My name is Samantha with Top Dog tips And today I am making this video guide On how to introduce new cats to each Other so this is something that I'm Asked a lot by cat owners Um it is something that is it can be Difficult to do Um just keep in mind unfortunately cats Are fickle creatures and it's not Guaranteed that two cats are going to Get along so knowing how to do it and Doing it in a really slow gradual Process is the best chance you have at Getting two cats to cohabitate nicely With each other planning the Introduction in advance is really really Important you don't want to just say one Day I think I'm gonna get another cat And bring it home that's going to be Upsetting to not only the cats both cats And very stressful for them but it's Also maybe going to upset other Human Family members in your home and when There's Stress and Anxiety and some Upset with the Human family members the Cats are going to read that too and so It's just going to be really a recipe For disaster so as I mentioned the Process needs to be really slow and Gradual the first thing you want to do Is trade cents whether you're going to Be adopting a cat from a shelter or a Breeder ask if it's okay for you to Bring in a blanket or a towel or
Something that's been in your home that Your cat lays on that has his scent all Over it so you want to bring that to the Breeder or the shelter so that the new Cat can have time to get used to that Scent and you're also going to ask if It's okay if you could have a blanket or A towel leave it there for a few days Have your new cat lay on it be around it And then bring that home for your Resident cat to check out so you're Swapping those scents while the cats are Still living in two completely different Places Once you've treated scents and the cats Have had two or three days with the Other cat scent then you're going to Prepare separate spaces in the home Because it's going to be time to bring The cats into the same space together so The new cat you need to prepare a space A quiet room in the home and that room Is going to be for the new cat so it Could be a spare bedroom a bathroom Somewhere where you can keep the new cat Separated for a few days and this is Going to give her time to get used to The new environment the new smells Um as well as the new human members of Your family because they're going to be Able to go in and out of that room say For example if it's a bathroom Um you know you can still use that space Because you want the new cat getting
Used to the human members of your family As well before being introduced to the Resident cat if possible choose a room That has about an inch maybe more of Space underneath the door you don't want Too much space because you don't want Anybody to sneak under there especially If the new cat is a kitten but you know Just a little inch of space Maybe under The door Um and this will allow your resident cat And your new cat to be able to sniff Each other and interact under the door Without having complete access to one Another you'll also need to make sure That the space has the amenities that The new cat are going to need like a Litter box food water a bed things like That so the new cat's gonna be in their Own room the resident cat is still going To have the run of the house and you're Gonna do this like I said for a few days So two to three days Um and during this time you want to feed Them together but separate so you want To feed both cats on their sides of the Door so put the food bowls near the door Um probably the new cat you know because They're in their own little room and They're not used to the the new house And they don't really know what's on the Other side over there they probably will Eat near the door your resident cap Might not
Um so if either cat doesn't want to eat Right there by the door where the other Cat is just make it kind of right off to The side trust me when they get hungry Enough they will eat maybe not when the Other cat is right out there but they Will eat you can also make the food more Appetizing by adding canned tuna or some Canned cat food there if you want to try To get them together at the same time Near the door you know putting some Canned cat food in each bowl at the same Time you know they may stand there and And eat that together Um but it's not necessary just that the Food is there is Um you know good enough that they're They're there and they're near the door Often eating is good enough eating is a Positive experience for cats so by Having them do something positive in Close proximity to each other even Though that door is in the way they're Going to associate the interaction as a Positive experience if one of the cats Growls or hisses under the door that is Totally normal they're probably going to Do this for a day or two Um maybe not even that long but that's Just sort of you know a cat's way of Asserting their dominance and so you Know that's completely normal but just Keep doing this until that aggressive Behavior stops so if you have a cat
That's kissing and growling you know They might do it for a day or two and Then you'll know Um that you know it's it's safe to Proceed once that behavior stops on the Other hand if you have a cat that Continues to hiss and growl for more Than five or six days to a week it is a Good sign the cats may not get along Together you can still proceed with the Gradual process but that's kind of your First red flag that this might not work Out for one of those cats Once you've finished feeding them Together but separated on opposite sides Of the door and things seem to be going Fine then you can move on to the next Step which is switching places so you're Going to take the new cap and let them Have the run of the rest of the house And you're going to take the resident Cat and move them into the bathroom This will allow both cats to be able to Smell the other cat get used to that Scent it's going to give your new cat Time to get used to the new house Without having the fear or the worry or You know that added stimulation of Having the resident cat following them Around everywhere so they're going to be Able to kind of get a lay of the land Figure out some some good spots where They like to lay and sleep Um and then you know your new cat's
Gonna be in there in the bathroom or you Know the laundry room wherever you close The new cotton um he'll be in that room Smelling getting the scent and you know Kind of getting used to that cat the new Cat having that cat around When you do this you don't want to swap The litter boxes the food bowls the Water bowls so you want your resident Cat eating drinking and using the litter Box that the new cat was using and vice Versa you do want to clean the litter Boxes so make sure that everything all The waste is out of the litter boxes but It's going to be the same litter box Because it has a lot of scent on it so That's really helpful and the food and Water has the scent as well so when your Cat's eating out of your resident cat I Should say is eating out of a bowl that The new cat ate out of he can smell that New cat get that scent but he's still Associating that positive experience of Eating around the scent of the new cat So you want to make sure that you switch Areas but you don't actually switch food Water cat litter cat beds anything else Just the only thing with switching are The cats after two to three days the cat Should be getting more comfortable with Each other they're still going to be Going around the door getting that Opportunity to eat there or you know Sniff the other cat under the door and
They really should be starting to get Comfortable with each other at this Point so the last step in this fragile Process is allowing the cats to see each Other without actually having access to Each other so in the doorway of the room That separates them you're gonna put up A gate and you may have to put two baby Gates stacked on top of each other Um or two pet gates stacked on top of Each other in order to keep the cats From jumping over but you're going to Put a gate in between them so that they Can see each other they can smell each Other they can get up close to each Other they just don't have that full Access in case there is going to be any Fighting or confrontation be prepared For the cats to hit and growl at each Other for a brief period again that's Totally normal if they're gonna do that For the first couple of interactions That's totally normal it's a pretty good Sign again you know if you do this for Two days and one cat is still hissing And growling and really having a problem That's when you know it's it's not going To work out unfortunately these cats Just aren't going to get along for Whatever reason usually cats are going To work things out on their own so after You know they they see each other the First couple of times the hissing the Growling is going to subside and they're
Gonna start to become a little bit Braver spending a little bit more time There investigating each other and you Know the the process should kind of Happen on its own and very naturally but Again if you notice that aggressive Behavior for more than a few days Um it is a pretty good sign that those Cats aren't going to be good together in The same home unfortunately so even if Things are going fine in the beginning It's best to keep the cat separated While Um you know they're in that kind of Beginning period so two to three days of That if things seem to be going well They seem to be comfortable you can take The gate down let the cats be around Each other Um I still for the first couple of days Wouldn't leave them necessarily Completely alone together just on the Off chance that something does happen so Just monitor them really closely and and You know your cats you're going to watch Them in their behaviors and you'll know When they're ready to be just left in The house completely alone while you're Gone to work or out running errands Um so that's how to introduce cats to One another if you liked this guide and You love the advice just be sure to Click the like button on this video And Subscribe to our Channel there's also a
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