Conflict between cats is the most common issue people come to me with. While aggression can happen for different reasons, the best way to manage it is to prevent aggression from starting in the first place. That starts with properly introducing your cats to each other.
Tossing new cats together is a common mistake that often ends in disaster. When presented with a totally unfamiliar animal with new scents and unpredictable behavior, fear may kick in and the cats will enter “fight or flight” mode. In fact, feral cats will often attack unfamiliar cats on sight, so it makes sense that our house cats would do that, too. With that kind of first impression, it is difficult for them to learn to trust each other.
Instead, cats should be introduced slowly. In feral groups, new cats may join the group, but only after living on the edge of the colony for a while. House cat introductions should mimic that “life on the periphery” by starting with a full separation. Whether you have a new cat or your existing cats are having issues, you’ll want to start by setting up a safe, separate space for them. Then follow these 4 steps for introducing (or reintroducing) your cats.
Step 1: Scent Swapping
A cat’s sense of smell is an incredibly important way for them to gather information. They use scent to mark their territory and recognize friends or strangers. While still maintaining total separation, you’ll start introducing the cats’ scents to each other in two ways:
- Bedding Swap: bring in a cat’s favorite bedding or toy, anything that their scent is on, for the other to investigate on their own.
- Room Swap: allow the cats to trade places each day. Move the resident cat into a separate room or the new cat’s base camp room while the new cat gets a chance to explore the rest of the home.
I don’t recommend any “forced” scent swapping by rubbing a cloth on one cat and then the other. That tends to be stressful for the cat and takes away their ability to choose their exposure to the new smells. How would you like it if someone rubbed a stranger’s dirty laundry on you?
Expect this step to take at least one or two weeks to let both cats feel fully confident around the other’s scent.
Step 2: Scent Swapping Through a Door
Once the cats are comfortable with passive scent swapping, it’s time to be more intentional about building positive interactions between them. Through a closed, solid door, let the cats smell and hear each other or peek through the cracks while doing something fun like providing high-value treats or an interactive play session. Keep these sessions short, between 5-10 minutes each.
Some behaviorists will tell you to feed cats on either side of the door. I do not recommend this because I find that cats find it stressful, and that’s the last thing we want associated with the new cat.
Step 3: Visual Contact
Next, they are ready to see each other. Use a screen door or pet gate (preferably two stacked on top for safety) to prevent physical contact. Start with a blanket or piece of cardboard covering most of the gate so they can just see each other through a small crack. Make these sessions super fun by pumping them full of treats, praise, and play. Again, keep these sessions short. Cats have a short attention span, so you might start at 2 minutes and work up to 5 minutes.
Gradually lift the blanket back, giving the animals more and more visual access as time goes on. If either cat hisses, growls, or stares intensely at the other, give the cats more space and back up a bit until they’re able to take treats again. You may need to cover the gate more or go back a step.
Step 4: Remove the Barriers
When the cats are comfortable and able to relax with the gate fully uncovered, it’s time to remove that gate. For these sessions, start with the cats on opposite sides of the room (10-20 feet apart). Continue all the fun things (treats, play, praise) separately. Eventually the cats will meet nose to nose. By this point, if they have been comfortable through all the previous stages, they should be fully accustomed to the scents, sounds, and sight of each other and the meeting will hopefully go smoothly.
Troubleshooting
If you see behaviors indicating that the cats are uncomfortable (staring, hissing, growling) at any stage, go back a step. You may even need to go back a few steps to find where they can show comfort behaviors like eating, playing, grooming, and relaxed body posture. Don’t rush this process. Depending on your individual cats, each step may take you a few days or a few months to get through.
If you keep getting stuck or have a major setback like a fight, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Cat introductions can be tricky and personalized guidance from a professional can help you get through those sticky spots. Contact us at Pawsitive Vibes Cat Behavior and Training for if you need help integrating your cats into one happy household.