What's the best way to introduce a new cat to the old cat? They are both neutered males. I'm not sure if Taylor has really ever seen another cat other than Lillith.

What should I be on the lookout for? When do I know they are okay to be left alone?

-- Anonymous, October 18, 1999

Answers

Once they are okay around you guys, they'll be okay to be left alone, I think, especially since they're both declawed. The best advice I can give you is to take it slow at first, but then don't interfere unless someone is getting hurt. Let them hiss and growl, because they set their boundaries that way. They do that first, and then they move on to butt sniffing, maybe with a few whacks if the butt sniffee turns around before he's supposed to, and eventually they're just giving each other funny looks. I've also found it helpful to pet them both at the same time, with my arms stretched waaaaay out so they don't actually have to be very close to each other.

Night time will be the worst, I bet. It's always worked that way when I've gotten a new cat. New cat wants on the bed, old cat gets pissed, someone goes under the bed and spends the night yowling, and you relive all childhood nightmares involve monsters under the bed.

I've also found that lots of catnip (if your cats like it) and really good games speed things along. Cats will put up with a lot -- even an intruder -- if someone will just dangle some string around.

-- Anonymous, October 18, 1999

This is what I do with my rats so it might work with cats too : ) Since I have all boy rats whenever I introduce a new one to the gang I rub vanilla (the bottled liquid kind) on their fur. It works wonderfully. See if they all smell alike then they won't fight...until later when they do the "dominance" thing. I hope this helps.

-- Anonymous, October 18, 1999

Back in February I took in a stray kitty that was camped out on my doorstep for 2 days. He was sad, scared and hungry and hid under my bed for like a week before he would come out to look around. At that time I had a 9 month old kitten who wanted to play so badly with the new kitty. They did the normal hissing, chasing, etc. Now they do the butt sniff thing. My younger kitty still chases the older one and the older one hisses and bats at him..they dont hurt each other, but I still dont think they like each other very much (and that was 8 months ago). Occasionally they will lay together on my bed and the kitten will try and groom the other and vice versa but that usually ends up in a hissing match. If anyone can think of ways to HELP kitties get along better, Id like to know too. Good luck Pamie. Ive been reading your site for months now and this is my first posting. Im a bigtime kitty lover. Im glad you decided to get a kitty from the shelter and one that so desperately needed a home.

-- Anonymous, October 18, 1999

I have done this before, and no one lost an eye or anything. I rubbed both cats liberally with catnip before i let them loose. Then, after a few minutes of being in the same room together, I switched out the light, and shined a flashlight on the floor, moving it around. They got entranced by it, and chased it as I moved it, and forgot to fight.

And i had read that their food bowls should be fairly far apart but still in the same room for the first month or two, as they get possesive over their food.

-- Anonymous, October 18, 1999

Yeah! I'm so happy your kitty found a good home! The most important thing is that they get used to each other's smells. The Current Cat will need to feel dominant (since it is, after all, his home), so you should put the New Cat in his crate (he does have a crate, doesn't he?) and let the Current Cat sniff around. Then, just make sure their claws are trimmed so they can't do too much damage to each other. And lots of kitty treats---I agree with the others that distraction is critical!

-- Anonymous, October 18, 1999

I think that cat nip and flashlight thing sounds good. I have done this before too and we had some screaming and hissing coming from the old cat. This last several weeks and we thought it was not going to work out at all. But now, they can't get enough of each other. They are best pals and clean each other and play and fight and have fun.

Good luck! Welcome, Cal! Can't wait to see your picture!

-- Anonymous, October 18, 1999

First -- and I know you've done this already, but just in case! -- check out some of the online vet sites for THEIR recommendations!

But one of the most important things to do is to SLOWLY let them get used to each other's smells. ESPECIALLY two males. (You're going to have a tough enough time with that.) Everything I've ever read has said to first put the new kitty in its own room for a while. (No problem, since you have the "quarantine" thing already going for you.) Then switch 'em out. Do this several times, like for a day at a time, and don't rush it. Then when you finally introduce them to each other, do it very slowly, and always in brief, SUPERVISED sessions. Let them spend longer & longer with each other, until you can finally leave them alone together all day long. It sounds painstaking, and it is, but it should be worth it. (Unless, of course, they're destined to hate each other and fight for the rest of their lives. There ain't a lot you can do about that, unfortunately!)

I currently have 4 cats, and have had many more over the years, plus roommates who've had cats, and this usually works pretty well.

Congratulations on adopting a new "baby" -- and good luck!

-- Anonymous, October 18, 1999

Don't panic when they yowl and scream and bat at each other. It sounds terrible, but nothing really happens most of the time, especially if they're declawed. The more noise, the less damage. We found with each of our four cats that there was LOTS of regular yowling and hissing for about a year after each introduction.

But I've known people who panic and pitch a cat back out the door 'cos they think it's going to kill their other cat. Not as far as we've seen - no one's died yet, no one's even lost an eye. (Two of ours are clawed and two are not.)

We have noticed that the girl cats are much more territorial. Boys roam, so they're not as possessive about their space - our boys are cuddly and friendly with each other, the girls still hate each other and glare at the boys.

If you want to feel like you're doing something, go to the health-food store and get Bach Rescue Remedy, and drip a few drops in their water bowls. It's supposed to calm things down and reduce stress and shock. It will keep the cats from being caught up in "fight/flight" destructive behaviour. It seemed to do something with our latest beast, who is still the least fitting-in (I think four may be one too many).

Basically, there's very little you can do, except be fair to both of them, not make it look like you favour one over the other (particularly the new, sicky cat over the old) and if things get really serious, lock them in separate rooms for an hour or so to let them cool off. They'll work out their swatting order, and then they'll be fine. It does take time, though. You will probably also notice quite soon that the nastiness happens most when you're around to see it - they'll get along perfectly well all day, or in another room, and as soon as they spot you, they'll start playing head games. (One of our girls is especially good at that - she gives the others the evil eye and mutters cat swear words till they go after her, then flops down on her back and starts howling murder.) Just like kids, really, except that they never ask for money.

-- Anonymous, October 18, 1999

It's interesting-- this is exactly the same thing I asked you about a week ago when mt wife and I found a new kitten (newly christened "Fleck") and brought him home. The way we did it was basically what you told me to do-- use patience and love, and make sure that the older cat doesn't feel supplanted by the newer one. At this point, our cats are getting along better (everything's relative-- at least Julia's no longer hissing much), and Julia's all but forgiven us, even to the point of spending quality time with us in the evening. Patience is the key. Good luck!

John

-- Anonymous, October 18, 1999