New Cat and Existing Cats: Can they Live Amicably?
Does your existing pet cat sneer at the new feline pet you have brought home? If a new cat comes to your home with resident cats already living in it, it can get a hostile welcome.
As a pet owner however, you can bring in harmony among the pets so that they form a part of a beautiful and harmonious family.
Making your Work Easier
For a perfect start, do not place the new cat unattended at home. To make your life easier, it is ideal to bring a kitten as they are docile and ready to accept the existing rules in the house. Neutered cats will also help in keeping aggressions at bay.
Dos
Pets require attention and love. Make sure you perform certain tasks to keep healthy pets:
- Give individual attention to all your pets
- Keep your new feline pet separate from the older ones. A safe-room is recommended to ensure the cats don’t come face-to-face with one another just at the arrival of the new pet.
- Allow other cats to roam about freely in the house and smell the new cat, its carrier, clothes and beddings
- Swap feeding bowls and beddings to mix the new feline’s smell with the existing ones
- Reward with a tasty titbit if the cats react badly with the new scent
- Allow each of them to explore the other’s territory at different times – without allowing them to interact directly
…And, only after the situation is amicable, introduce the animals and make them interact face-to-face.
Face-to-Face Meetings
To initiate the first face-to-face meeting with your new cat and the pet cats already living in your household, consider…
- Introducing the cat during mealtime
- Placing food bowls in different spots in the same room
- Giving them the freedom to decide when to approach each other
- Allowing them time and opportunity to demarcate their own pecking order
…Keep in mind certain precautions you need to maintain.
- Keep a blanket ready in case the cats start fighting. A little hissing and tension between them is common though.
- Separate them if they are aggressive. Again, follow the earlier routine of keeping the new cat in the safe-room while allowing others to smell its presence.
- Once they are little amicable, keep them together for longer periods.
- Entice the resident cats to be friendly by giving them treats
- Avoid favoritism. Remember, all pets require similar attention and warmth from you.
Don’t get unhappy if your feline pet is just not getting adjusted to the new environment. You can consider help from a vet to know the right approach to the problem. If it still does not work, consider “re-homing” your new pet.
Generally, a pet that is clean, well-fed, and loved will entertain you and your family immensely and allow other pets to live happy in the same household.
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