonged to another pet.”
Introducing Housemates
Once cats have adjusted to their remoted atmosphere, as evident by them resting, sleeping, and constantly interacting with people, house owners ought to share objects between the brand new and current animals.
“Allowing new cats to smell items of other animals — either a favorite toy, towel, or bed — gives them time to adjust to the scent of the other animal before meeting,” Plummer stated. “For the same reason, owners will need to give their existing animals items belonging to the new cat.”
Cats who’re relaxed round one other animal’s belongings can transition into the second step — supervised face-to-face conferences with different resident pets. Since most cats will not be leash- or harness-trained, Plummer suggests inserting cats in a service when introducing them to different animals.
“New cats should be in a carrier so that the cat is still in a safe, protected zone,” Plummer stated. “People may want to hold the new animal in their arms but that can be dangerous if the introduction doesn’t go well; they could get scratched or bitten, or the cat may attack the other animal. If the interaction goes positively, owners should increase the amount of time the animals are around each other while keeping the cat in the carrier.”
Signs that the brand new cat is reacting negatively to current pets embrace urgent themselves to the again of the service, attempting to hunker down and conceal, or avoiding eye contact with the opposite animal.
Transitioning To Cohabitation
When the animals appear comfy with one another after a number of conferences, house owners can begin the third step by letting pets unfastened collectively in an open atmosphere throughout supervised visits. Plummer emphasizes that house owners have to be cautious and targeted throughout this stage of interplay to forestall pet accidents, particularly in households that embrace dogs.
“Depending on the size of the dog, the dog can be much bigger than the cat and can cause harm or injury very quickly,” Plummer defined. “Cats can cause harm to other cats as well, so owners should be very cautious and attentive to what is going on in the introduction phase. If they have to step away to attend to something else, owners should separate the pets, revisiting introductory time later.”
After a brand new cat has left their remoted house and joined the remainder of the family, it’s necessary to pay attention to the realm they determine as their new secure zone in order that their belongings might be moved there.
“Cats eventually choose their own private space,” Plummer stated. “If owners put bedding in one place but always find their cat sleeping and resting somewhere else, then that’s where the cat has chosen their space to be instead. Just be sure that the same space hasn’t been chosen by another animal so that there is no competition over items, like a bed, litter box, or food bowl.”
Cats might also begin to discover and check boundaries as they change into extra comfy of their new home and round different animals, which is why house owners ought to think about extra precautions to maintain their cat secure.
“When preparing their home for a cat, especially if this is their first cat, owners should look at their house plants, making sure that they’re cat-friendly and not toxic,” Plummer stated. “It’s also important to ‘cat-proof’ your home by ensuring cabinet doors are not easy to open and keeping cleaning supplies out of reach because cats can figure out how to open cabinet doors.”
Every cat is exclusive, so how they modify to a brand new home and the time they take to take action can fluctuate. But by slowly introducing new cats to different pets, house owners can be sure that their furry relations foster optimistic relationships with one another that may final for a lot of years to come back.
