Introducing a new cat to your pets!
When you bring home a new cat to your multi cat household, you want to set all the pets up for success by using what is generally referred to as a Separation and Introduction protocol - or otherwise known as slow and steady wins the race! :) Think about your new cat’s arrival from the perspective of your current cats - you would probably be pretty surprised and upset if a stranger suddenly showed up in your house and made themselves at home, wouldn’t you? You might not want to be friends right away, and you might even have some choice words or act out physically to try to remove the interloper. Your cats are bound to feel similarly! So we want to take things gradually.
The video above outlines the steps in separation and introduction. First, before you even bring home the new cat, make sure you have Feliway multicat or optimum going in the main area of your house as well as in the room you will use for holding. Feliway multicat is a synthetic version of a nursing mother’s pheromone, which tells all cats that they are part of the same family and that everything is ok. I generally recommend one per 500 square feet, floor of a home or room with a closed door.
Once you bring your new feline home, you want to set them up in their own space that has everything they need - food, water, toys, a comfortable bed and some intellectual stimulation (birdfeeder on the window, puzzle toys, etc). He or she may hide for a few days and that’s totally ok. Give everyone a few days to let their cortisol levels come down, but do let your other cats smell the new cat’s carrier during this time.
Once a few days have elapsed, you can begin positive reinforcement (+R) on either side of the closed door. What you use for +R is up to you - a super high value food reward (meat in meat sauce baby food, Churus, tuna, etc), praise, play - whatever works best for your cats, remembering that NOT all cats are necessarily food motivated. Twice a day, give this +R on either side of the door at the same time. What this is accomplishing is creating a positive association with the smell of the cats to one another and a high value reward. Eventually this will create a feedback loop wherein the cats will associate each other with good things, and they will be able to peacefully co-exist in the household together.
During each phase, make sure to carefully monitor all cats’ body language. If you notice any aggressive or fearful body language (dilated pupils, ears back, puffy fur, tucked tail), STOP the session and go back one step next time. An inexpensive pet camera can be very helpful to monitor both sides of the door at the same time!
Once cats are non reactive on either side of the closed door, you can install a baby gate and begin +R sessions with the door cracked in gradually larger and larger stages. Again, the door should be cracked / open ONLY during +R sessions! Make sure cats are calm for one to two sessions at each stage before you move on to the next.
Once the cats can be in full view of each other through the baby gate you can remove the gate but be ready with something to redirect behavior if necessary - a crunchy ball, cat dancer, etc. Continue +R here for longer and longer sessions until you can reach 20-30 minutes without incident.
At this point you can attempt having the cats together SUPERVISED, and eventually move on to them being together all the time. If you are able, you may also consider swapping which cat(s) stay in the holding room every 12-24 hours so as to allow the new cat to explore and to avoid the pack from creating incorrect ideas about territory. Brushing all cats with the same brush is also a great way to scent swap!
This process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, so be patient and let your cats guide you along at their pace. You can do this!
