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Posted by PHMadameAlto on December 29, 2002 at 14:22:18:

In Reply to: INTRODUCING NEW CAT TO 2-CAT HOUSEHOLD posted by LKitsch on December 27, 2002 at 19:54:45:

:Any advice on introducing a new cat to a household with two resident indoor-only cats? I have a 6-year old male and a 2-year old female, both fixed; the female was introduced without problems a year ago.

:Is it easier to bring in another cat once I have "broken the ice" or do I need to follow the same precautions as when I brought in the first new cat?

:Any type preferable---ie: older or younger, female or male, etc?

For sure you will need to go through the standard slow introduction. Even though you had little difficulty before, adding a new cat will often change the dynamics more than you might think and cause problems with the established cats and their perceived hierarchy.

Probably personality will be more of a factor in a newcomer than age or sex. A younger kitten might be better and your cats are not too old to handle the activity! I'd probably lean toward getting a male because females tend to be jealous of their own sex. However, you shoud definately go for a cat who is rather mellow, nonagressive and who has a history of getting along with other cats.

Good luck!

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