When you adopt a new cat, meeting the cat you already have at home can be a little tense. However, as you don’t want your cat to be alone, you may be tempted by the idea of making a friend. But anyway, getting two cats used to each other takes time and patience. Every cat owner has some responsibilities during this time. Because cats were creatures by nature who love the territory they own and being alone. For this reason, your cat will not welcome a new cat into its field. It can be ensured that cats who are hostile get along well during a certain training and adaptation process. Let’s look at the tricks that make it easier for cats to get used to each other….
The stage of introducing a new cat to your pet cat
While some of the cats make friends easily, some do not take this situation kindly at all. There are cats who are never ready to socialise. When you bring your new cat to live with you, first take him to another room. Your indoor cat will smell it. Reflect the scent of your new cat where your old cat sleeps and spends time. So get the new cat’s scent on a T-shirt and place it where your old cat spends time. This scent will serve as a bridge for your old cat to get to know your new cat. The smell of another cat in your old cat’s bed will stress him out at first. But with time he will get used to this smell and accept it.
If both cats have extra food bowls, toilet litter and sleeping area and they receive your love completely, they will get used to it over time. If you have the opportunity, introduce these cats to each other when they are kittens. They grow up together as puppies and become very good friends.
To introduce the cats to each other, let them observe each other from a distance before physically bringing them together. Do not take your new cat out of its basket. This will allow your cat to get close to the basket at home to smell it. Another method is to use a baby gate. This way your cats will start to follow each other without touching and try to get to know each other. Watch their body language while keeping the cats in the same area. Focus on their behaviour before they come into physical contact. Notice if they look calm, angry or aggressive when they look at each other. During the settling-in period, if the cats consistently show an unpleasant posture when in the same area, it means they do not want physical contact.
Create a separate living space for cats
To prevent cats from fighting with each other, have separate areas where they can dominate. Put the food bowl, water bowl, toilet litter and cat bed in separate places for both cats. Therefore, they will not fight with each other because they do not share a common object. Create separate horizontal and vertical zones for your two cats, e.g. a cat scratching board, a cat tree, a cat swing. Because if they want to be alone, they must have a separate place. If two cats have their own private area, they go into their own when they want to be alone.
When it’s time to eat, instead of feeding the cats next to each other, you can make them eat by placing the food bowl in different places. You can put the other cat’s food bowl in a corner of the same room so they can have their meals there. Therefore, when it is time to eat, they will take their meals peacefully and quietly as they are far away from each other.
Problems that can occur when adopting a new cat
Clap your hands or splash water if your new cat and your pet cat attack each other out of the blue. Cat fights cannot be resolved physically. Therefore, you should try deterrent methods to prevent them from fighting each other. If slapping and spraying doesn’t work for every fight, you can use cat calming spray.
If you show both cats the same love and attention, you can avoid any problems that may arise. If you see signs in cats that they are preparing for a fight, such as tense bodies, tousled hair, shaking tails, take them both away and start combing them to calm them down. If you play games with them, they will both enjoy this fun at the same time. The effect of play and massage calms the cats’ nerves and diverts their attention to other things.
What kind of cat should you adopt?
Adopting a different gender from your cat at home will shorten the process even more, making it easier for the cats to get used to each other. You make the process of getting to know each other smoother. When both cats are adults, it is better to adopt the opposite sex. The point to look out for, of course, is that the cats have been neutered. Otherwise, you will have to consider getting kittens.
How long do cats need to get used to each other?
It takes an average of two weeks for cats to accept each other. It will take a few months for them to become fully accustomed. During the acclimatisation process, give both cats equal attention. Don’t let them envy each other. It is better to keep them in separate rooms when you are not with them until the tension between them is completely gone and they can come together and sleep together.
In summary: You can get help from your vet if you can’t eliminate the aggressive and tense environment when your cats get used to each other. Cat behaviour trainers will help you with this. This time will be as anxious and stressful for your cats as it is for you. With professional support, you can manage this process more easily.
Source: https://petyasam.com/yeni-kedi-sahiplenme-kedileri-birbirine-alistirma-yollari/