LITTLE ROCK — Last summer, a stray male kitten showed up in my yard, and I was considering keeping it. However, my male, altered, deaf cat who was then around 8 months old went nuts. Now, I have the opportunity to adopt a female kitten, but I’m afraid of another bad reaction from my cat. My cat is very aggressive and hasn’t mellowed much with age.
Should I forget the idea of a two-cat household?
Most cats don’t welcome newcomers immediately but you don’t have to give up the idea of having more than one cat. You just have to take steps to smooth the process.
Because a multicat household presents challenges, whole books have been written about how to make owning more than one cat the pleasurable experience itshould be.
Feline behaviorist Pam Johnson-Bennett tackles issues such as yours in Cat vs. Cat (Penguin, 2004). Because cats are social andterritorial, introductions require finesse and patience, she says.
“While there are many people who may brag about how they just ‘tossed’ the cats in together and let them work it out for themselves, I’m here to tell you that’s absolutely, positively, no-doubt-about-it the worst thing you can do,” Johnson-Bennett says.
The secret to keeping peace in a household while bringing in a second cat is preparation: “There is no introduction shortcut.”
Johnson-Bennett explains the process. You may want to tinker with some steps as you see how things progress, keeping in mind that some cats adjust to change in days while others need weeks.
Provide sanctuary for your new cat by making sure it hasits own space or room. “The newcomer needs a quiet, safe area where she can get her bearings.” This also means the new cat won’t be in the original cat’s face immediately, which gives you time to prepare for introductions.
The sanctuary room should have toys, bedding and a scratching post. Place food and water bowls on one side of the room and the litter box on the other. If you have room, the cat would appreciate an elevated perch like a window seat or a cat tree.
Take the new cat to the veterinarian for a checkup andvaccinations before introducing him to your current cat.
When you bring the cat home, take him straight to the sanctuary room. If he’s in a carrier, leave it open so he can venture out when he wants to.
Spend time with each cat separately. Play, hang out, go about your normal routine.
Make introductions “one sense at a time.” The cats should smell or hear each other before they ever see or touch each other.
“By restricting the process to one sense at a time, emotions stand a better chance of staying in control.”
Introduce scent by putting a sock on your hand and rubbing it over the new cat, then take the sock out of the sanctuary room and leave it in the older cat’s space. Get another sock, pick up the current cat’s scent and leave the sock in the sanctuary room.
Next, let each cat explore theother’s territory. Let the first cat check out the new cat’s room (while the new cat is in another area of the house) and then let the new cat explore some part of the house outside his room.
After a few days, open the sanctuary door so the cats can see each other. Offer each one a treat. Limit the first few times they see each other to 30 seconds or so. After a day or two, you can increase the time to 30 minutes.
While they get a sense of each other, don’t hover. Be present, but casual and relaxed.
As they become more comfortable, you can let them into the same area for longer periods. If one seems threatened by the other, slow the pace.
“You have to go at the pace that suits the cats. You may find some phases of the introduction go smoothly, but then you’ll hit a snag,” she says. “That’s normal, so just try to hang in there.”Do you have a question about pets? We’ll get you an answer
from an authority. Send your
question to Rhonda Owen, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette,
P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or e-mail askcreature@att.net
Family, Pages 31 on 09/22/2010