Expert: Jessica - 8/30/2011

Question
My girlfriend has moved in with me an she hes 2 male cats. My cat cat is feline and has lived alone with me for 7 years. Now there is 2 new cats in the house and she is not happy, she hissis and growls and they get scared. How do we resolve the issue and get her to accept the 2 new comers?

Answer
Hi Michael,

Your girlfriend's two cats need to be limited to one room of the house for now, completely separated from your cat and not allowed to see her. You can start to introduce them by using scent. Use a cloth the rub one of the males cheeks, and let your female smell it. Do the same with the other male. And then let the males smell a cloth that you have rubbed along the female's cheeks. They can become familiar by scent without being afraid of a confrontation. Also, a few times a day, put the female in the room where the males stay, while the males are allowed to roam the rest of the house. Remember, they shouldn't see each other. But they will be able to sniff each other's things.

After several days of this, you should try reintroducing the cats. I recommend that you try feeding them special meals at opposite ends of a room. This may give them something positive to associate with one another. If the visit goes poorly, end it right away. If it seems to go well, give them 15 minutes together, and then return the males to their room. Too much time too soon can become overwhelming. Try visits several times a day, and increase the length of the visits as their tolerance for each other grows. See if you can move the bowls a little closer to each day until they are eating only a few feet from each other. Then, allow their natural curiosity to help them get acquainted. Never leave them alone together. Closely supervise so that you can separate them if they get upset.

Introductions usually take about 2 weeks but can take much longer for older cats. It may take 4 weeks or even longer. The key is to be patient and not rush things. Allow the cats to take things at their own pace, and nearly all cats will get along.

Good luck!

Jessica