The Way of Cats

Introducing a new cat is not simple addition. It’s more like a calculus problem, with variables depending on the number of existing cats and their personalities.

It can be simple. If we have a younger, social cat with a lot of play drive, and we get a similar kitten, a few hours in the bathroom for the kitten is enough time for the established cat to be wild with curiosity and anticipation. Any misgivings about territorial concerns or favored spots will be subsumed in the play and social advantages this kind of cat appreciates.

If we have more than one cat, they will naturally have a more varied spectrum of possible reactions. It will differ whether we get a kitten or a cat, a lot depends on the new cat’s personality, and we must make sure everyone involved is spayed, neutered, or too young to have hormones yet.

If hormones might be a problem, as in the case of a stray or a kitten in adolescence, we need to be extra careful about tripping the existing cats’ instinct to defend their territory from breeding rivals. We should have the new cat spayed or neutered first, and let them have their own space to recover, before we add the extra stress of establishing themselves in their new home.

First impressions are going to carry a lot of weight in the future.

If the new cat imprints themselves as any kind of threat, this will be their reputation. It’s much harder to change a cat’s mind than it is to allow them an open attitude in the first place.

The more cats we have, and the older the new cat is, the more time will be required for the introduction period. If we don’t have adequate room to set aside to make introductions happen smoothly, this can affect our choice of new cat, and whether we can accommodate another one at all.

Sometimes circumstances don’t let us make preparations. But if at all possible, we should set up a separate room with a litter box, food and water, and what the cat needs to sleep and play before we bring home the new cat. We can’t tell how long the cat might need a space of their own, so it’s best to plan for the worst.

This new space is part of the introduction process before the new cat even gets in there.

Don’t let them in during the preparations, and don’t let them in after.

Let the space become a focus of curiosity from the beginning.

Then adding something new to the room will not upset the cats’ view of how their home is set up. It’s already mysterious. Now, anything might happen. When something does, they will not be so surprised.

When the new cat is about to arrive, get the cats closed off in a separate part of the house so that we can smuggle the new cat into their room without them seeing the process. We want to give the impression that the new cat just appeared there.

It was magic! Now what do we do?

Maintain the polite fiction that this new cat materialized in the room. Now we all have a shared problem.

We will all work towards a shared solution.

Got here from a Link or Search?
There’s more to The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See my LATEST CAT ADVICE.