Cat, Meet Cat

So, you’ve decided to light the fuse on World War 3 by adopting a new cat into your feline family.
Oh, I’m exaggerating a bit. It’s only a really thorny issue if your timeline is too short and/or your goals too idealistic, or maybe if you have an especially old resident cat (since these tend to become more stubborn as they age). The worldwide web is positively rife with reels showing cats who experienced love at first sight and then spooned their way into the hearts of their 40K followers. If you’ve become casually addicted to consuming that sort of content—an extremely common malady—you might need to adjust your expectations. Adorable photo shoots are far from guaranteed; instead, a more realistic goal might be simply sharing the same mailing address. Unless your resident cat already has substantial past experience with befriending new felines, it’s often a slow, laborious process to achieve this relatively low bar.

Cats crave routine. In order to minimize the impact of a new resident on your household, create a daily schedule and stick to it. Offering food, cleaning litter boxes, and initiating play at the same time every day is recommended for every pet feline’s mental health, so that they always know what to expect. Periods of increased stress are inevitable for all of us, but the persistence of a dependable daily regimen helps these habit-driven animals to cope.

Now, to introduce the first New Thing: set aside a room in your home for the incoming cat and block the doorway off with a baby gate. Drape a blanket over the barrier so that your resident cat can not see inside the space. Ideally, this room will be blocked off for several days before your guest arrives. Next, install the new cat and allow them to live their separate lives without visual contact; thus, the second New Thing will be the sounds of another pet. Under no circumstances should you force the two animals to look at or touch one another. If things are going well, exchange a handful of their belongings, such as blankets or toys, and see whether this is acceptable to both parties. The third New Thing, then, is the smell of a new acquaintance. When you uncover the baby gate, your two animals will at last be able to see each other—the fourth New Thing.

At this point, you can take your cues from the cats. If they display a friendly interest in one another, you’re in luck. If they seem aware of each other but indifferent, you’re still in good shape. If either one shows signs of fear and/or aggression, it’s time to take a quick step back and replace the barricade for a few days. Never force them closer together or punish either animal for responding in an undesirable way, and never forget to abide by the routines you set early in the process. A reliable schedule that includes plenty of interaction with you will provide comfort and confidence for both pets until each is completely ready to accept (even… embrace?) the presence of the other.

Dr M.S. Regan