Fresh Start Pet Coaching

Over the past few years I have done a lot of fostering for various rescue groups in the Central Texas area. Therefore, my pets have gotten very used to seeing animals come and go. Creating proper introductions between my own dogs and cats and my foster dogs and cats has become very important if I want to maintain even a remotely sane environment.

For all animals, but particularly cats, first impressions are extremely important. As much as I wish I could just bring a cat or kitten home and have it immediately fit in to our furry family that is just not the case. A process needs to be followed so that each animal can adjust to the presence of the new addition one step at a time.

So how do you get your resident cat and your new cat or kitten to get along?

You follow the process outlined below going very slowly and patiently. The biggest mistake I see when pet owners introduce a new cat to a resident cat is that they move the process along to quickly. Only move on to the next step when your new kitten and your resident cat are behaving calmly toward each other with out any aggressive or fearful responses (hissing, growling, etc)

Step 1: When you bring home a new cat or kitten put her in a room by herself with her own litterbox, food and water, bed, scratching post, etc.  This allows your new kitten to get used to her new environment by herself. Additionally, your resident cat and your new kitten can get to know each other by scent while being separated by the door to the room. You want to stay at this step until both your new kitten and your resident cat are comfortable with each other with the door between them. Reward both cats with treats, praise, petting when they are at the door and behaving nicely towards each other.

Step 2: Put  your resident cat in the room where your kitten was and put your kitten where your resident cat was. Swapping the location of your cats continues to allow them to get used to each others scent and it allows your kitten to explore and become comfortable in a new area without the stress of having the resident cat around. Keep rewarding your cats for appropriate behavior towards each other with the door between them. When your cats are comfortable move on to the next step.

Step 3: Swap the location of your cats again putting your new kitten back in her original room and your resident cat in her original space. This time instead of having the door between them close, you want to open the door just a crack. Make sure to secure the door so that neither cat can push it open any further.  Reward positive interaction between the two cats by giving them treats, petting, and praise when in each others presence.

Step 4: You want to gradually increase the size of the crack in the door allowing the cats increased ability to see each other. Make sure the crack is still small enough that neither cat can get through it and secure it so that neither cat can push it open further. Wait until your cats are comfortable with this arrangement before moving on.

Step 5: Now you want to allow your cats to see each other completely without being able to touch each other. If your cats are crate trained you can have them both crated and positioned so that they can see each other. When they are able to calmly be in each others presence you can move on to the next step.

Step 6: Now is the time to bring the cats together in the same place without any physical barriers. While supervised, bring your cats into the same room together. Reward them with treats, petting, and praise as long as they are behaving the way you want them to. Gradually increase the amount of time the spend together under supervision.

Step 7: When your cats can be together under supervision for two weeks without aggression, you can start leaving them alone together. Again start with small amounts of time starting with just a few minutes and gradually increase the amount of time they spend together.

Depending on the cats involved this process can take a few weeks to several months. The important thing is that you don’t rush. If at any time one of the cats begins to behavior in an aggressive or fearful manner go back a step and make the next step easier for them.

Are you fed up with your cats not getting along? If so, contact us today to set up your complimentary 15 minute telephone consultation.