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4Hello, Everyone
Introducing a new cat to your cat or dog
Type your pet's name on the map and every guide uses it.
The short answer
Slowly, and by smell first. The new cat lives in their own room, the pets swap bedding, then they eat on either side of a closed door, then they get short looks through a gate or screen. Go at the pace of the least tolerant animal: it can take days, weeks or sometimes months.
Nobody tells you
Don't leave them to "work it out". Cat experts say it is vital not to rush an introduction.
What to do
- Start apart.The new cat lives in their own room for at least a few days, with their own food, water, litter box and places to hide.
- Swap smells.Rub a clean sock or cloth on one cat's cheeks and leave it near the other pet, away from where they eat, sleep or use the box. Swap bedding and toys too.
- Meals by the door.Feed the pets on either side of the closed door, starting about six feet back and moving the bowls closer as they seem comfortable.
- Short looks through a barrier.Let them see each other through a screen or tall gate in short sessions, for example ten seconds, then twenty, then thirty.
- With a dog.Use a tall gate, keep first meetings short, keep the cat free to leave, and keep the dog on a leash if it helps you move them away. If the dog stiffens, stares, barks or whines, stop. Never let a dog chase the cat. Some dogs can never live safely with cats.
- Go at the slowest pace.Go at the pace of your least tolerant cat. It can take anywhere from a few days to a few months.
Armando's stop · for the kids
Your job
Help swap the blankets so the pets can be pen pals by smell.
Did you know?Cats who live together sometimes rub on each other, and that helps them share one family smell.
When to ask for help
If the pets fight, or one stops eating or using the box, call your vet first, then a cat behavior consultant. Asking early is what good owners do.
One thing we never repeat
Myth: Cats sort it out themselves.
What is true: It is vital not to rush. Smell first, then short looks through a barrier.
Armando: Everyone gets a turn at the door. Smell first, then hello. Very proper.
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