Expert: Jessica - 6/24/2010

Question
My husband and I were separates in the mean time I brought out female cat (4 yrs old) with me, he found a new male kitty 2 yrs ago (the time we were separated) and brought it home with him (now 2 yrs old male cat) now we are getting back together and I have to bring our female cat back home but both cats don't know each other yet...how can I introduce them??? we have 2 other dogs and both cats get along with them perfectly...

Help???!!!!

Answer
Hi Ydzia,

You should keep the cats completely separated for the first several days.  Don't allow them to see each other at all.  If you're moving in with your husband, his cat should have full run of the house, and your female should be limited to one room.  If he's moving in with you, your female should have the whole house, while the male should stay in one room.  If you are getting a new place together, it will be best to limit BOTH cats to one room each during this time so that they view the home as theirs equally once you start introducing them.

During the first few days, I recommend that the cats get acquainted by scent transference.  To do this, use a cloth to rub one of the cats along the cheeks.  Then allow the other cat to smell the cloth.  The cloth will have picked up the cat’s scent, and each cat can get familiar with the other cat, without feeling threatened, by smelling the cloth.  Do this a few times a day for the first few days.  

Also a few times a day, I recommend that you switch their living space for a little while.  I would start this on the second or third day.  Allow the cat who is confined to one room to explore the house, while the cat who normally roams the house is confined to the single room.  Again, the cats can sniff out one another’s things.  It also gives the new comer a good chance to get familiar with his or her new surroundings.  If you are moving into a new place together, give the cats each separate time to explore the whole place.

For meal times, try to feed the cats a really tasty food on opposite sides of the same door at the same time.  Canned food like Fancy Feast, while not the healthiest, works well as a treat for this.  They will be able to see one another’s shadows under the door and hear one another, and having a positive meal time together can help them start to build a relationship even though they haven’t met face-to-face.

Unless the cats are hissing at each other under the door, it will be time to try to introduce them at the end of the first week.  You can do this by placing one or both of the cats in carriers, or by cracking open the door to the room where one of the cats is staying so they can see each other.  Supervise very closely and be ready to separate the cats if the introduction does not go well.  Remember that sometimes a mild hiss is to be expected, but howling, spitting and screaming is always a sign that you need to immediately separate the cats.  If these occur, try again the next day.  Certainly, chasing, swatting or any physically threatening motions cannot be tolerated, and the cats should be separated for at least another couple of days.  If the introduction does go smoothly, allow the cats to visit for up to 15 minutes, then separate them again.  Making visits too lengthy can overstimulate the cats and cause them to lash out.  You can increase the length of each following visit until you’re sure the cats are getting along fine.  If there’s any question as to whether they’re tolerating each other alright, always separate them when you can’t be there to supervise.

Best of luck!

Jessica