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Posted by shygurlz18 on November 30, 2002 at 21:01:55:

In Reply to: Call Me Crazy, I need some help! posted by katief on November 28, 2002 at 23:57:46:

Cat to Cat Introductions

Research has shown that a single hostile encounter between two unfamiliar cats can set the tone for their relationship for a long time to come. So to prevent your new cat from getting off on the wrong foot with your resident cat, plan to introduce them gradually. Generally speaking, it is easier to introduce a kitten to an adult than to introduce two adults. Adults that grew up around other cats usually adjust more easily to a new feline housemate. If you are adopting from CCHS, try to match the personality of your new cat to that of your resident cat. Remember to spend plenty of quality time alone with your resident cat in order to minimize jealousy. At first, do not allow face-to-face contact between the two cats. Instead, follow these steps:

1. Confine the resident cat to a room (door closed) while the new cat explores the rest of the house. Then switch their places. This allows them to become familiar with each other's scent.

2. Keep the cats in separate but adjoining rooms for several days, continuing to switch places every day. You'll need separate litter boxes at this stage, and depending on the cats' preferences, you may want to continue to maintain two litter boxes for them after the introduction is completed.

3. After a few days, crack open the door separating the two cats. Prop it open a couple inches so they can see one another but can't make full contact. Once they tolerate this limited contact, open the door a bit wider. If they start to backslide, go back to step 2.

4. When the two cats seem comfortable with limited exposure, try feeding them on opposite sides of the same room. Then return them to their separate quarters. After a few days of common mealtimes, they may be ready to share the same living space. Remember to let them set their own pace and never force them to be together. Keep them separated when you are not home to supervise until you're certain they can tolerate each toher's presence. It may take 2 or 3 months before they reach this stage.

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