Before you even begin the process of adding a new cat into your household, look back at our past adulting topic to learn if you should. You can also learn what it takes to get a new cat and all about taking care of one:

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The first thing you should think about before bringing your new cat home is to keep it slow. Consider everything from your pets to the process as a whole first and foremost.

Carefully consider resident cat’s personality. Features such as looks, size, breed, gender or any quality other than personality are NOT factors that should weigh heavily in the decision.

Instead, focus primarily on PERSONALITY matching: if you have a very laid-back, elderly or frail kitty at home, it is best to avoid kittens and very playful or rambunctious cats. If you have a rambunctious cat who zooms all over the house, getting a very laid-back or quiet, shy cat is probably not wise. Try to focus on cats who have personalities similar to that of your current cat.

Also, consider yourself. Are you able to care for more than one cat at the same time? Do you have that energy or experience to do so? Do you have time to dedicate to this long introduction? Do you have the finances required to provide food, vet bills, and more expenses for more than one cat at a time? Ask these crucial questions before you get the new pet.

If you’re bringing a new cat into your home, be patient. The introduction MUST be gradual. Following the initial introduction, it can take a very long time for a relationship to grow. It takes most cats 8 to 12 months to develop a friendship with a new cat.
 
Although some cats certainly become close friends, others never do. Many cats who don’t become buddies learn to avoid each other, but some cats fight when introduced and continue to do so until one of the cats must be re-homed. If your resident cat becomes aggressive when she sees other cats outside your home, you’ll probably have a difficult time introducing a new cat into your household. If your cat has lived harmoniously with other cats in the past, the odds are good that she’ll adjust to a newcomer. However, it’s impossible to predict whether or not any two individual cats will get along.

Unfortunately, there are no reliable guides for deciding the best matches among cats. Some cats are very social and enjoy living with other cats, while others prefer solitary lives. Be aware that the more cats you have, the higher the likelihood that there will be conflicts among them.

By planning ahead and taking things slowly, your chances of success when introducing cats are much greater. If you rush into things and attempt to “force” a relationship, you might inadvertently sabotage a relationship that could have otherwise worked out.

Here are six steps that can help you ensure a successful introduction:

Step one: Start by trading scents.
Once you have selected a potential new cat, ask the shelter or breeder if you can take home a blanket the cat has slept on to give to your resident cat. Also ask if it would be possible to bring a blanket from home that your resident kitty has slept on, to give to your new cat. In some cases, this will not be possible — especially with kittens — due to disease concerns. But if you can exchange the cats’ scents with one another early on, you will be introducing a very important identification and communication signal right off the bat.

Begin scent swapping by taking one piece of each cat’s bedding (eg, a single blanket) and placing it in one of the other cat’s beds. There should be ample bedding for both cats so that this change in bedding does not leave either cat with limited sleeping/resting sites. It is hoped that each cat will rest upon the bedding of the other cat and mix their two scents to create a communal scent.

Quietly observe both cats’ reactions to the bedding. A cat that shows negative behaviors towards the bedding (such as actively avoiding it or even hissing at it) may be less likely to accept a new cat into its home and therefore will need to progress through the steps at a much slower pace. Once the cats are showing relaxed behavior in the presence of the bedding, the bedding can then be replaced back into the original cat’s room to allow further mingling of scent. This process can be repeated for more than one piece of bedding.

Step two: Prepare a separate room.
Some cats can be dropped into the middle of a new home and adapt just fine, with everything working out between the two. However, such an approach can also end in disaster, injuries, or a failed adoption. Before bringing your new cat home, we recommend that you:

- Find a quiet room in your house (a bedroom or bathroom) where you can keep the new cat safely separated from the resident cat for a few days.
- Make sure it is a room where the resident cat has been, that it can be easily accessed by all human family members for social interactions and playtime, and that it is set up with food, water, litter, toys and soft beds.
- Choose a room that has an inch or two of space under the door for feline introductions.

Step three: Feed them on opposite sides of the door.
Place both cats’ dishes close to the door, on their respective sides. If one of the cats refuses to eat, you can feed them elsewhere, but still place dishes of a tasty snack on either side of the door. By having both cats experience something positive (a meal or good snack) while they are nearby, they are able to form positive associations with each other.

If either cat is growling or hissing at the other through the door, do NOT put them together anytime soon; take things very slowly and continue feeding this way. If the problems continue for several days, it is likely the match is not going to work out.

Step four: Exchange scents around the house!
If both cats are eating well, and appear calm and relaxed on their respective sides of the door, then it’s time for the BIG scent exchange. Section 3.1 is for initial greetings, but now that the cats know of each other, it's time for the next step.

The resident cat should now be confined in the sanctuary room, while the new cat is allowed to roam the house. Each cat should use the other cat’s scooped litter box, food and water dishes, and beds and toys. This way, the only thing being exchanged is the cats themselves. Keep feeding both cats close to their respective sides of the door. While the new cat is exploring your home, you may want to close bedroom and bathroom doors at first so they do not feel overwhelmed. Over the course of a few days, open a door or two at a time and increase the amount of space the new cat has access to.

If either cat appears stressed, nervous or fearful, you might want to do the exchange described above multiple times.
For example: The new cat spends a few days in the room, then a few in the house, then back in the room — while the resident cat is in the opposite location. This can help ensure lots of scent exchange and desensitization.

Step five: Let them make visual contact.
If everything seems to be going well, and everyone is acting, eating, and using the litter box normally, you’re doing great!
The next step is to open the separating door, but keep a gate of some sort across it so they can see, smell and have contact with each other. The gate should prevent complete access.

A baby gate is perfect, but usually not high enough for cats, so you may need to stack two on top of each other. Continue feeding both cats on their respective sides of the door, and continue switching them back and forth.

Step six: Allow them to meet.
If everything seems fine after last step and everyone is acting, eating, and using the litter box normally, then it’s time to take down the gates. There may be some hissing or swatting, but cats often will work things out by themselves.

If there is a fight in which one of the cats is traumatized or injured (and you have followed all of the above steps), then the match will likely not work out. If the cats seem to tolerate, ignore, enjoy or interact with each other – that’s great news!

There are a few different things you should avoid doing and using when introducing two cats.

The small space of a crate, like a dog crate, restricts the cat's ability to escape from the other cat, which is not a position you want to put either of your cats in. You should also avoid confining one or both cats to a cat carrier as they don't provide any opportunity for retreat as well.

However, if a kitten is accustomed to a crate during its early rearing or you have positively trained your kitten to enjoy being in a crate, then it may be possible to use it in introductions if your home does not have separate rooms or cannot be divided by other means.

For cat introductions, a large crate can be used in a room, positioned in the corner and partially covered with a blanket to provide an area for the kitten to be out of sight or conceal an area of the crate for them.
The crate should always contain a hiding place within for the cat to remove itself from visual view. This could be provided by placing a cardboard box or igloo bed in the crate. This allows the new cat somewhere to hide if they are anxious when the resident cat approaches.

You can also use a crate for the new cat when letting the resident cat explore. The new cat can be distracted with some treats or high value toys and the resident cat can be offered a high value food treat also to reinforce positive associations. These treats are best reserved for those times when the two cats are exposed to each other to maintain their value.

Crates need to be large enough for the cat to be able to move around easily and need to contain key resources such as food, water, a litter tray and a hiding place. These resources need to be positioned as far apart from each other as possible and thus the bigger the crate, the better.

The two cats being in the visual presence of one another should be associated with pleasant feelings. Thus cats can be played with or fed food treats, but ensure both activities occur separately. It should NEVER be a staring contest between your cats.
Instead, the cats should be happy going about their own activities while being able to glance at one another.

If they wish to sniff each other through the barrier, allow this but any sign of negative behavior to one another (eg, growling, hissing, flattening or rotating of ears with tense body posture) should be instantly distracted. You can distract them by luring the instigator of the negative behavior out of sight of the other cat using a toy.

Cats should never be punished for showing negative behaviors to one another as this is only likely to frighten the cats more.

If there is more than one resident cat, visual contact should initially occur between just two cats (one resident each time and the new cat) and then progress to more cats (more residents and the new cat).
Keep these sessions short and finish while they are still doing well. They are doing well if the cats are interested in the food/toy provided and show no negative behaviors or signs of distress.

If either cat shows any signs of distress or negativity towards each other, separate the cats physically and visually immediately.

It’s a good idea to separate the cats at first when you will not be around to supervise them. You want to ensure that you see ALL their interactions and know exactly what is going on. After you feel that the cats are getting along, you can ease up on this step. Getting another cat will have a big impact on your resident cat, so considering your decision carefully and introducing them properly is the right thing to do. 

There's a few different types of aggression you should be on the lookout for when introducing the cats.

This type of aggression occurs when a cat feels that an intruder has invaded its territory. A cat may be aggressive toward the most passive cat, yet friendly with another.

Problems may arise if a new cat is brought home, a kitten reaches maturity, or if your cat encounters a neighborhood cat. Aggressive behaviors include stalking, chasing, hissing, ambushing, swatting, and preventing access to places. Female cats can be just as territorial as males.

Adult male cats may threaten or fight with other males, which is this inter-male form of aggression.
This behavior is more common among un-neutered cats. They may be fighting over a female, positions of power, or territory. They will stare, stalk, yowl, and puff up their fur to threaten the other cat.

If one cat does back away, the aggressor will usually walk away as well. If neither backs down, the cats may fight. They may roll around swatting, kicking, biting, or screaming. They might stop suddenly in the middle of a scuffle, posture again, and go back to fighting.

If you see signs that a fight is about to occur, distract both cats by making loud noises, startle them by dropping an object nearby, or spray them both with water. ALWAYS keep your distance and NEVER put any body part in the middle of a fight.

This type of aggression occurs when a cat tries to defend itself from an animal or human it thinks is trying to harm it. This can occur as a response to a person punishing them, an attack from another cat, or any incident that makes the animal feel threatened or afraid.

Defensive postures by your cat include crouching with the legs and tail pulled in under the body, flattening of the ears against the head, and rolling slightly to the side.

Cats can direct aggression toward another animal, or even a person, who did not initially provoke the behavior. For example, let’s say your resident cat sees a stray cat run across the front yard. It gets agitated because that cat just trespassed on its territory. When your new cat tries to interact with your resident cat, they turn around and bite the new cat. This is your cat working solely on impulse. It is so worked up at that point that it is not aware of who it is biting.

Learn a few ways to help or stop the unpleasant behaviors of cat aggression below.

Do not count on cats to work things out on their own. The more they fight, the worse the problem will become.

You should break up any fights between your resident and new cats before it even begins. When doing this however, if the cats are already being aggressive, do not touch either cat. You might end up injuring yourself.

Do not punish the cats; this could cause further aggression and fearful responses. Punishments also may make you the target of redirected aggression.

Instead of punishments, try positive reinforcement as an alternative to reward good behavior. For instance, if you want your resident cat to play nicely with your new cat, try rewarding them with food or praise every time they play nice. Be sure to immediately reward your cat every time they play nice or use good behavior during the introduction process so the behavior and instant reward become associated.

Typically, a great positive reinforcement treat for cats is to use food, but you can also just use praise. Make sure your positive reinforcement treat is consistent, so if you use treats make sure they're the same type. If you use praise, ensure your praise is the same every time (i.e, chin scratches, "Good kitty!", or general petting).

Do NOT add more cats if the introduction is not going well. Some cats are willing to share their house and territory with multiple cats, but the more cats who share the same territory, the more likely it is that some of your cats will not get along with each other. It's okay to know when to stop and re-home the new cat you got if it isn't a right fit.

If you ever need to hire a cat trainer for this introduction to go smoothly, you can find a certified cat behavior consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants at this link here: https://m.iaabc.org/ 

To learn more about finding a certified behaviorist, talk to your vet or go to the website for Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists: http://corecaab.org/ 

Since we now know the best and safest things to do when introducing a new cat into the household, let's take a quiz on it. Proceed to the next section.