You have a cat and are considering bringing one more into the family, but you are worried and uncertain about how your cat will react. This is often one of the biggest questions cat owners have.
Cats are independent animals, but very territorial. They are the owners of the house and have control over their territory, their areas and smells. Therefore, when a new member arrives, they may not take it well at first.
Therefore, when deciding to bring a new feline family member home, it is recommended that you speak with a specialist or veterinarian who can advise you and show you some guidelines or tips to help ensure a good adaptation.
María Martínez, a veterinary behaviorist at Clínica Malasaña in Madrid, has given us some advice on what the process could look like to make it easier for a new cat to adapt to the home.
First, María emphasizes that each cat's past has a major influence. If your cat was separated from its mother and siblings too early and had no contact with other cats, the adaptation process could be slower. However, if your cat had already lived with other cats before you brought it home, the adaptation could be easier.
Once the cat is already at home, what should you do?
María recommends following these steps:
1. Scent exchange.
During the first seven to ten days, it is recommended that they stay in separate rooms or areas, with no visual or physical contact. In each area of the house, each cat should have its own food bowl, scratching post, toys, grooming area, and bed. This way, the new cat can gradually get used to its new home.
During these days, María recommends exchanging toys or blankets. A good technique is to rub a blanket over one cat's back or face and then take it to the other cat so they can get to know each other through scent.
2. Visual contact.
Once you notice that the new cat is calmer and accustomed to its new home, you can move on to the next step: visual contact, but not physical contact.
To do this, you can place the new cat in a carrier and let them sniff each other. At first, there may be some hissing or aggressive behavior from either side. If hissing occurs at the beginning, it is recommended that you return to the previous steps and proceed more slowly.
Another option is to use a mesh door or separating barrier, where they can see and smell each other without being completely together. Another technique María recommends is using “a can of wet food”: give each cat its own can in its respective area so they can see each other eating. She says this technique works well because cats really like wet food, and it can be a good way to encourage them to interact.
If, after several days or a week, you see that both cats are reacting well and neither displays aggressive behavior, you can move on to the next step.
However, if either cat continues to show aggressive behavior, María recommends speaking with a specialist who can supervise the situation and provide more specific, personalized advice based on each cat.
3. Physical contact
This is the final step. Once the reactions to visual contact are good on both sides, you can move on to physical contact without barriers. Even so, during the first few days, each cat should still have its own area of the house with its belongings, and they should continue to be kept separate when you are not at home. At least until you see that there are no further negative reactions and more than two weeks have passed.
It is important to prevent any fights, since cats find it very difficult to forget that harm. From a human point of view, “they are more resentful,” and they find it very difficult to forget and return to the past. Ultimately, as María says, cats are less sociable and more territorial, so if a fight occurs, they find it difficult to return to normal.
We hope these tips help you understand how to introduce a new member into your home, but it is always recommended that you speak with a trusted veterinarian so they can give you the appropriate guidelines.
If you have already been through this situation, tell us about your experience on social media!
María Martínez, licensed veterinarian specializing in behavioral medicine in Madrid
Clínica Veterinaria Malasaña
Madrid 28004