Thinking of getting a second cat? Here’s how to make sure your first pet doesn’t feel threatened

Quite a few persons select to are living with a cat for companionship. As a social species, companionship is one thing we typically crave. But this are not able to essentially be stated of our feline pals. Domestic cats developed from a largely solitary species, defending their territory from other cats.

While contemporary-working day cats can dwell collectively in friendly teams (when there are sufficient sources to go all over), bonds usually only develop among cats who are related or grow up together. It is natural for cats to truly feel threatened by unfamiliar cats. Proprietors ought to think about whether or not adding an additional cat to their household is truly in their cat’s ideal fascination, primarily if they are commonly a lot more of a timid cat.

If you happen to be established on incorporating a further cat to your property, plan the introduction meticulously.

Get ready for your new cat prior to you carry them residence. Set apart a home for them, building certain they have at the very least two relaxed sleeping locations, a water bowl, a feeding region, scratching article and toys. Present at least just one litter tray (preferably two), perfectly absent from the foodstuff, h2o and sleeping sites.

When the working day arrives to bring your new cat house, choose them straight to “their” space. Permit them to appear out of their carrier in their own time. They will be frightened if you try out to pull them out. No make any difference how energized you are to interact with your new companion, you may possibly want to leave the space, allowing for them to discover by on their own.

Scent swapping

Your new cat requirements to continue to be in their place for various days. This will assist them settle down and will allow you to introduce them to your existing cat through scent.

Scent, specifically facial pheromones, helps cats recognize other cats that they are bonded with and is crucial for sustaining bonds concerning cats. Swap cloths that every single cat has slept on, and toys. Location these someplace the cats will appear across them in their very own rooms, but away from beds, bowls and litter trays.

Neither cat must exhibit signals of avoidance or aggression to the cloths in advance of you progress. Then you can straight swap scent between the cats. Stroke one cat, specially around the cheeks and region in front of the ears, and then go instantly to the other cat and stroke them. Repeat in the other course.

This will transfer the cats’ scent profiles and facial pheromones, as if they have been rubbing on each other directly. Glance for peaceful rubbing or nudging in return.

Longer time period

As soon as both equally cats are peaceful about remaining stroked with your other cat’s scent on your fingers, they can ultimately see each and every other and your new cat can explore the rest of your household. You can invest in a plug-in diffuser that releases copies of a feline facial pheromone, which might aid with the first introductions as it has been found to cut down cat-to-cat aggression in just households.

There ought to be a lot of escape routes for the cats to go away from every single other. Make guaranteed there is a cat tower or home furnishings, like a bookshelf, to bounce on to and that the cats can conveniently go away the space if they want to. Cats like to hide absent if threatened and to get up superior.

To begin with, shut the cat you adopted first away in a different area and enable your new cat out of theirs to investigate. When they are familiar with the layout of the dwelling and in which escape routes and protected places are, you can permit your other cat out. Supervise the cats and be prepared to intervene if tensions begin to mount.

View for any avoidant or agonistic conduct, this kind of as functioning away and hiding, ears likely again or hissing. Under no circumstances punish your cat for aggressive behavior and steer clear of working with food to lure the cats nearer together. Cats are solitary hunters and would not by natural means take in in close proximity to other cats, even kinds they are bonded with.

For the reason that cats can uncover it hard to variety new associations with other cats, primarily as grownups, your cats may perhaps hardly ever come to be most effective good friends. To lower conflict, make absolutely sure equally cats can accessibility food, h2o and litter trays without the need of obtaining to move just about every other.

As a normal rule, you will have to have to have a single far more of every resource than the overall number of cats in the domestic. For instance, 3 litter trays for a two-cat house. If your cats go outdoors, it may possibly also be useful to deliver more than a person entrance and exit position, as the cat flap is one more common region for conflict concerning cats.

Related advice applies if you want to include a further companion species to your residence, these kinds of as a puppy. Introductions may perhaps be more profitable if the pup is diligently and gradually introduced prior to they are 12 months previous.

Really don’t make it possible for your pup to chase your cat. Reward the dog for quiet actions. Your cat really should hardly ever experience cornered and constantly have the decision to shift absent from any interaction, no matter if that’s with a human or non-human animal.

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