MULTIPLE CAT HOUSEHOLDS

Getting To Know A New Cat
If you already own a cat and decide to bring home a new cat, there are certain things that you need to take into consideration. First of all, try to anticipate your cat's reaction to the new guest. Cats typically do better with new kittens as opposed to new adult cats. The reason for this is that the older cat will not feel threatened and will not adopt a defensive stand with the much younger cat. However, if you have a cat that has not been properly socialized to live with other animals or if your cat simply does not like the company of other pets in the house, then bringing home a new pet may not be such a good idea.

When bringing home a new cat, you must first prepare for the two cats to meet. Try to position your new cat in a room of your house separated from your cat. Let your new cat become familiar with his surroundings and mark his territory. Once he is well accustomed to his new place, begin exchanging scents between your cats. You can do this by bringing the new cat some things that have the older cat's smell, such as toys, bedding, or a towel that has been rubbed on the cat. Then bring some things with the new cat's smell on them to your older cat. Once the two cats have become familiar with their scents, the introduction will be much easier since they have already been introduced to the way they smell.

The acquaintance process can take several days, weeks, and sometimes even months. Never, during this process, should you intervene or force your two cats to get along. Let them decide when and how they will accept each other. If you intervene, you could provoke an undesired reaction from one or both cats and they may then try to avoid each other as much as possible.