INTRODUCING YOUR NEW CAT TO YOUR PETS  Cats who live in the same house may never become the best of friends. They can usually get along with a minimum of fur flying. You will need to take some time to introduce your cat to other family pets in order to prevent fearful and aggressive problems from developing. You will want to confine the new cat to one room with its litter box, food, water, and a bed. Of course you should keep the litter box away from the food and water. Who wants to eat next to the toilet! Feed your resident furballs and the newcomer near either side of the door to this room. Don't put the food so close to the door that the cats are too upset by each other to eat. This will help start things out right by associating something enjoyable (eating) with each other's presence. Gradually move the dishes closer to the door until the cats can eat calmly directly on either side. Next, prop open the door just enough to allow the cats to see each other, and repeat the whole process. Try switching beds between the new cat and resident furballs so they have a chance to become accustomed to each other's scent. Once the new cat is using its box and eating regularly while confined, let it have free time in the house while confining the other cats. This switch provides another way for the cats to experience each other's scent without a face to face meeting. It also allows the newcomer to become familiar with its new surroundings without being frightened by other animals. Avoid any interactions between the cats which result in either fearful or aggressive behavior. If these responses are allowed to become habit, they can be difficult to change as we have learned recently with our latest addition. It's better to introduce the animals to each other gradually. You can expect mild forms of these behaviors, but don't give them the opportunity to intensify. If either cat becomes fearful or aggressive, separate them, and start from scratch Having a spray bottle of water may help condition whichever furball is creating the outrage. You'll need to add another litter box and scoop and clean all the boxes more frequently. Make sure that none of the cats is being ambushed by another while trying to use the box. We did not introduce our latest addition in the above manner so we have had to add a new litterbox on a totally different floor for the less aggressive cat. With spray bottle sitting at the top of the stairs, the aggressive one thinks twice before coming upstairs now. Expect hissing, spitting and growling. If a fight breaks out, do not interfere directly. Instead throw a blanket over each cat, wrapping the blanket around the cat before picking him up. Separate the cats until they have calmed down. It may be best to leave the cats separated when you are not home until you are sure they are getting along well. Successful introductions require time and patience. Don't expect things to be perfect overnight! Even after 5 months, our newest furball still insists on attacking our two older resident cats. Probably because they run from him and he was accustomed to surviving out in the woods. Things are under control but do still need to be separated. Please EMAIL US if anyone has had success with any other tactics! Introducing a New Cat to a Resident Dog Dogs and cats can get along. Dogs tend to want to chase the little furballs around and cats of course go on the defensive. Rover may not be too happy with this new addition with the very sharp painful things at the end of their legs. Dont think the cat will teach him either because of claw contact! You may be dishing out money at the vets if you allow them to fight it out themselves. You can start by trying the above suggestions or you can dive into to whats below. You should make sure your dog knows the basic commands such as sit, stay, no, lay down etc. If he doesn't, now is a good time to teach them. This will help the introduction process a bit easier if one of the subjects will listen to you. After the animals have become comfortable eating on either side of the door, and have been exposed to each other's scents as stated above, you can attempt a face to face introduction in a controlled manner. Put your dog's leash on, and tell him to either sit or down and stay, using healthy treats. Have someone else come into the same room and place kitty on their lap. The cat should also be offered some healthy treats. At first, the cat and dog should be on OPPOSITE sides of the room. Repeat this step several times until both the cat and dog are tolerating each other without fear, aggression, or other uncontrollable behavior, or you just plain run out of bandaids trying to hold onto kitty! Long sleeve shirts are recommended. Next, move the animals a little closer together, with the dog still on a leash and the cat gently held in a lap. If the cat does not like to be held, you can use a wire crate or carrier instead. If the dog gets up from its stay position, it should be firmly repositioned, and praised and rewarded for obeying the stay command. If the cat becomes frightened, increase the distance between the animals and progress more slowly. Eventually, the animals should be brought close enough together to allow them to investigate each other. Although your dog must be taught that chasing or being rough with the cat is unacceptable behavior, your dog must also be taught how to behave appropriately, and be rewarded for doing so (e.g. sitting, coming when called, or lying down in return for a treat). If your dog is always punished whenever the cat is around, and never has good things happen in the cat's presence, your dog may redirect aggression toward the cat. You may want to keep your dog on a leash and with you when the cat is free in the house during the introduction process. Be sure that your cat has an escape route, and a place to hide. Keep the dog and cat separated when you aren't home until you are certain they will both be safe. Be sure to keep cat food out of the dog's reach as it is not designed for them to eat, as dog food should not be fed to a cat. You also need to keep the kittys litter box somewhere the dog can not treat themselves to a tasty snack. Believe me, if your dog can get at it, they will most likely go in for the taking! Its gross and not understood why they do this, but they can and will. If you find your not having to scoop your box as much, go smell cute little Rover's breathe! Also keep in mind that cat litters these days, especially the clumping is not healthy for any animal to be near or eat! |
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