sauce. wrote:hi there! recently i got a new cat. she's pretty young (not sure of her exact age, i'll probably edit this message when i find it out). i also have another cat, and she's about three years old. right now i'm keeping the new kitty in my room for her safety-- now, i don't expect the 3 year old to be violent, but at the same time, i don't want to risk anything. she's smelled other cats before, she's seen other cats before (feral ones outside), but there's never been another cat in HER territory. i also notice that she's been a bit standoffish. i know she won't warm up immediately, but is this maybe a sign of what's to come?
- the new cat is at least 2 years younger than the 3 year old
- they have completely different personalities-- the younger one is an absolute cuddlebug and the older one comes to you for cuddles when SHE feels like.
- both of them are females, and both of them are fixed
- i think the older cat may be a bit insecure, because she's a runt, and the younger cat is almost bigger than her
i would like some advice on how to introduce them, and then what to do if things go wrong. what if the older one doesn't like the younger one? what if she gets violent with her? i hope for the best but at the same time i wanna prepare for the worst, just in case.
any advice is helpful!
The key to introducing new cats is doing so slowly and gradually.
There's a lot of articles on how to do so, but basically they boil down to steps like - first for a couple days let them smell eachother through the door, then for a couple days let them see eachother from a distance, and then gradually allow them in the same room (supervised!) for increasing amounts of time, while not yet letting them interact (for example, feed them in the same room, but not right next to eachother), that way they can get used to the idea of there being another cat in their space. And only then you should let them near one another (supervised still), for short periods of time, and watch out for signs of hostility. If you get the feeling that someone is uncomfortable or might lash out, its best to stop the meeting before it gets to that point, and reward them for being good.
There is never a guarantee that they will be besties, and its not unusual for cats sharing the same space to have fights sometimes, but by introducing them gradually, and making sure to give both of them treats, play time and affection, it should be possible to get them to tolerate each others presence. Beyond that, it will be up to them to build their own relationship.
