If you got a second cat - how to introduce and make friends with cats

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Usually a second cat when one cat in the house is not enough, or you cannot pass by a homeless creature, if you have a lot of free time, or, on the contrary, you are not at home all the time and your cat is bored without communication.

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How to properly prepare for the arrival of a second cat in the house? How to make friends with cats?

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Preparing the house

To minimize the problems that will arise with a new pet, prepare your home/apartment in advance for this event.

What needs to be done to create a comfortable living environment for new and old residents:

1. Provide each animal with its own litter tray, place and utensils for eating, and a place to sleep (hammock, lounger, bedding, house, basket). This will reduce competition between cats and reduce stress.
2. Choose similar bowls, trays and beds. This is to prevent cats from feeling that you are favoring someone else.
3. Place food and water bowls in the same room, but at a safe distance. When eating, animals experience the most competition and stress. Cats should see each other while eating, but be protected from attacks by their relatives.
4. Create separate elevated areas for each pet: cat trees, vertical units and cabinets, wall shelves. Cats love to watch what is happening from above.
5. Provide cats with houses for playing together, tunnels, cardboard boxes with holes, and play complexes. These should be spacious structures with several exits. Cats should be able to escape from another pet while playing - they should feel safe.
6. Buy your own toys for the new resident. To reduce stress, at first do not play with your cats' toys with the newly arrived animal.
7. Get ready to give love and affection to all the inhabitants of the house equally. Jealousy towards the owner can provoke conflict.

Trim claws

The whole danger of cats fighting lies in their sharp claws. Pets can seriously injure each other and damage their eyes and ears. To avoid such terrible consequences before meeting, it is necessary to treat the animal’s claws.

For this procedure you will need:

1. Special nippers or nail clipper.
2. Soft rounded nail file.
3. Cotton pads.
4. Hydrogen peroxide.
5. Blanket or rug.

The cat should be carefully wrapped in a blanket so that it is not frightened. Then you need to take turns taking out the paws and trimming the claws. For comfort, you can press on the soft pad of each paw.

Be careful not to damage the blood vessel that is located in the claw. It is clearly visible in the light. If bleeding does occur, immediately treat the claw with a cotton pad soaked in hydrogen peroxide. Sharp ends should be filed with a nail file. After this procedure, damage during cat fights will be reduced to a minimum.

First acquaintance - how to introduce cats

The moment cats meet is very important. The owner must carefully prepare for this event and not leave it to chance. The future life of the pets together depends on the attentiveness and foresight of the owner.

What do felinologists advise?

1. Give cats time to get used to each other's scent. At first, keep the new cat in a carrier or in a separate room (separate room, closet, bathroom). It would be good if the door to this room is equipped with a grille or partition. Old-timer cats will be able to sniff the smell of the new resident and get used to it.
2. Use your scent as a medium. Give your jersey to your new pet as bedding. After he sleeps on it, offer this T-shirt as a bed for the old-timer cat.
3. Mix animal scents. Cats have special glands on their cheeks that secrete pheromones. These substances give cats information about each other and help relieve anxiety. Rub one cat at a time with the towel and let them smell the cloth. For the same purpose, felinologists recommend changing cat bedding from time to time.
4. Give cats time to observe each other. If you bring your new pet in a carrier, do not open it right away. Let the animals watch each other. If the cat is in a separate room, open the door slightly so that the animals can see each other.
5. The first contact with animals should be under your supervision. Allow them to meet only when you see mutual friendly interest.
6. As soon as you notice aggression from one of the animals, break off contact. It will take some time for the animals to learn to be in each other's company in a relaxed and calm state.
7. Don't single out any one cat. Animals need to feel that you treat them all equally. This will reduce competition.
8. Keep all the doors in the apartment (except the street door) open and the windows closed when you first meet. This will help the new cat safely escape and hide from the old-timers if aggression arises.
9. Don't rush things. Give the cats time to get used to each other. Leave them alone only when you are sure they will not become aggressive.
10. Help cats make friends through playing together. Use toys such as a fishing rod. If cats play well with each other, reward them with affectionate words and treats.

Important!

Trim your cats claws before your first meeting - this will reduce the risk of injury.

Cat and cat

Animals of different sexes can quickly find a common language. The cat does not see the female as a rival and will not begin to fiercely defend its territory with marks. Uncastrated males may begin to pay attention to the female cat. The cat can respond to this with a hiss and the conflict will end there.

Therefore, the most important factor on which the cohabitation of pets of different sexes depends is sterilization.

An uncastrated sexually mature cat will always be in a state of heat. This will negatively affect both himself and the cat. Animals will experience constant stress.

Felinologists advise sterilizing both male and female cats - this will prevent unplanned mating and help make friends between pets. Only a male can be sterilized - castrated cats usually have good neighborly relationships with female cats.

Cat and kitten

This is perhaps the best combination. Cats are less jealous of the appearance of a small creature in the house. For some of them, the instinct of motherhood is triggered, and they will take care of the new pet. An adult cat can teach a baby all the intricacies of a cat's life.

If the cat is sterilized or does not have “mommy” mode, follow these rules:

• Do not provoke the cat's jealousy, do not deny her affection when she wants it.
• Don't let your baby eat from her bowl or go into her litter box.
• Do not allow your new pet to do things that are prohibited for an adult animal.
• Don't leave your cat and kitten alone at first.

Cat and kitten

Males lack the instincts to care for offspring. Any kitten is a new rival, even the smallest one. A cat may be very jealous of the appearance of a new pet on its territory and will begin to show aggression and mark corners. Therefore, the process of introducing a cat and a kitten should be longer and more careful.

What do we have to do:

• At first, do not allow the kitten to roam around the house. He should always be in a separate room where the cat does not enter. Do not leave a cat alone with a kitten.
• The cat needs to be allowed into this room from time to time so that it gets used to the smell of the “newbie”. During this time, the baby needs to be moved to another place.
• The first meeting should take place only under the supervision of the owner. If the cat behaves aggressively, the animals are separated into different rooms. A repeat meeting should be held no earlier than in a few days.
• Stop the kitten from trying to get closer to the cat's bowl. The cat will decide that he has a rival who claims both territory and food.
• Castrati are more peaceful. Have your pet neutered before getting a new kitten.

Important!

Young animals get along best with each other - take several animals into your home at the same time. If castrated, you can take kittens from the same litter.

Feeding areas for cats

Two cats that have not yet become friends will behave aggressively near food bowls. Therefore, let the second cat in the house eat from a different dish and in a different room. Gradually, day by day, bring the distance between the bowls closer.

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Soon the time will come when two cats become friends; place the bowls next to each other. Feed cats at the same time so that they are each busy with their own food, do not get jealous and do not try to get into their rival’s bowl.

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How to stop aggression

Aggression is a normal reaction of a predatory animal to stress, the appearance of a rival, or an unfamiliar creature. It manifests itself at the level of natural instincts; a person is not able to fully predict and prevent it. But in the case of pets living together, the owner can and should intervene in this process and reconcile the cats. This must be done carefully, competently and in a timely manner.

Causes of aggression

Felinologists identify several main reasons for the aggressive behavior of cats:

1. Social rivalry. The struggle for the role of alpha male.
2. The fight between old and new pets.
3. Territorial behavior. Cats can fiercely defend their eating, sleeping, and toileting areas.
4. Reaction to a new smell. After visiting the veterinarian, the animal brings with it unusual smells of medicines - this can cause aggression in other pets. An unusual smell turns a familiar cat into a “stranger.”
5. Bad feeling. The disease changes the animal's behavior; it may become more restless and aggressive.
6. Stress. Any stressful situation negatively affects the behavior of cats.
7. Personality conflicts. Just like people, cats are all different and do not have to like each other. A mismatch of temperaments can lead to struggle.
8. Maternal aggression. The cat protects its offspring in this way.
9. Fighting game. During joint games, cats can attack each other, jump, bite, and watch from around the corner.

In each specific case, you need to act in accordance with the situation.

If aggression occurs, cats fight and bite, do not ignore it. Don't think that cats will figure it out on their own. These methods will help stop aggressive behavior and save your pets from unwanted mental and physical injuries.

Tips for stopping aggression

1. Interrupt the fight with a loud sound (clap), throw a blanket over them, or spray the animals with water from a spray bottle.
2. Neuter your animals. Unneutered cats are the most aggressive.
3. Stop competition. Provide each pet with its own food bowls, trays, and beds. They must be the same or similar.
4. Build more shelters and high places to rest and observe the world around you.
5. Spray pheromones. Products with pheromones are sold in pet stores. Their aroma will help relieve tension that arises between animals.
6. If aggression is severe, separate the animals into different rooms. Swap them from time to time - this way they will quickly get used to each other's smell.
7. While licking, the cat is busy with itself, relaxed and does not pay attention to the other animal. Lubricate your cat's scruff with tuna oil or granules of her favorite food - this will distract and calm your pet.
8. Use calming anti-stress medications and feed additives to correct the behavior of your animals: “Cat Bayun”, “Stop Stress”, “Feliway”.

Two cats

Fights more often occur between same-sex, uncastrated animals. An apartment is too small an area for adult cats, where each one could separate their own territory. Being on a free range, such cats would prefer not to intersect, but in a city apartment this is difficult. Therefore, the first step is castration. Hormonal levels will not change immediately, on average within a month. During this time it is advisable to keep animals separately.

The second task of the owner who wants to make two cats friends is to make sure that the old tenant does not perceive the appearance of a relative as an attempt to invade, otherwise he will fiercely defend his territory. If it comes to a fight, the cats are seated in different rooms. But the owner of the territory is left in his favorite room, where the bed is.

Possible reasons for aggression between two cats

The main reasons for the hostile attitude of animals towards each other, excluding which, you can solve the question of how to make two cats friends with each other, may be the following:

1. Territorial aggression, when one cat does not accept another in its resting area. Signs of this problem include hissing, flattened ears, and adopting a ritualistic threatening posture with an arched back on outstretched paws.
2. Aggression for the purpose of protection. This problem appears when an animal perceives the appearance of a new household member with fear and anxiety or considers him a threat.
3. Wrong acquaintance. It is very important to let the animals make the first close contact themselves. So, for example, a slight push from one animal to another can be perceived as an attack or a threat to seize territory, food, etc.
4. Conditioned reflex aggression. Depending on the characters and fears of the animals, this point can be developed as the cat grows up and cause mutual aggression.
5. Erroneous support for the cat's actions on the part of the owner. If a cat shows aggression, you should never try to calm it down with stroking or affectionate intonations in your voice, as this may be perceived by the animal as encouraging such behavior.

It is very important to let the animals make the first close contact on their own.

Cat and cat

It is not easy for different-sex, non-sterile animals to live in the same house. A male in heat will annoy the cat, causing the pets to be in constant stress.

If the cat is neutered, then gender differences have absolutely no effect on friendship. For a castrato, a female is not a competitor in the fight for territory, so making friends between a male and female is not difficult. There may be a little hissing and careful sniffing, but it all ends in peace and joint games. Sterilization for a female is also protection against a number of diseases of the genitourinary system.