How to Introduce a New Cat to the Home
From Hiss to Hello
Making new friends is an awkward, stressful, and exciting part of life for humans and animals. I frequently hear “my cat doesn’t like other animals”, however, most often the cat’s previous experiences included a rushed timeline, forced face to face interactions, or full house access immediately. Introducing cats to your home doesn’t need to be a disaster wrought with hissing, growling, and territorial marking. By following these simple steps, you can minimize stress, ensure the wellbeing of every member of the household, and create a seamless transition from foster to forever. These are minimum suggested timelines, but every cat is an individual, try going back a step if you’re experiencing problems.
Days 1-2:
It takes a cat 2 days to get their bearings in a new environment. Even then most well socialized cats will feel nervous for the first few days in a new home. It’s not uncommon for guardians to panic or push the cat to feel secure, unfortunately, most of the common “tricks” make acclimation significantly more challenging.
Ask for items that smell like their foster home which will help them feel more at home.
Blankets, favorite toys, or cardboard scratchers are easily replaced
Place the new cat/kitten in one room that cannot be accessed by other pets. We are going to call this the “safe room”.
Don’t use a room that your current pet has claimed
Kennel-trained cats are ideal for military families and those with limited space
Place their litterbox, carrier, blanket, food, and water in the safe room.
They need their own items to eliminate competition with the other pet/s.
Cats won’t eat/drink near a litter box, try placing a scratcher or carrier between these items if your space is limited.
Remove the door from the carrier, place their blanket inside, and put a towel over the carrier to give them a hiding place.
Hiding is a natural instinct to help a cat feel safe-do not force them out of hiding. Encourage them with treats, toys, and by sitting and talking to them frequently throughout the day.
Once they are fully comfortable in this space, you can move to the next step.
Reminders/Tips
Cats may not eat, drink, or use the box for the first 24-48 hours; use disposable bowls and mark food/water levels to gauge intake.
Playing with a wand toy and providing a high value treat afterwards will help them decompress faster.
Leave them be and show them your home is safe by maximizing positive interactions
Put them at ease by replicating the environment they came from with familiar sounds, smells, nightlights, and routines
Group Scent
Get a small blanket or towel for each pet. Let them interact with, sleep with, and enjoy it for one week.
Pet, rub, or encourage them to interact by rubbing their temples, cheeks, and chin where the pheromones are strongest.
Swap blankets between pets and reward positive and neutral interactions with the swapped blanket.
Days 3-14
During the next two weeks, you’ll be steadily introducing the cat/kitten to their new family, home, and encouraging your current pets to see their addition as a positive thing.
Use the ComfortZone spray or purchase Feliway/ComfortZone/pheromone plug-ins in the space closest to the safe room.
Give your other pets a high value treat/food on their side of the door and praise them anytime they interact positively or neutrally with the door.
Looking at, sniffing, sitting by, and walking by are rewardable behaviors
Begin scent swapping with your current pet’s bedding, toys, or an item from the house. For example, if your current pet has a favorite blanket, switch this with the new pet’s blanket. We recommend doing this every other day. Encourage both pets to engage with the blanket with treats, toys, and cuddle time.
For dogs, we recommend kenneling them or putting them outside and allowing the new cat/kitten to explore the home for 10-15 minutes; 2-3 times a day.
Dogs who are easily aroused or excited should have limited visual contact until they are fully comfortable with the new cat’s scent
Check out my dog training partner: Wintegrity K9
For cats, we suggest placing them in the safe room and letting the new cat/kitten explore the house for 10-15 minutes; 2-3 times a day.
Treats, toys, and lots of treats for every positive or neutral interaction the pets have with each other.
Play with pets on either side of the door
Reminders/Tips
Growling, hissing, meowing, barking, whining, and more are ways of communicating-let them talk
Stop a Fight
Avoid using your hands or body
Keep a barrier such as a blanket, towel, or sheet handy in spaces where the pets coexist
If you see stalking, place the barrier between them and guide them in opposite directions
If the barrier doesn’t work-use the barrier as a drop trap. Drop it over the aggressor-this will give the other cat a chance to escape
Separate the cats using doors, give them both time to decompress and relax
Cats often begin to groom, hide, seek food/water, or a scratcher to decompress
Let the cats choose to interact with you after a scuffle, or they may redirect their frustration on you
Once they are displaying relaxation behaviors, you can remove barriers; if they are grooming, wait until they finish before opening doors
What are they saying?
Have the cats “hunt” for treats and toys
Don’t place the cats next to each other or force them to interact
Final Steps
It can take 2 months or more to introduce pets to one another. Focus on short, impactful sessions that have high value activities and rewards attached to them. If you feel stumped or frustrated, take a day off from training.
A few best practices:
Every cat needs their own place to eat, drink, use the bathroom, and to scratch/stretch. Kitten pairs may not need separate resources initially-but should before they turn 2.
Once everyone is getting along comfortably, you can use baby gates to provide some separation.
Baby gates won’t work during the initial 1-2 weeks-everyone needs a firm barrier.
If you’re having difficulty, experiencing fights, or things don’t feel friendly.
Film your sessions to review body language to make adjustments.
Worst practices:
The worst of the worst and why.
Let the new pet into the entire house immediately; open the carrier and let them go in the house
Cats are prey animals who are incredibly sensitive to new smells, sounds, and sights. Giving them full access immediately cause flooding, or an intense sensory overload
Let your current pets walk around the new pet in their carrier or placing two carriers facing each other
No one wants to feel trapped, especially when they have new animals entering their space
Your current pet may exhibit territorial behaviors if they aren’t accustomed to the new pet’s scent
Displace or kick your current pet out of their preferred space
If they spend the most time in your bedroom-don’t ask them to have a roommate until they have had a chance to become friends
Booting your current pet from the space they feel safe in, may cause territorial aggression or increased fear/anxiety/stress
Carry or bring the pet into new spaces
This can cause flooding, or an intense sensory overload
You may be injured if the cat tries to escape to safety
Clap, snap, yell, or interrupt a conversation between the pets
Stop an interaction before it becomes too much and keep sessions short and sweet
This may cause redirected, fear-based aggression or associate the new pet with fearful stimuli
Separate pets by hand if they get into a scuffle
Utilize towel, blanket, or pillow barriers to break visual contact
Drop a blanket or towel over the aggressor to give the other pet a chance to escape
