How can we shape the right response from our cat so they can enjoy the advantages of Having Minions?
Encourage shared activities.The cats will enjoy doing the same things the same way, and won’t misinterpret each other’s social signals. They will use each other’s social signals.
Be sure we have the new cat altered, if they are not already. Hormones can trigger territorial reaction in the other cats, and can already be influencing the new cat’s behavior.
Get new toys for the new cat, and encourage them to share each other’s toys. This way they each have a stake in playtime. Make treats contingent on each other’s presence.
Make our happy presence dependent on their getting along.
Enlist allies. The more social cats will be quick to accept the newcomer. Mellow cats can shrug off kitten antics. Confident cats will enjoy the bone-headed moves kittens are known for, and can feel comfortably superior.
We should look for and enthuse over any acceptance of the new additions, even if it’s taking a haughty perch on top of the couch and refusing to get involved. This, at least, is not harassment or fighting. The cat is literally taking a “wait and see” attitude while observing developments, and that’s fine.
Any good moves of acceptance will mean we fuss, fuss, fuss. How sweet and wonderful our cat is, how nice they both look, how happy they make us… when they get along.
Be prepared to police. We will need to monitor interactions until relationships settle in. If that means the kitten hangs out in a separate room with their own dishes and litter box while we are at work, that’s fine. We won’t worry about what’s going on, and we won’t have a bad situation when we get home.
If someone is rude to someone else, we take the victim into a separate room and soothe their feelings there. That way the rude one gets ignored; which was not their intention. When they discover being rude gets their victim all the good stuff, they will have a reason to change their attitude.
Don’t be anxious and worried about the situation; this will send the wrong signal. Our cats have a stake in our happiness; if the newcomer seems to be upsetting us, that’s one good reason to try to get rid of them.
Patience is always the key to good cat introductions. Rushing things will make the present cat or cats feel like they are getting pushed into something; which they are. They will feel we don’t care about their feelings: because we aren’t. They will resist and rebel; since they are cats. See my entire series on Cat Introductions.
Even if the new kitten is “accidental,” we can make it work. See the whole series, as I explain more ways to Minion success.
A big thank you to Ordell’s people, who contributed these photos of Ordell’s new Minion. Top: Ordell demonstrates stealth to Minion Maxx. Middle: Maxx enjoys closeness with mellow Mr. Athena. Bottom: Maxx joins the nap party with Ordell and Uther Pendragon.
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There’s more about multiple cats in The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See more posts on the MULTIPLE CAT ADVANTAGE.
