Welcoming a new four-legged member into your home may be very good news for you, but not especially for your cat. And it is no mystery that these animals tend to be quite reluctant to enjoy the company of another feline if they have just met him recently.
It is for this reason that in the event that your cat does not want to see the new member of the family even in painting, hisses at him and has even come to attack him, you are worried and without much hope that he can improve this situation. However, as you will see in this article, how long it takes a cat to accept another can vary greatly depending on the circumstances. But if you follow the tips that you will read below, you will surely get your pets to start getting along better little by little.
Why won’t my cat accept another cat?
Generally, cats tend to be very conservative and territorial animals, that is, they have the need to keep their habits fixed and their space under control. This characteristic of felines is born from their instinct to seek security. For this, you need to know your space, your social group and maintain your routines. In this way, your close environment is known to you and you know that you will not lack for anything, so you can rest easy.
This means that any change, no matter how small, can generate stress on your pet, since it breaks with the schemes that it had established and the novelty becomes unknown territory, a fact that generates insecurity. This includes a furniture change, a move, and even a litter box change.
Therefore, it is not surprising that welcoming another kitten into your home can be a particularly unpleasant surprise for your cat, since even though they are of the same species, it means sharing their valuable space and resources with a complete stranger. In other words, you perceive the new member as a threat.
This fact does not have to happen in all cases, as it will depend on the individual characteristics of each cat, but it usually occurs in those felines that have not been socialized as puppies with other cats. Also in those cases in which the owners intend that their furry wants to share their home with the newcomer in good faith, since they do not have to want to lend their litter box, their food or their bed to the new kitten. Likewise, a cat may not accept the other if the owners try to force their relationship by bringing them together and not respecting that each needs their own space and their own rhythm of adaptation.
My cat hisses at the new kitten
When a cat does not accept another, it clearly manifests it through its body language, adopting a threatening posture, and through sound communication through hisses and growls.
What to do if my cat hisses at the new cat?
In case your cat huffs at the new kitten, you should not be scared, as this is clearly just a warning with which your furry tells the other to stay away. However, you should be careful and keep the kitten away or make sure that there is some obstacle between them (such as a fence), because if the little one is a little clueless or does not quite understand what the other feline is telling you, you could innocently approach and get scratched .
Despite this, try to remain calm, because although you may be impressed by the fact that your cat attacks the new kitten, it is probably not his intention to seriously injure him. Of course, do not punish your cat, since he will not understand it and you will only manage to generate negative emotions to a situation, which is already stressful enough. And, as you will see in one of the following sections, to correctly introduce one cat to another, what you should look for precisely is that it associates the presence of the other feline with something positive. Therefore, punishment will be completely counterproductive to achieve this goal.
Luckily, direct aggression (without prior warnings) are not usually the most common, and it is difficult for the aggression that can happen to be dangerous if the cat does not have previous aggressiveness problems, unless the new kitten also responds aggressively ( in which case, they could end badly), as the most normal response is to flee the conflict . Either way, the safest thing is not to take risks and try to put distance between the two by means of an obstacle.
My cat won’t accept the new kitten: other signs
There are many other behaviors apart from the snorting that your cat can manifest if he does not accept the newcomer, some of which are clear indications that he is under stress. For example:
- Stare at you.
- Do not let him access his food, litter box, bed …
- Hiding in corners, under furniture, etc.
- Excessive grooming, even to the point of irritated skin or hair loss.
- Decrease your food intake or, in severe cases, stop eating.
- Marking and / or urinating outside the litter box.
- Irritable or skittish mood
How long does it take for two cats to get along?
There is no specific period of time in which it is determined that a cat must accept another cat, since this adaptation process could take days, weeks or months depending on what cases. This is because the reaction of each cat will be different depending on their individual characteristics, such as their age, character, previous experiences or genetics.
Now, we can firmly affirm that according to the guidelines that we follow when introducing the new feline to the home, we can shorten this time or, conversely, lengthen it if the new kitten is forcibly and suddenly introduced, then try to advance the process presenting both cats when they are not yet ready will generate stress for them and they will associate this negative experience with the other feline, a fact that will consequently make living together difficult.
How to introduce a new cat at home?
Taking in a new cat at home should be a decision that is made in a conscious and responsible way, because as an owner you must guarantee the well-being of your furry and the one that will arrive soon.
In that sense, the first step to take will be to choose the best companion for your cat, especially if you want to adopt another furry one to keep him company. It is for this reason that you cannot expect, for example, that if your cat is elderly she will get along well with a young kitten, as she will be much more active and playful, which will make her lose her patience very easily.
In the same way, assess whether taking in another cat with the intention that you’re furry does not feel so alone is a good idea, since your cat may not have been properly socialized since childhood (having become accustomed only to living with people) and, therefore, do not appreciate the company of another feline as much as you do.
Prepare the arrival
Before welcoming the new kitten into your home, you will have to adapt your home for their arrival, so that the cat that already lives at home can perceive small changes and get used to them, preventing everything from happening from one day to the next.
Adapting your house implies, for example, placing nests or a scratching tree so that each cat has an intimate place in which to isolate itself, in case they feel uncomfortable.
In addition, it is a bad idea to want your cat to share his bed, as well as his litter box or food bowl with the newcomer, because although sometimes they may not give it so much importance, the most common is that sharing his valuables only favors the conflict. Therefore, adding another litter box, bowl, shelter, etc., will be the most recommended and, if possible, in a separate room in which the new feline will be installed during the first days.
Keep them separate
The first days, yes or yes they will have to remain separated. That is, you should install the new kitten in a room or an area of your house in which he is alone, comfortable and feels safe. Therefore, you will have to have at your disposal all the essential needs: water, food, sandbox, toys … This environment will help you to adapt well to your new home and family.
On the other hand, preventing them from suddenly being in the same area and / or room will minimize the risks of any stressful incident occurring that could generate a bad experience and worsen the relationship between the two.
Mix scents and use pheromones
Before the presentation, it is highly recommended that both cats become familiar with each other through smell. To do this, what you should do is, during the period in which they are separated, exchange accessories and clothes that retain the smell of the cat to give them to the other feline. In the same way, it is also advisable to caress one of them and then let the other smell you to promote this exchange of smells.
Also, it will be very flattering to use pheromones for cats, which you can buy in multiple pet stores with diffuses. The use of these volatile substances during the adaptation processes has proven to be very effective, since they provide a calm and welcoming environment for both cats and, as a consequence, minimize tensions and stressful situations, helping them to live together in harmony.
Visual presentation of cats
Once you see that your new furry has adapted comfortably to his family and that both cats do not have negative reactions to the exchange of smells, but rather are indifferent, you can start the next phase.
For this stage, you should allow both cats to have eye contact, but never physical contact to avoid scares or forced situations. To achieve this, you must raise situations in which they can be seen without touching, for example with a grill or a glass in between. You can also try keeping one in a carrier if he’s used to being inside and allowing the other to get closer.
If you notice that either of you is uncomfortable, it is best to end the session and try again when it is calmer to avoid the appearance of negative emotions that worsen the relationship.
Finally, the most important part of this phase will be that they associate the presence of the other cat as something positive and, to this end, you should offer prizes and caresses to both in the presence of the other feline to promote this association.
Share space
If the evolution in the previous phases has been adequate, that is, if you notice that neither of them is upset in the presence of the other feline, you can start letting them share the same room or area, always being present to avoid taking risks.
Finally, it should be emphasized that both cats must have access to their own shelter so that, in case they are uncomfortable, they can hide and not feel cornered by the other cat.
