Introducing a new cat to your existing cat or dog

Whether or not to add another cat to your existing cat or dog family is something that requires very careful consideration. The last thing you want is to end up with an unhappy pet and a worried human household — believe me, I’ve been there and it’s not a nice experience. Of course, cats can and do get along with both cat and dog species, but there are a lot of elements that have to be right in order to make the relationships work and in this article we’ll be taking a good look at what these are.

Introducing Cats
Imagine you’re enjoying a settled home life, king of your own castle, when without warning a complete stranger moves in and everything is turned upside down. Your home is no longer your own, you’re probably a bit resentful, not to mention whether or not you’ll actually get along with the newcomer.

This is how your cat is likely to feel when a new cat comes to share his territory. And as for your new cat, he’s just been uprooted and plonked in the middle of goodness knows where into a territory already ‘owned’ by another of his kind.

Introducing a new cat to one already at home can be fraught with difficulties, and there is never any guarantee they’ll become buddies, or even like each other, especially if in the excitement of bringing home your new furry family member you allow the two to meet straight away. Cats don’t care for surprises, so this experience is unlikely to be positive and thereafter all meetings between the two will likely be sullied. The key is to allow the two to meet gradually in the following way:

• On arrival, put your new cat into a dedicated room with all his resources. The room should be one in which your resident cat doesn’t spend much time. Learning how to introduce cats includes giving your new cat enough time to get comfortable with you and his new surroundings, and for the resident cat to adjust to the unfamiliar feline scent behind the closed door before allowing them to make eye contact. This can take anywhere between a few days and a few weeks.
   
• In this time, you can start scent swapping. Using a clean natural-fibre cloth for each cat, stroke them around the cheeks, chin, and forehead. This will collect small amounts of pheromones.  Each cat’s cloth can then be rubbed against doorways and furniture in the other’s respective areas, allowing them to explore the scent of the other without direct contact. You might also like to swap bedding and toys.
   
• Only when there is no negative reaction from the cats to the other’s scent should visual introductions be attempted in the form of daily scheduled sessions. A pet or baby gate fixed to the frame of the door to the room in which the new cat is situated is ideal for this. Make sure that your new cat has somewhere in his room where he can hide if he becomes anxious.
   
• Begin by distracting your existing cat with treats and interactive play at a distance from the room that both cats will tolerate, which might be a long way off! If possible, have another person in the room with your new cat doing the same. The first exposure should be short, just five minutes.
   
• Reduce the distance between where you play with your cat and the new cat’s room by small amounts each day.
   
• Start with a once-a-day session and if the cats remain calm, you might like to increase this to two.
   
• The introduction period is a good time to minimise any future competitive behaviour between the two cats by ensuring that you have in place the appropriate amount of cat resources — at least two of each of the following: food and water stations; beds, high places, hiding places, litter trays, toys, and scratching posts. Ensure these resources are well distributed throughout your home.
   
• Try to maintain your existing cat’s routine and not give him any more attention than you would normally.

It might take several weeks before you’re able to open the pet gate to let the cats meet physically. If this goes consistently well, the formal introduction programme can end and the two felines can be allowed free access to each other. When they do first meet, it is often tempting to interfere in their initial interaction, but unless they risk injuring each other it is usually best to let them sort it out in their own language.

The process for introducing a kitten to an existing cat is very similar, however after the introduction process is complete, it might be wise to keep your new bundle of fluff separate from your existing cat at night until the little one is physically more robust.

Introducing Cats and Dogs

Introducing a cat and dog carries with it an additional element of jeopardy. One in which a larger furry animal may want to chase and/or attack a smaller furry animal, especially if it’s moving. I once had to return a dog to the rescue centre because of a nasty incident with my cat and I was heartbroken. So, if you’re bringing a new cat into a home with a dog, it’s vital that you consider your dog’s breed and whether or not it’s suitable for multi-species living and that you choose a cat that you know has been socialised to dogs and/or has had previous positive experience with dogs. If you’re bringing a new dog into a home where there is a feline resident, choose a laid-back breed that is likely to adapt to a cat companion.

As ever, the more thoroughly you plan ahead the better your chances of minimising any distress that the cat and dog might otherwise experience. With this in mind, I would suggest using the time prior to the arrival of the newbie to prepare your home.

As with the cat-to-cat introductions above, create a room for a new cat (if possible, upstairs) that he can use as his sanctuary when he first arrives. It’s especially important that the room contains places to hide and to get up high, as he’ll likely be able to both smell and hear the family pooch and might want to take evasive action.

If you have a two-storey home, a pet/baby gate can be used at the bottom of the stairs. This will hopefully stop Fido haring up them to investigate and give your cat the freedom to explore upstairs.

When your new cat appears more confident, allow him to venture downstairs to inspect the rest of the house with your dog either outside, or in a room with the door firmly shut. Try not to follow your cat around while he explores, it’s likely that he’ll prefer to do this solo. Instead, you might like to provide your dog with some company and playtime in his room.

Only when your cat feels confident in his new surroundings should you begin the introduction sessions using a dog crate. Your local veterinary surgery may have a stock which they loan out to clients, or you can ask neighbours or post on your local community online forum. I’ve found that people are only too happy to lend their dog crate to someone in their area.

The crate should be located in a room which you have pre-allocated for the sessions. Ensure the room has clear escape routes for your cat, plenty of accessible high places, and is well away from his litter tray and feeding station. Place your dog in the crate with a food-filled chew toy.

Open the door to the room and allow your cat to enter and approach the crate if he wants to. Avoid the temptation to carry him into the room as this will take away his ability to control the situation.

Play and food treats can be used with both cat and dog initially to provide distraction and help create a positive association with the other’s presence. Continue these sessions until both feline and canine parties appear relaxed in the same room.

At this point and with your dog controlled on a lead, you can open the crate and allow him to sit beside you. His calm behaviour can be rewarded with praise and a treat.

If after a few weeks, interactions between cat and dog remain positive, you can remove the lead. Continue to supervise all meetings between the two until they are happy and relaxed in each other's presence.

If you are introducing a new dog to a feline home, allocate a room, ideally one not favoured by your cat, and use this to house your dog and his crate when he arrives. Either make sure the room is well away from your cat’s litter tray and feeding stations, or plan ahead and start to feed your cat as far away from the room as possible, you don’t want him going off his food. Use the guidelines above to introduce the two.

Having a dedicated sanctuary which your cat can flee to if it all gets too much and which the dog can’t access is a good idea. Once again, you can use a pet/baby gate to section-off areas of your home. Make sure you allow your cat to stick to his usual routines and give him the opportunity to engage in stimulating activities, such as play and puzzle feeding away from your new dog. It might also be a good idea to have a calming diffuser in a room where your cat feels most relaxed.

And if you really want to maximise your chances of having a successful cat/dog relationship acquire them together as a kitten and puppy!

Introducing cats to other cats and cats to dogs can be very time-consuming and involve lots of hard work and patience. But with the right preparation and process you could be rewarded with a lifetime of special pet-togetherness moments to cherish.