How To Introduce A Second Cat To Your Home?
It is quite difficult to predict if a cat will accept a new resident into its home. Through domestication, cats as a species have, in some ways, grown more socially adaptive, while individual cats still vary widely in their amount of cat acceptance. Additionally, as people get older, it becomes harder for them to change how sociable they are.
When assessing how a cat will interact with other cats, there are undoubtedly a lot more factors that need to be looked into. Some of these factors have already been recognized by scientists.
How To Introduce A Second Cat To Your Home: Steps for a Successful Transition
Information about the current cat (s)
Give separate answers to each of these questions for the cats you already have at home and the potential new cat.
After weighing all of these factors, there are a few things that should be thoroughly thought through before deciding whether to get another cat or not. Because these elements are more likely to work together than alone, the more that are responded in favor of another cat, the greater the possibility that a new cat will be accepted.
Has the cat been neutered?
Unowned, stray cat colonies are typically comprised of connected females and their offspring. However, as of right now, little information exists to conclusively state if a cat’s gender influences how well it gets along with other cats following neutering.
Is the cat related to the other cats in the house or to the new cat(s)?
According to studies on both domesticated cats and feral cats, related cats are more likely than unrelated cats to get along with one another. Sibling cats are a good option if you want to obtain two new cats at once because it can be difficult to get two linked cats if you get them at various times.
Do you currently have a neutered cat?
Know how to introduce a second cat to your home Unless your cat is kept for breeding, all cats should be neutered to prevent litters of unwanted kittens. Neutered cats are also much more likely to get along with one another because they don’t have any circulating sexual hormones. These hormones can help male cats compete and defend their territories.
How is the mental and physical health of the cat?
Generally speaking, getting another cat is not a good idea if your current one is sick. In a defensive state and more likely to find a new cat unsettling than enriching, cats who are unwell, hurt, or having stress-related problems.
How old is the cat?
How to introduce a second cat to your home? In general, a kitten has a higher chance of being accepted into a cat’s home. However, if the young cat plays excessively with the older cat, who will have less of an appetite for play, the introduction of a young cat to an older cat could be problematic. In many situations, having two playful kittens would be preferable to having just one. However, in addition to the initial kitten, the home must have the time and finances to care for two additional kittens.
What do you think of the cat’s character?
Numerous studies have been done on the temperaments (personalities) of cats, and they vary much like people. Some people are confident and fearless, while others are cautious and timid. Two fearful cats may purposefully avoid one another or look to one another for comfort, whereas two brave cats may fight by struggling for resources. Even so, it’s still crucial to give your current cat(s) and the new possible cat(s) some thought, especially in terms of how they react to novelty and change and how sociable they tend to be in general. Although there is no hard and fast rule about what temperaments are most compatible with one another, it is still vital to give this some thought.
What do I know about the cat’s parents and the first 12 weeks of its life?
A kitten’s disposition is influenced by both environment and inheritance. As a result, kittens with sociable parents and friendly attitudes toward other cats are more likely to exhibit those characteristics. But the environment also plays a big role. Cats are most receptive to social learning during the socialization phase, which lasts between two and eight weeks of life (including other cats).
How to introduce a second cat to your home? During this time, kittens are more likely to view other cats positively if they engage with them nicely. Therefore, if a cat was adequately socialized to other cats during this sensitive phase, it is more likely that it will grow up to be accepting of them. The likelihood of such acceptance is expected to rise if the cat has regular, amicable interactions with other cats throughout kittenhood, adolescence, and into adulthood.
Has the cat ever encountered an adult cat before?
It is true that even one negative experience can cause a cat to become afraid of other cats. Negative experiences have a significant effect on recall and learning. It is important to know if any of the cats in question has ever gotten into an unpleasant catfight because this might have changed how they act with other cats now.
How many other cats has my current cat recently encountered?
How to introduce a second cat to your home? If the cats are living together now, how do they get along? If the cat has access to the outside, how does it behave around other cats there? If a cat already exhibits anxious, frightened, or aggressive tendencies, the presence of several cats may exacerbate these traits.
Is my way of life and my house conducive to a new cat?
A cat’s mood can be significantly influenced by the type, quantity, and distribution of its resources, including its resting and sleeping quarters, toilet facilities, food and water bowls, toys, and scratching posts. Sharing sources will be challenging for cats who do not see themselves as being a part of the same social group.
How to introduce a second cat to your home? it’s important to realize that just though cats cohabitate, that doesn’t mean they consider themselves to be a part of the same social group. Any new cats introduced must therefore have access to their own resources. If you answer “No” to any of the following questions, your cat’s likelihood of adjusting to a new cat will be reduced. The more “No’s” you get, the less likely it is that your present cat(s) will learn the new cat(s) are not a threat.
Do I:
Have the time and means to properly acclimate them, for instance, is I allowed to give the new cat its own room during the initial days of acclimatization? (Learn more about how to introduce a kitten or new adult cat to your cat.)
Can I:
- As many of each resource should be made available as there are cat-owning family members.
- Make sure to keep each resource separate from the others and distribute it evenly throughout the house.
- Place resources in a way that prevents any cats from blocking access to or escaping from them for others.
- Do you play with, stroke, or groom each cat individually in a way that they enjoy?
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