Expert: Ali - 5/16/2010

Question
Hi

I have a year old female and a year old male, both were neutered early. They are wonderful with each other (not littermates but I got them both when they were kittens). They share a litterbox and I have absolutely no issues and they are still very playful. I want to take in a third cat --- a 3.5 month old neutered male kitten and was a little intimidated by some of the stories I read on the website. My present male cat is a lap cat -- loves to snuggle in bed with us etc. Will the introduction of the new male kitten be a huge issue if I use the "safe room" approach and progress slowly? I am concerned about stress and behavioral issues developing with my current cats.

Answer
Hello Dana,

It's wonderful to hear that your fur kids may soon be getting introduced to a furry sibling. Since questions about new cat introductions are quite common I've developed a somewhat standard answer for pet parents who contact me with questions about the best way to introduce one or more new kitties into their home and have them get along well with the cat(s) who are already in residence. Before I go much further in this answer I think that it's very important for pet parents to realize that domestic cats are very territorial by nature. Cats are also creatures of habit to the extreme ~ they do NOT like sudden changes in their environment whether this is having a new cat or kitten in their home or having tradespeople come in to do renovations or repair work on your home. Whenever possible it's best to seriously consider these two issues when you're considering making changes that can be made gradually, for example the adoption or a new kitten. Because of the fact that cats are territorial they are instinctively driven to defend that territory from intruders, it doesn't matter whether a cat is spayed/neutered or how old s/he was when the surgery was performed ~ most cats will fight to defend their territory. Introducing one or more new cats or kittens into your household needs to be done in such a way that you're considering the needs of your resident cats.

To be frank there are a small number of situations where one or more cats in a household absolutely won't handle a new four legged, furry addition to their family no matter how the introductions are done. In my experience this is generally quite rare and when I do see issues that are cropping up such as jealousy, anxiety and fear (etc, etc) that may be a direct result of a kitty's strong desire to avoid having a new furry family member I've had great success using Bach flower remedies to help restore each kitty's state of balance. You can find some great information about Back flower remedies on the following websites:

~ http://www.bachcentre.com/centre/remedies.htm

This site offers great information about each of the remedies as well as some background behind the Bach flower remedies. If you're interested in learning more about these homeopathic remedies this is a great site to start with.

~ http://www.preciouspets.org/newsletters/articles/bach.htm

The website above specifically deals with the use of Bach flower remedies on pets. You will find a great list of remedies and the specific issues they can be used to treat. Obviously this website doesn't offer everything there is to know about the use of flower remedies or other homeopathic remedies to help pets with physical, behavioural and psychological issues.

I do feel that it's important to realize that traditional Western medicine doesn't quite understand how homeopathic remedies work. The results of homeopathic treatments can be quite dramatic and immediate while others may take several days or a few weeks to There are some important things to consider when it comes to using homeopathic remedies on your kitties:

1) Many conventional drugs are meant to suppress symptoms rather than treating the underlying cause.

2) Homeopathic remedies are much safer than allopathic drugs, there aren't any side effects or risks to be concerned with in the vast majority of cases.

3) If a pet (or person) is given the wrong medication the results could potentially be dangerous, in the event that you, a homeopathic veterinarian or a holistic vet trained in the use of homeopathy were to administer the wrong homeopathic remedy the absolute worst thing that would happen in most cases is absolutely nothing.

In my opinion there is no substitute for a great homeopathic veterinarian or a holistic vet trained in the use of homeopathy. I highly recommend the use of homeopathic remedies including the Bach flower remedies because they're relatively inexpensive, they're 100% safe, widely available, gentle and effective. There seems to be a growing number of veterinarians prescribing small doses of human anti-anxiety/depressant type drugs for pets with a variety of behavioural issues. I must admit that I do not that the use of powerful psychotropic drugs is appropriate, there are serious risks and side effects that go along with making changes to anyone's brain chemistry through the use of these drugs, particularly when there are safer, more natural homeopathic medicines that address the underlying causes of the issues rather than simply suppressing the outward symptoms.

I've found that Bach flower remedies do an absolutely fantastic job of helping resident cats who'd prefer not to have a new kitty added to their household and I've had great success treating these issues with the help of our family vet who is an absolutely fantastic holistic vet trained in the use of homeopathy. I've found that homeopathic remedies such as Bach flower essences, in particular Rescue Remedy work quite well to help calm kitties during stressful situations where they may react based on traumatic experiences, fear or anxiety. You can generally find Rescue Remedy in any health food store (originally this remedy was meant for people, but it's perfectly safe and effective to use on cats and kittens over 5-6 weeks of age ~ I've kept Rescue Remedy handy in my purse in case we discover a frightened stray kitty in need of help and I always keep a fresh bottle of Rescue Remedy in our feline first aid kit at home because it works so well in a wide variety of situations ranging from separation anxiety to fear caused by neglect or abuse).

While some practitioners recommend dosing your kitty with homeopathic remedies by adding the remedy to their water bowl I don't recommend this because of the fact that homeopathic remedies are delicate and they tend to dissipate into the air meaning that you need much higher doses of the remedies administered more frequently than you would by dosing directly. Many liquid homeopathic remedies including the Bach flower remedies are preserved in an alcohol solution and most cats are very offended by the smell and taste which is why I don't suggest dosing your feline kids orally. In my experience the gentlest and most effective way to get Rescue Remedy into a kitty is by gently rubbing a few drops of the remedy onto the outside of their ear flaps or into the relatively fur free portion of skin in front of their ears (do be careful to avoid getting any Rescue Remedy or other liquid homeopathic remedies into a cat's ears since they contain alcohol which might sting).

Due to the fact that cats are very territorial by nature it's important to introduce any new family members slowly over a period of at least 2-3 weeks (and longer if necessary, depending upon the personalities of each kitty involved, including the new arrival). Abrupt changes in a cat's environment can result in issues like biting, swatting people or other pets in the home with or without claws, different types of aggressive behaviours and house soiling (just to name the most common issues although there are a variety of other potential problems you might encounter.) I can't stress enough how important it is to be patient during the introduction process, all good relationships need a strong foundation in order to be healthy and functional and this isn't any different when it comes to adding a new kitty to your household. Overall in my experience as a volunteer on this website I've learned that pet parents essentially go through the process of introducing a new cat or kitten into a household with one or more resident cats I've noticed that people who contact me after problems have developed between the newly adopted kitty and the resident cats have commonly made two very basic mistakes:

1) There are pet parents who adopt a new kitten on impulse without seriously considering what their resident cats need in order to feel completely secure and comfortable within their environment. Some pet parents will rush the introduction by confining their new arrival in the very short term ranging from a few hours to a couple of days and of course there are pet parents who simply bring their newly adopted kitty home, set the carrier onto the floor in a common area of the house and let the cats fight to establish a place within the household pecking order. Generally approaches like this don't have the results that most pet parents are hoping for.
It's not uncommon for improper introductions to result in some nasty fights where the resident cat(s), the newly adopted cat(s) and in some cases the human caregivers can potentialluy end up getting hurt. Keep in mind that while pet parents may not necessarily notice any obvious wounds on their resident cats or their new arrivals bite wounds can become infected resulting in a painful abscess which requires medical attention. Treatment for an abscess usually starts off with a kitty having their fur shaved down to the skin in the area of the abscess, the abscess is then drained under sedation (in some more serious cases surgical interventions can be necessary) and cleaned thoroughly, finally the vet will usually prescribe a 7-14 day course of antibiotics (depending on your veterinarian's training and/or philosophy). If one or more of the cats bites a human and breaks the skin that usually has to be reported and the cat will then be placed into quarantine in accordance with local regulations enforced by your local health department. In my opinion it's much easier and safer to introduce the cats properly so that you minimize the risk of serious aggression between the cats or getting hurt while trying to break up a cat fight.

2) There are a number of good reasons to confine a new feline addition to your family. Quarantining the kitty for at least 2-3 weeks means that any viral or bacterial infections have time to show up, be diagnosed and treated just in case there is some sort of infection that isn't obvious when you first bring kitty home - confining kitty in one easy to clean room will reduce the odds that you'll need to treat your current resident kitty and your newly adopted kitty for any illness that shows up during the first few weeks. For this reason I strongly suggest that a new arrival be kept separated from the other cats in the household and a veterinary exam be scheduled more closely to the time that you plan to introduce the kitties face to face. You also have the opportunity to treat any internal or external parasites and test for viral infections like feline leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (more commonly known as FIV). FIV and feline leukemia are somewhat similar to HIV/AIDS in people, they can be passed on to other cats that share bodily fluids in any capacity (even social grooming), however these viruses can't be passed on to people. If you plan to have any of your kitties become outdoor kitties I'd strongly suggest talking to a good holistic vet about an appropriate vaccine schedule since the requirements of outdoor kitties will be very different than they are for indoor only kitties who don't have regular access to unvaccinated cats. The bottom line when it comes to having a 2-3 week quarantine period ~ Don't rush it! Being confined in one room for a set period of time isn't going to hurt your new kitty in the slightest (just consider the kitties who live in tiny shelter cages, when you think of it that way a whole room is pretty nice for a single kitty).

3) Do NOT favor the new arrival, no matter how cute s/he might be. You do not want to inspire jealousy in your two resident kitties because when cats get jealous behavioural issues can result. Your new arrival should initially be ignored once face to face interactions between him/her and your resident kitties because your resident cats need to feel confident that they come first, after all they were in your home first.

4) Don't allow the new kitty out of his/her isolation (or safe) room to explore when your resident cats aren't looking ~ they will know for sure that the little one has been hanging out in their territory ~ remember cats have a very sensitive sense of smell. You don't want to have behavioural issues develop and you certainly don't want to risk passing on any viral or bacterial infections that your newly adopted kitty may be harboring to your resident cats.

It has been my experience that if pet parents follow basic steps when introducing their new arrival into a household with one or more resident cats the odds are good that you won't have any problems crop up beyond some minor tussles between your kitties to determine where everyone stands within the household hierarchy. Remember, feline soceity is very complex so it's completely normal to see some hissing, growling, swatting and posturing between the cats while they're figuring things out.

I did read something in your question that concerns me, you mentioned that your two resident cats currently share a single litterbox. This could potentially be a problem later on without adding a new kitty to your household, in fact the generally accepted ratio of litter boxes to cats in a household is one litter box per cat plus one. In a household where house soiling is an issue I generally suggest two litter boxes per cat per level of your home. In order to minimize the chances of house soiling becoming an issue you will want to make sure that there are enough litter pans to go around and it's best if they aren't all in one spot because if your resident cats decide to bully the new arrival a bit it's very difficult for them to guard litter boxes that are spread throughout your home.

I do think that it's fair to say that while I don't foresee any serious problems with adding a new kitten to the mix provided that you proceed with proper introductions I think it's also important to warn you that any changes you make within your household including adding or subtracting any family members (as well as things like moving, having a baby, doing renovations, etc) carry a small risk that the remaining cats will develop behavioural issues to some degree. Throughout the time that I've kept cats as my companions and begun reading books about every aspect of their behavior, health and wellbeing I've been humbled many times when cats didn't behave the way books said they would (as have many a young behaviourist or veterinarian) or even my own experience said they would, this is partially because cats don't read books, and each cat is an individual with their very own unique personality, life experiences and temperament combined with the instincts created by thousands of years of evolution.

Indoor cats need a few basic things to keep them happy, healthy and sane. Beyond the obvious needs geared towards basic survival including a high quality meat based diet, clean, fresh water and a litterbox filled with whatever kitty litter your kitties are comfortable there are many other things to consider when you adopt a cat or kitten of any age. While multiple cats will generally bond well with each other in a household provided that they've been properly introduced it's important to realize that most cats are solitary animals. Some exceptions to that basic rule of thumb include lions that live in groups called prides and domestic cats that will live in colonies in certain situations. Indoor/outdoor or outdoor only cats generally have a lifespan of 2-5 years (depending on their individual situations). Since indoor cats live longer, healthier lives I always recommend that cats be kept as indoor only kitties with the exception of protected, supervised visits to the outdoors on leash or in a custom built outdoor enclosure. Below you will find a copy of my basic new cat introduction answer, hopefully you'll find the information helpful.

Over the years I've successfully introduced many cats into my household of resident cats, but I have had one or two failed introductions where regardless of my attempts to help a new kitty form a tentative friendship with a resident cat the whole introduction fell apart. It's important to remember that just like human beings every cat has their own unique personality and in rare cases (based on my experience) sometimes two cats simply don't like each other. New cat introductions can be complex issues and because I commonly receive questions about appropriate new cat introductions I'm willing to give a general idea of how to go about the process and if you require further information or you have questions on the subject I would recommend that you consider reading my previous answers on this topic.

Cats are very territorial and they don't like change much, this can sometimes lead to problems with fighting or fearful behavior on the part of one or both cats if introductions aren't done carefully, with the needs of your resident cat and newly adoptive kitten in mind. First of all to minimize the chances of aggressive behavior on the part of your male cat and to prevent reproduction I'd highly recommend that you have him neutered if that surgery hasn't already been performed. Cats that have been surgically sterilized tend to live longer, healthier lives, fewer behavioral problems and of course they don't contribute to the very serious pet overpopulation problem worldwide. As cute and charming as kittens can be it's very important not to create jealousy in your resident cat by paying extra attention to the new kitten. If your older cat feels as though you're not paying him any attention he may become resentful of the kitten which could potentially cause ongoing problems with bullying which creates an unhealthy atmosphere for everyone involved.

I typically recommend that new cat introductions take place in a very structured way. It's normally a good idea to isolate new additions to your household for a minimum of 2-3 weeks. This isolation period serves a couple of purposes, firstly it allows for a quarantine period which will prevent your resident cat and newly adopted kitten from spreading any contagious viral or bacterial infections to each other. The 2-3 week isolation period also allows you to take the new arrival to the veterinarian and confirm that she's healthy and free of chronic and potentially serious viral infections like feline leukemia and FIV which are similar to HIV and AIDS in people (don't worry though, they can't pass these viral infections on to human beings). Some cats infected with FIV or feline leukemia can become quite sick while others go on to live fairly healthy, normal lives. The main reason that these viral infections are a concern is because there is a chance that cats living together in a multiple cat household can potentially pass these infections on to their housemates or other cats in the neighborhood if they're allowed outside. FIV and feline leukemia can be transmitted from cat to cat via contact with blood or saliva and in the case of outdoor cats, strays and feral cats fighting with one another can increase the possibility of infection (which is another good reason to keep your kitty indoors or if you want to allow your cat access to the outdoors it's best to vaccinate according to your vet's recommendations).

The second purpose behind gradually introducing the new kitty after a quarantine period is to prevent any disputes over territory or any undesirable aggression due to the change in your household. Young kittens may exhibit aggression in the form of hissing or swatting at an unfamiliar cat that they haven't been properly introduced to, however if the tables were turned and your adult cats decided to react aggressively to the presence of their new sibling there's a chance that the kitten would be unable to defend him/herself successfully against a dedicated offensive attack. After a 2-3 week isolation period and making sure to familiarize the resident cat and his younger sister to each other's scents and presence there's minimal risk of serious aggression between the two cats.

I routinely use a safe, effective homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy which is a blend of flower essences designed to calm and reassure. In my opinion Rescue Remedy is a great tool to help cats in stressful situations. In this situation you could make use of this remedy to help ease your kitten's transition away from her mom and siblings and into your family. Rescue Remedy might be quite useful in this situation to help to keep your older cats as calm as possible throughout the potentially stressful introduction to their new little sibling. I've used this remedy to tip the balance in my favor in tough situations as well as routine stuff like new cat introductions and I really believe that it's worth using as it's likely to help keep everyone as calm and stress free as possible - this will help to ensure that the introduction process is as gentle and smooth as possible for all involved. Rescue Remedy can be administered by rubbing a drop onto the relatively hair free area in front of your cats' ears, however it's important to make sure you don't get any inside of the ear canal because it can sting, especially if either kitty has an ear infection or scratches their ears frequently - the flower essences are preserved in a grape alcohol solution. Incidentally if either of your resident cats or your new arrival scratches their ears or shakes their head frequently it's well worth having your vet check to ensure that there aren't any ear mites present, these are tiny parasites that live in a pet's ear canal and they can be quite irritating for cats. If ear mites are present your vet will prescribe the appropriate treatment to kill the offending parasites. You can often find Rescue Remedy in health food stores, naturopathic pharmacies, some mainstream pharmacies in the aisle with vitamins and nutritional supplements and I believe that you can also purchase this remedy online. Rescue Remedy is often used by pet parents and some veterinarians worldwide to treat injured, abused, traumatized, abandoned, anxious, fearful or timid animals and help them to recover from their special circumstances quite successfully. I have used Rescue Remedy in addition to TLC, patience and in some cases the use of conventional medical treatments for many years, it's worked some minor miracles in a variety of situations for cats and kittens that might not have otherwise coped with whatever rehabilitation they required. From what I understand based on information that another questioner provided there is a pets only version of Rescue Remedy where the flower essences are preserved in glycerin, however since I've never seen it locally I've never tried it so I can't really tell you how it compares to the original remedy.

In the unlikely event that a serious fight did break out it's very important not to get between fighting cats because cat scratches and bites can be serious and require medical attention because they can become infected. On the day of the first face to face meeting of the two cats I'd recommend having a water pistol/spray bottle, a heavy towel and a broom nearby just in case something goes drastically wrong during the introduction and a fight breaks out. Squirting the cats with the spray bottle might be enough to split up a mild fight. In the event that water doesn't stop the fighting a heavy towel can be tossed over one of the cats to stop them from striking out and they can be carefully separated that way although a broom can also be used to gently guide feuding felines apart so that nobody (kitty or human) gets hurt. If a bit of hissing and swatting happens I'd recommend supervising closely to ensure that nothing serious comes out of the posturing, if a fight breaks out then it's best to stop the introduction for that day, wait until everyone calms down and try the face to face introductions again in a few days.

In general the best way to start introducing the new kitten to your older resident cats in a gradual and non confrontational manner once everyone's healthy and ready for the introductions is to work with transferring scents back and forth between the two cats. You can do this by switching litter boxes, beds or toys, however it's best not to do those sorts of things until your kitties have been checked out by the vet and given a clean bill of health. Another way to accomplish the exchange of scents in a non-threatening way is to start off by rubbing the kitten down with a hand towel, then rubbing the older cats all over  with the same towel and lastly going back to the kitten for a final rub down. This first step allows the older cats and the new arrival to gradually become accustomed to each other's unique scent and can minimize the risk of aggression between the resident cats and the newly adopted kitten because they will be familiar with each other's scent. Scent provides a fair bit of information to a cat, for instance it can provide basic information about health, age, sex, reproductive status, illnesses, diet, etc. I'd recommend that you begin the towel scent exchanges within a week or two of the new arrival being quarantined in his/her room once the vet has given the baby the all clear, you can go through the entire process at least once a day until the cats don't seem to react to each others' scent on toys, litter pans, etc (can sometimes take a week or two). It's not uncommon for cats once they're ready to be introduced to play under the door to the new arrival's quarantine room, that's when I'd recommend trying a face to face introduction provided that the baby has been kept in isolation for at least 2-3 weeks.

Another great tip to help get the cat and kitten accustomed to one another is to feed them on either side of a closed door. This will allow both your resident cat and the new kitten to get the nutrition appropriate to their age and needs. Feeding the cats on opposite sides of a closed door will also help your new siblings to associate each others' scent with something positive - food. Often times resident cats and new additions will begin to show curiosity about each other and even play together under the door before they ever see each other. This is a great sign and should be encouraged. Play and food are wonderful tools to help facilitate a healthy relationship between the new kitten and your resident cat as well as being an awesome way to strengthen the bond between you and your cats. Interactive toys like kitty teases and laser lights (do be careful to avoid shining the light into anyone's eyes as these toys can do damage) are great in terms of getting cats to play with you and each other. Special treats work well as a form of bribery to help an uncertain kitty become more comfortable with the presence of another cat in his/her territory. I find that cheese, chicken, fish or lamb work well and which foods you will need to use will depend upon what your cats prefer. If you have any further cat related questions or concerns I'd be more than happy to help you out to the best of my ability so please don't hesitate to contact me again.