![]() ![]() Hence, you must know the 8 warning signs when introducing cats so you’ll be guided. I couldn’t be happier, and I think Allegra and Ruby are pretty happy, too.Then my tiny Manx made sure to reassert her dominance over my big Russian Blue before everything in the house fall into order. They even sleep in the bed with me, one cat on each side. They play together, chase each other through the house, and hang out together. It becomes an individual decision that needs to take into account how well you know the cats involved, and how comfortable you are with new cat introductions.Īs of this writing, only ten days later, the girls have become good friends. For others, it may be more stressful for both the resident and the new cat to keep the two separated. For some cats, traditional introductions may work best. But sometimes, rules are there to be broken. It certainly flies in the face of conventional wisdom. I want to be clear that I don’t recommend this method for everyone. Since I lead a somewhat “public” life when it comes to my cats, and people come to me for advice on all things cat, I was concerned that my unorthodox approach to introducing Ruby would be construed as expert advice on how to do it. By the third day, the two of them exchanged nosetaps for the first time. The hissing and growling became less frequent. By the second day, they shared space on my loveseat. She was having fun!Īfter about five hours, the two cats were hanging out together in my living room. Having Allegra “yell” at her was only a minor distraction for her. Ruby, on the other hand, just went about the business of exploring her new home. I knew all of this was to be expected and normal, but it’s still not fun to go through. ![]() She growled more at me than at our new arrival. There was lots of hissing and growling, and Allegra was clearly very upset with me. The first couple of hours were a bit rough. Had I seen any signs along the way that things were going south, I would have reverted to traditional protocol.Įven trusting my intuition, I was amazed at how well things went. And yet, I made a conscious decision to forego the traditional protocol – not in defiance of what every feline behaviorist and every feline rescue group recommends, but rather, based on my gut instinct, which told me that with these two cats and their respective personalities, it was going to work. Introducing a new cat can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks or even months. If things don’t go well, separate the cats, and start again at the point where you previously left off. Play with both cats, pet them both, and share treats. Make initial joint activities fun so they will learn to associate being together with something pleasurable. Gradually increase the time they spend together. If they do seem to tolerate each other, praise both cats effusively. There will be hissing and growling – try to ignore it, but be ready to intervene if a physical battle breaks out. When you think they’re ready, let them mingle under your supervision. After a day or two, let the two cats sniff each other through a baby-gate or a barely opened door. This “scent exchange” can help them accept the new smell as something that is part of them. You can let the new kitten and the resident cat smell each other indirectly by rubbing a towel on one cat, and rubbing the other cat with it, and vice versa.
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