Expert: Norman Auspitz - 12/31/2009

Question
Hi,
I've had cats all my life, and at present i have a 2 years old male cat and a 9 month old female kitten which get on great most of the time, but in  a few months time my partner will be moving in with me and he has a 2/3 year old cat and an 8 month old kitten both female again which get on great but I'm unsure how they will adapt to each other once both pairs are living together. I know i should separate them and introduce them at a slow pace but I'm worried that they wont get on, it is rare or is there a good chance that over time they will be able to live together? many thanks

Answer
Jennie,

I am providing a protocol below which is pretty good for introduction of new cats into a household with existing cats.  However, there is no guarantee all will go smoothly.  There will be a new dynamic in the relationships and some that got along before might not, whereas they all may get along or none of them get along.  In truth, it really is a bit of a crap shoot.  Like people, some cats take an immediate like or dislike to others, and there is no way of knowing why they do that.

Start out your new cats in one room with a litter pan and water dish. Ideally, the one room should be a bedroom with yourself or another human resident. This accomplishes a couple of things. Your new cats will not be overwhelmed by their new surroundings and get "lost", and thusly will have no problem finding the litter pan. You will feed the new cats in this room and keep the established cats out. It allows the new cats to bond with you or another human being and also build up some self assurance in their new surroundings since they will not have to compete for food or attention right away. Finally, it allows the new cats and the established cats to sniff each other under the door and get familiar with each others' scents.

After 5-7 days of being in their one room, it is time to let them meet each other. Be prepared for some posturing, some spitting and hissing, and the like. IGNORE IT! After a while (a few days or weeks), they should begin chasing each other about and still have the occasional hiss or spit as they get accustomed to each other. Cats tend to make a whole lot of noise and even loosen up some fur. Rarely will cats hurt each other. Also, cats have very tough skin and tend to play very, very roughly together with lots of biting and scratching, so rough play looks very much like fighting.

Once they are introduced, there are a couple of things you must remember. Do not separate them again, they will get along! Do not interfere in their "discussions" as they need to sort it out amongst themselves!

It does not hurt to give the established cats treats and extra attention after the new cats are introduced (yes, cats do get jealous!).

A couple of things you may have to do are to feed them on separate dishes. Provide more than one litter pan in different areas of the household (as cats can be very territorial about litter pans).

All, in all, this method seems to have had great success in the past and makes for a fairly smooth introduction. Please remember that they may make up immediately, or it may take a few weeks.

Please let me know how it goes.

Best regards... Norm.