Pondering of getting a second cat? This is how to ensure your first pet does not really feel threatened

Many individuals select to stay with a cat for companionship. As a social species, companionship is one thing we frequently crave. However this can not essentially be mentioned of our feline associates. Home cats advanced from a largely solitary species, defending their territory from different cats.

Though modern-day cats can stay collectively in pleasant teams (when there are sufficient assets to go round), bonds usually solely develop between cats who’re associated or develop up collectively. It’s pure for cats to really feel threatened by unfamiliar cats. House owners ought to contemplate whether or not including one other cat to their dwelling is actually of their cat’s finest curiosity, particularly if they’re usually extra of a timid cat.

In the event you’re set on including one other cat to your private home, plan the introduction rigorously.

Put together on your new cat earlier than you carry them dwelling. Put aside a room for them, ensuring they’ve a minimum of two comfy sleeping areas, a water bowl, a feeding space, scratching submit and toys. Present a minimum of one litter tray (ideally two), properly away from the meals, water and sleeping locations.

When the day involves carry your new cat dwelling, take them straight to “their” room. Enable them to return out of their service in their very own time. They are going to be frightened in case you attempt to pull them out. Regardless of how excited you might be to work together together with your new companion, you would possibly want to depart the room, permitting them to discover by themselves.

Scent swapping

Your new cat wants to remain of their room for a number of days. It will assist them cool down and lets you introduce them to your current cat through scent.

Scent, particularly facial pheromones, helps cats establish different cats that they’re bonded with and is necessary for sustaining bonds between cats. Swap cloths that every cat has slept on, and toys. Place these someplace the cats will come throughout them in their very own rooms, however away from beds, bowls and litter trays.

Neither cat ought to present indicators of avoidance or aggression in the direction of the cloths earlier than you progress. Then you’ll be able to immediately swap scent between the cats. Stroke one cat, particularly across the cheeks and space in entrance of the ears, after which go on to the opposite cat and stroke them. Repeat within the different route.

It will switch the cats’ scent profiles and facial pheromones, as in the event that they had been rubbing on one another immediately. Search for relaxed rubbing or nudging in return.

Long run

As soon as each cats are relaxed about being stroked together with your different cat’s scent in your arms, they will lastly see one another and your new cat can discover the remainder of your private home. You should buy a plug-in diffuser that releases copies of a feline facial pheromone, which can assist with the preliminary introductions because it has been discovered to cut back cat-to-cat aggression inside households.

There needs to be plenty of escape routes for the cats to maneuver away from one another. Ensure that there’s a cat tower or furnishings, like a bookshelf, to leap onto and that the cats can simply go away the room in the event that they need to. Cats like to cover away if threatened and to rise up excessive.

Initially, shut the cat you adopted first away in a separate room and permit your new cat out of theirs to discover. As soon as they’re conversant in the structure of the home and the place escape routes and secure locations are, you’ll be able to let your different cat out. Supervise the cats and be able to intervene if tensions begin to mount.

Look ahead to any avoidant or agonistic behaviour, similar to working away and hiding, ears going again or hissing. By no means punish your cat for aggressive behaviour and keep away from utilizing meals to lure the cats nearer collectively. Cats are solitary hunters and wouldn’t naturally eat in shut proximity to different cats, even ones they’re bonded with.

As a result of cats can discover it difficult to type new relationships with different cats, particularly as adults, your cats might by no means develop into finest associates. To cut back battle, ensure that each cats can entry meals, water and litter trays with out having to cross one another.

As a basic rule, you will want to have yet one more of every useful resource than the full variety of cats within the family. For instance, three litter trays for a two-cat family. In case your cats go outdoors, it might even be useful to offer multiple entrance and exit level, because the cat flap is one other widespread space for battle between cats.

Related recommendation applies if you wish to add one other companion species to your private home, similar to a pet. Introductions could also be extra profitable if the pet is rigorously and step by step launched earlier than they’re 12 weeks previous.

Don’t enable your pet to chase your cat. Reward the pet for calm behaviour. Your cat ought to by no means really feel cornered and at all times have the selection to maneuver away from any interplay, whether or not that’s with a human or non-human animal.