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How to Introduce a New Cat to a Home With Cats



  VetBooks.ir  BACKGROUND                                       pairing the unpleasant stimulus with food. Again, the unpleasant
                                                                stimulus is the presence of a new cat with the undesirable emotional
                                                                responses being distress, anxiety, and aggression.
         Getting a new cat can be exciting. However, introducing your new
         cat to your existing cats can be a challenge. Cats are sometimes   For example, let’s say a person is terrified of spiders. You would
         described as “nonobligatory social animals”, meaning that while   not throw this person into a room full of spiders and expect this
         cats can establish social relationships, they can also do quite well   fear to disappear. That would be traumatizing. You may instead
         alone. As long as your cat receives attention and the opportunity   use desensitization methods to achieve your goal: first, have the
         to play and exhibit normal feline behaviors, you should not feel   person look at pictures of spiders from a distance, for only a second
         obligated to have multiple cats in order to provide your cat with   at a time allowing the person time before showing another picture.
         company. Other situations may arise that lead to the addition of   Gradually expose the person to pictures for longer and longer
         another cat to your home: you may inherit a cat from a friend or   periods of time. If at any point the person shows signs of anxiety
         relative that can no longer keep it, your child may want a pet of   or fear, stop the exercise. You could also use a counterconditioning
         his or her own, or you may simply want another cat. While these   approach. Initially for this person, spiders lead to anxiety and fear.
         are all good reasons to add a new cat to your home, keep in mind   If this person is offered $100 every time he or she encounters a
         that the addition of another cat will alter the social order of the cat   spider,  the anxiety and  fear may  lessen and  the excitement  of
         or cats already living in your home.                   getting extra money might become the primary emotion.
            Every cat will respond differently to the introduction of a new cat.   Now let’s apply this example to the introduction of your cats.
         Cats are territorial by nature. They often resist giving up territory and
         attention to a newcomer. Each cat, however, has a unique personal-  SETTING UP
         ity. Some are friendly and easygoing and will quickly adapt to the   •  Obtain a wire crate, the kind often used for dogs while the
         newcomer. Others will react with aggression. Kittens and adult cats   owner is away, to help with the introduction. Cat carriers may
         that grow up together often enjoy friendly social interactions such   also be used. There should be one cage/crate for each cat.
         as mutual grooming or sleeping together. You should expect these   •  Obtain extra litter boxes and food bowls.
         behaviors when you introduce a new cat, regardless of age, into   •  Obtain pheromone sprays and/or diffusers (e.g., Feliway).
         your home if you already have other adult cats. However, kittens are   •  High-value food—it should be something that each cat loves
         generally easier to introduce than are adults. Your goal should be   (each cat may have a different food)
         mutual tolerance between new and existing cats. If your adult cats   •  Laundry baskets and large blankets
         become friendly towards each other, you should be pleasantly surprised!
            There are factors that increase the likelihood of problematic   TROUBLESHOOTING BEFOREHAND
         interactions once a new cat is introduced. These include:  •  Determine a spot in the house where the new cat can live without
         •  Increased number of cats in the household             any interaction with the other cats for a period of time (days to
         •  Small home (territory)                                months). This might be a bedroom, a study, or the like.
         •  Few places to be alone/hide/low number of high perches  •  Think through the logistics of litter box placement once the cats
         •  Lack of early socialization                           are integrated. There should be at least one more litter box than
         •  Cats that have previously had to compete for territory, food, or   there are cats in the home. Litter boxes that are side by side count
            other resources                                       as one box. They should be in separate locations and be placed
         •  Genetic factors                                       such that one cat cannot prevent access or egress from the box.
         •  Outside cats can also contribute to aggression, scratch, and/   •  The more resources (litter boxes, food bowls, perches/trees,
            or urine marking.                                     toys, scratching posts) available, the more likely there will be a
            Factors such as early socialization, genetics, and the cat’s   successful introduction. The resources should be placed such
         previous history are typically out of your control. However, you   that one cat cannot “guard” them from another cat.
         can always provide each cat with the ability to feel that it is safe   •  All cats should love being in their carrier or crate. If they do not
         and that it has some autonomy and control over its body during   love the carrier, then they must be desensitized and counter-
         the introduction by allowing your cat to get away and hide if it so   conditioned to the carrier prior to introductions. If the cats do not
         desires. No cat should be forced into an introduction.   enjoy being in their carrier, this will create a negative association
                                                                  with the new cat.
         GETTING STARTED
         The introduction of a new cat can be a slow process and may take   PROCEDURE
         weeks or even months. A slow introduction  resulting in a good   •  Prepare your new cat’s room/area prior to its arrival. Include
         outcome is much better than attempting to speed up the process   litter, food, water, areas for privacy, something to scratch, and
         and experience a setback. Such setbacks can make true success   ideally an area to climb. Many commercial “cat tree” structures
         much less likely in the future. Any overt aggression between cats   offer several of these things at once. Cat toys and food dispensing
         should be avoided.                                       puzzles can help fend off boredom while the new cat is confined.
            The process of slow introduction involves both desensitization and   •  Spray the cat carrier, room, and doorway to the room with
         counterconditioning. Desensitization is a method used to reduce a   feline pheromones (e.g., Feliway). These pheromone diffusers
         negative reaction to a stimulus through repeated, limited exposure   can be used throughout your home.
         avoiding all signs of distress, anxiety, and aggression. In this case, the   •  Cover the new cat’s carrier with a towel that has been sprayed
         stimulus is the new cat. Counterconditioning is a process where the   with feline pheromones as you bring the new cat into your house.
         underlying undesirable emotional response to a stimulus is changed   Bring the cat directly into its own room without showing the new
         to  a  positive emotional  response.  This  is  often  accomplished  by   cat to your resident cats.


                     From Cohn and Côté: Clinical Veterinary Advisor, 4th edition. Copyright © 2020 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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