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Getting our two cats to accept eachother - Moving in a new cat



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 14th 05, 04:23 PM
Muffin McMuff from Mullaghduff
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Getting our two cats to accept eachother - Moving in a new cat

Hi

I am posting to this groups because most info I get on cats comes from here,
indeed most of the text below came from this newsgroup, through google.
Please help :-)

I have a male cat, he's loving, kind, relaxed, soppy and very tolerant of my
3 LOUD children, he sleeps with my daughter (eldest child), or sleeps on the
sofa, he very rarely sleeps in my room, unless I take him in there when I go
to bed. He eats well, and will eat as much as I put down for him (FISH
FLAVOUR ONLY), all in one go, and will cry for more, but I look after his
health and don't give him more than he should have. He's healthy, neutered
and has regular vet visits, is data tagged and has monthly flea treatments.
He likes to go out all day roaming around and getting in the odd fight
(about twice a year) and brings mice body parts home for me. (nice!)


My boyfriend, (our relationship is very stable) stays at my house 2 or 3
nights a week, and has to move house (not to move in with me) and his new
apartment accepts no animals. We would like his cat to live with me and my
3 children. His cat is female, spayed, healthy, regular vet visits and is
data tagged, and now here is her personality.

She is shy and not easily won over, it took her almost 6 months to accept
me. She is loving and faithful. She like to be smoothed, only when she is
in the mood, and will attack, with gusto, if you smooth her for too long,
unfortunately NO-ONE ever knows when this is :-) (Boyfriend has a good stash
of plasters). She does not like moving house and takes about 2 months to
settle in, and if she is let out of the house before this will run away and
try to get back *home*. She is used to living in a peaceful house, with
usually only my boyfriend for company. However when I have visited with the
children, she seemed to love the attention, and stayed near the children the
whole time, even when they were being noisy (this was only for one day and
night) and even slept on my sons (age 10) bed for the night. She eats the
same make of food as my cat ans has no flavour preference, but she nibbles
at the food throughout the day. She sleeps on my boyfriends bed, and goes
out in the daytime, and either she doesn't fight, or she's so good she never
comes home with a fight wound! ( I think it's the latter!)

His cat is used to staying in a cattery when he goes on holiday, my cat has
never been to one. Both cats defend their territories, and don't like
another cat to be near their respective homes. My house is NOT large. It's
an average 1950's 3 bedroomed house, separate dining, and living room. The
bedrooms usually have their doors closed for the night. The big MOVE will
be happening in about 3 weeks time.

Finally here are my questions. :-)

Given the above information on their personalities, and the fact that I have
read all of the info below, what do you think the best way is to get them
to live happily ever after (failing that tolerating eachother) without one
or the other running away/killing eachother?

Also...
Same bowls v separate bowls

Same litter tray (whilst '2-month-keep-his-cat-inside-period' is happening)
or different litter trays?

Put them in a cattery together and let them fight it out? (arrrgh) or lock
them in separate rooms and let them sniff eachother through the door and use
the bedding swapping technique.

Thanks in advance of advice you have to give me and helping our two lovely
cats live with eachother.

Helen



==============================================
All of the following are taken from cat newsgroups in my quest for an
answer...
==============================================
They should be able to share litterbox/food bowl/water bowl.
What is "multicat food"? I always use regular good quality cat food
(from the vet or the pet store - NOT from the supemarket) for my
multicat household.


=========================================

O.K., you are going to think I'm nuts, but this has worked for our family
for years and friends too. We had acquired a little puff ball of a
Persian near the holidays. Our older cat, Adam, was pretty ticked off by
this development. We tried several things without success. During the
holidays, my Dad always made his delicious rum-laced eggnog. He decided
to put a cup down for each of the cats and don't you know that they both
got drunk and walked off down the hall with their two tails intertwined?
They were inseperable for many long years. One time alls we had on hand
at a friend's house was blueberry liquor and milk. It worked! We used it
3 years ago when we introduced Travis - a young spitfire that used the
walls to walk on instead of the floor to our dowager, Kanga. They did not
like beer AT ALL! However, they both calmed down enough to co-exist in
relative peace for the past 4 years with the occasional all out mock
battle

=========
The other week I was listening to a radio station Vet when someone asked
your question. One of the things he said was make sure the cats are the
LAST thing you move. That way when they go to the new house all the smells
etc are there for them. He also said (and this one is a hard one) to keep
them confined only to a certain room for a while (don't know if I could do
that one). The other important thing is, if they are outdoor cats, DON'T
let them out for a least 3 months!! (again, a hard one).
==================

Sounds like an excellent plan. An herbal plant extract made for this
purpose, such as Bach's Rescue Remedy may make the transition go more
smoothly. The cats will instinctively lap it up if they want to take
it. It has a calming effect.
===========



Second,
make sure that your move is complete before the cats move in - consider
boarding them for the day when you do the move so that all of their
stuff is there where it needs to be and all they have to do is get used
to the new environment. Keep them isolated at first so that they can
gradually get used to the new place. The stress of the new place _and_
a new cat could be disastrous, so I wouldn't just let them loose. Just
visit them frequently and give them lots of attention. Gradually let
them explore the new place and get used to it before you introduce
them. Third, look at Phil's site and read about introducing cats to
each other. It is great advice! The URL is www.maxshouse.com - I
believe the info is under the behavioral stuff. I followed what he put
there for introducing our two new kittens to Trouble, our older cat,
and it seems to be going very well. Although these things are certainly
dependent upon the personalities of the cats themselves, his
suggestions are certainly helpful. You might also want to have all the
cats bathed/groomed while they are boarded for the day - they will all
smell the same when they come into the house, and that will help. Rub
your cats with a towel and let the other cat sniff it and vice versa so
that they can begin smelling each other before they meet. Good luck -
be patient. I hope it will go well. Laura
=====================================

like the idea of keeping your respective cats in separate parts of the
house and you and your fiance sleeping in those separate bedrooms sounds
like a winner. Then, you can very gradually begin to introduce them. They
would have their own apartments to get used to, which is enough for at
first, I think.


The extra trouble at the beginning, should go a long way for helping them
get adjusted. When they get stressed, you could let eat one retreat to his
own section. I'd even leave them in their own sections for about a week,
and each of you sleep with them that way until they calm down from the move.
Cats are so territorial, that just moving is hard on them. It's
overwhelming. Maybe they can each play under a common door, or maybe you
can put up a screened door of some kind temporarily between them as a
barrier for awhile as they begin to see and smell one another. Slow is the
word!


===================================

You can do it the quick and dirty way... which is - follow them around and
bust
up any potential fights that would start, however, I would not leave them
alone
in the house together until you are sure they will not hurt each other.


You can separate them for awhile.. until they get used to each other
scents..
usually if you pick a room in the house, where you can close the door.. with
food and a catbox, then eventually the existing cat will get used to the
scent
of new cat. I did this, and eventually on every occasion, the cats would
start
interacting through the door, (eventually) and I knew they were ready for
face
to face introductions.


You can scent them both the same with drops of vanilla extract (overpowering
scent.. that way they don't smell like strangers to each other)


========================================

*Most* cats will accept each other given time.


#1. When bringing a new cat into the house, "quarintine" it at first. Give
the new cat a room all of it's own, preferably a small room and one your
existing cats don't spend too much time in. Often a bathroom is perfect for
this process; it's generally a small room so the new cat can familiarize
itself with the entire space rather quickly, and for a while, this will be
your new cat's "safe haven." Provide all the new cats needs in there, it's
litterbox, food and water, scratching post, bed, toys, etc.... Show your new
kitty attention in there, and let the cats sniff at each other through the
door. This is the beginning of them becoming familiar with each others
scents. This "quarentine" procedure also establishes "territory" for the new
cat, making your resident cats feel less invaded by the new-comer. One week
of this "quarentine" is often what seems to be recommended. (Personally, I
find the proper length of quarentine time varies greatly depending on the
individual cat.)


#2. Switching bedding is the second step. With 1 current cat and one new
cat, you switch the two cats bedding. This is the second step in them
becoming familiar with each other scent. With as many cats as we have, we
just toss the new cat's bed in the middle of the living room floor, allowing
all residents to sniff the new kitties scent, then we rub a towel on each
resident kitty a little and fold in up into a temporary bed to give to the
new kitty. Allow a few days for the cats to get familiar with the scented
bedding.


#3. For those who can afford it, we've found a portable cat kennel makes an
excellent third step. We have a mid-priced cat kennel; it's 4 ft. tall, 3
ft.wide and 2 ft. deep. It has 2 carpeted cat benches, and can be fitted
with all a cat's needs - litter box, toys, scratcher, food & water, etc...
Our third step is to move the new cat into the living room ( the main area
for our cats) in the portable kitty kennel. This way all the cats are only
separated by some small bars; they can get very familiar with each other
(sniff noses, pat paws, etc...) and yet this still protects the new cat
significantly and comfortably. We also feed them soft food in close
proximety at this point, putting all the dishes in a ring around the kennel
(and 1 dish in the kennel for the new kitty in there of course), the theory
being that this is a positive reinforcement that being close to each other
is a good thing. These kennels are available through various pet catalogs
for $100 to $150; e-mail me if you want the info. for these catalogs.


#4. When the new kitty appears curious about exploring the rest of the
house, allow the new kitty intermitant access to the house at large. Open up
their room/kennel door often, and keep an eye on everybody. Make sure
everyone's okay and nobody's being TOO bullied by others. (When an
occasional squabble does break out, a squirt from a water gun might help to
break it up and discourage further fighting.) Let them in and out (of their
safe space - ie. room or kennnel - ) as they want. Gradually you can
increase the time they have free roam of the house until everyone's getting
along just fine and you're sure they've been accepted as part of the feline
family. (Until they are totally accepted however, make sure they're
protected (alone or kenneled) when you aren't around to "supervise" just in
case to make sure all stay safe.) It also helps to keep everyone's nails
trimmed and relatively blunt during this phase of the introduction process.


=================================

the trick seems to
be getting them used to each other before they are actually allowed in
the same room together. keep the cats separated for a while. their
scents will get in the air and each cat will eventually get used to
the scent of the other. introduce them slowly, at short intervals.
once they get over the idea that they're not the only cats in the
world, it can get a lot better. my cats chased each other around all
the time, and tho they're not totally stuck on each other, i know they
like having each other around. so even if cats don't bond, they do
enrich each other's lives.

======================================



Some precautions you should take, is to purchase an additional litterbox.
And don't feed them out of the same food bowl. When you introduce the new
cat, isolate the newcomer in a bedroom or bathroom for a week or so. You
might allow the cats to sniff one another through a cracked door after a few
days. Do the introduction slowly, and your chances of getting the cats to
accept each other inceases. Since both cats are young, things should go
rather smoothly. Difficulties usually arise more often in older cats that
are not used to newcomer cats.
=======================================

As long as both male cats are neutered before maturity, there should be
no complications with the introduction.
You should expect some hissing and possibly growling for some days - up
to a few weeks - while they get to accept each other. Actual fights
should not be tolerated. The most important thing is for the owner(s) to
stay calm and act as if everything is "business as usual" - let the cats
figure out things on their own in cat manner, this gives the best
prognosis for good cat intregration.

=============================================

It's almost always possible to get two cats to accept each other, although
it can be nerve-wracking until it works. Cats are naturally territorial, but
when two or more live in the same house, they establish a joint territory
and defend it together.


To introduce two
cats who haven't grown up together, keep them apart for the first day or two
(in different rooms) so they can get used to each other's presence before
they have a direct encounter.
============================================



  #2  
Old November 14th 05, 05:32 PM
Gail
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Getting our two cats to accept eachother - Moving in a new cat

The new cat should be placed in a separate room by herself. Provide her with
litter box, food, water, and a bed. Place the cat carrier in the center of
another room and let the resident cat sniff it. After a few days, lock up
the resident cat and let the newcomber smell and roam around the house by
herself. Place the new cat back in the room. Gradually open the door a
little bit and let them smell each other through the door. If possible, you
can place a screen up and let them see each other without touching.
Gradually expose them to each other. Always supervise them. You can use
Feliway dispenser to decrease anxiety. When they are fully integrated, you
need at least two litter boxes (the rule is the number of cats plus one),
mutiple food dishes, and multiple water dishes.
Gail
"Muffin McMuff from Mullaghduff" wrote in
message news
Hi

I am posting to this groups because most info I get on cats comes from
here,
indeed most of the text below came from this newsgroup, through google.
Please help :-)

I have a male cat, he's loving, kind, relaxed, soppy and very tolerant of
my
3 LOUD children, he sleeps with my daughter (eldest child), or sleeps on
the
sofa, he very rarely sleeps in my room, unless I take him in there when I
go
to bed. He eats well, and will eat as much as I put down for him (FISH
FLAVOUR ONLY), all in one go, and will cry for more, but I look after his
health and don't give him more than he should have. He's healthy,
neutered
and has regular vet visits, is data tagged and has monthly flea
treatments.
He likes to go out all day roaming around and getting in the odd fight
(about twice a year) and brings mice body parts home for me. (nice!)


My boyfriend, (our relationship is very stable) stays at my house 2 or 3
nights a week, and has to move house (not to move in with me) and his new
apartment accepts no animals. We would like his cat to live with me and
my
3 children. His cat is female, spayed, healthy, regular vet visits and is
data tagged, and now here is her personality.

She is shy and not easily won over, it took her almost 6 months to accept
me. She is loving and faithful. She like to be smoothed, only when she
is
in the mood, and will attack, with gusto, if you smooth her for too long,
unfortunately NO-ONE ever knows when this is :-) (Boyfriend has a good
stash
of plasters). She does not like moving house and takes about 2 months to
settle in, and if she is let out of the house before this will run away
and
try to get back *home*. She is used to living in a peaceful house, with
usually only my boyfriend for company. However when I have visited with
the
children, she seemed to love the attention, and stayed near the children
the
whole time, even when they were being noisy (this was only for one day and
night) and even slept on my sons (age 10) bed for the night. She eats the
same make of food as my cat ans has no flavour preference, but she nibbles
at the food throughout the day. She sleeps on my boyfriends bed, and goes
out in the daytime, and either she doesn't fight, or she's so good she
never
comes home with a fight wound! ( I think it's the latter!)

His cat is used to staying in a cattery when he goes on holiday, my cat
has
never been to one. Both cats defend their territories, and don't like
another cat to be near their respective homes. My house is NOT large.
It's
an average 1950's 3 bedroomed house, separate dining, and living room.
The
bedrooms usually have their doors closed for the night. The big MOVE will
be happening in about 3 weeks time.

Finally here are my questions. :-)

Given the above information on their personalities, and the fact that I
have
read all of the info below, what do you think the best way is to get them
to live happily ever after (failing that tolerating eachother) without one
or the other running away/killing eachother?

Also...
Same bowls v separate bowls

Same litter tray (whilst '2-month-keep-his-cat-inside-period' is
happening)
or different litter trays?

Put them in a cattery together and let them fight it out? (arrrgh) or lock
them in separate rooms and let them sniff eachother through the door and
use
the bedding swapping technique.

Thanks in advance of advice you have to give me and helping our two lovely
cats live with eachother.

Helen



==============================================
All of the following are taken from cat newsgroups in my quest for an
answer...
==============================================
They should be able to share litterbox/food bowl/water bowl.
What is "multicat food"? I always use regular good quality cat food
(from the vet or the pet store - NOT from the supemarket) for my
multicat household.


=========================================

O.K., you are going to think I'm nuts, but this has worked for our family
for years and friends too. We had acquired a little puff ball of a
Persian near the holidays. Our older cat, Adam, was pretty ticked off by
this development. We tried several things without success. During the
holidays, my Dad always made his delicious rum-laced eggnog. He decided
to put a cup down for each of the cats and don't you know that they both
got drunk and walked off down the hall with their two tails intertwined?
They were inseperable for many long years. One time alls we had on hand
at a friend's house was blueberry liquor and milk. It worked! We used it
3 years ago when we introduced Travis - a young spitfire that used the
walls to walk on instead of the floor to our dowager, Kanga. They did not
like beer AT ALL! However, they both calmed down enough to co-exist in
relative peace for the past 4 years with the occasional all out mock
battle

=========
The other week I was listening to a radio station Vet when someone asked
your question. One of the things he said was make sure the cats are the
LAST thing you move. That way when they go to the new house all the
smells
etc are there for them. He also said (and this one is a hard one) to keep
them confined only to a certain room for a while (don't know if I could do
that one). The other important thing is, if they are outdoor cats, DON'T
let them out for a least 3 months!! (again, a hard one).
==================

Sounds like an excellent plan. An herbal plant extract made for this
purpose, such as Bach's Rescue Remedy may make the transition go more
smoothly. The cats will instinctively lap it up if they want to take
it. It has a calming effect.
===========



Second,
make sure that your move is complete before the cats move in - consider
boarding them for the day when you do the move so that all of their
stuff is there where it needs to be and all they have to do is get used
to the new environment. Keep them isolated at first so that they can
gradually get used to the new place. The stress of the new place _and_
a new cat could be disastrous, so I wouldn't just let them loose. Just
visit them frequently and give them lots of attention. Gradually let
them explore the new place and get used to it before you introduce
them. Third, look at Phil's site and read about introducing cats to
each other. It is great advice! The URL is www.maxshouse.com - I
believe the info is under the behavioral stuff. I followed what he put
there for introducing our two new kittens to Trouble, our older cat,
and it seems to be going very well. Although these things are certainly
dependent upon the personalities of the cats themselves, his
suggestions are certainly helpful. You might also want to have all the
cats bathed/groomed while they are boarded for the day - they will all
smell the same when they come into the house, and that will help. Rub
your cats with a towel and let the other cat sniff it and vice versa so
that they can begin smelling each other before they meet. Good luck -
be patient. I hope it will go well. Laura
=====================================

like the idea of keeping your respective cats in separate parts of the
house and you and your fiance sleeping in those separate bedrooms sounds
like a winner. Then, you can very gradually begin to introduce them.
They
would have their own apartments to get used to, which is enough for at
first, I think.


The extra trouble at the beginning, should go a long way for helping them
get adjusted. When they get stressed, you could let eat one retreat to
his
own section. I'd even leave them in their own sections for about a week,
and each of you sleep with them that way until they calm down from the
move.
Cats are so territorial, that just moving is hard on them. It's
overwhelming. Maybe they can each play under a common door, or maybe you
can put up a screened door of some kind temporarily between them as a
barrier for awhile as they begin to see and smell one another. Slow is
the
word!


===================================

You can do it the quick and dirty way... which is - follow them around and
bust
up any potential fights that would start, however, I would not leave them
alone
in the house together until you are sure they will not hurt each other.


You can separate them for awhile.. until they get used to each other
scents..
usually if you pick a room in the house, where you can close the door..
with
food and a catbox, then eventually the existing cat will get used to the
scent
of new cat. I did this, and eventually on every occasion, the cats would
start
interacting through the door, (eventually) and I knew they were ready for
face
to face introductions.


You can scent them both the same with drops of vanilla extract
(overpowering
scent.. that way they don't smell like strangers to each other)


========================================

*Most* cats will accept each other given time.


#1. When bringing a new cat into the house, "quarintine" it at first. Give
the new cat a room all of it's own, preferably a small room and one your
existing cats don't spend too much time in. Often a bathroom is perfect
for
this process; it's generally a small room so the new cat can familiarize
itself with the entire space rather quickly, and for a while, this will be
your new cat's "safe haven." Provide all the new cats needs in there, it's
litterbox, food and water, scratching post, bed, toys, etc.... Show your
new
kitty attention in there, and let the cats sniff at each other through the
door. This is the beginning of them becoming familiar with each others
scents. This "quarentine" procedure also establishes "territory" for the
new
cat, making your resident cats feel less invaded by the new-comer. One
week
of this "quarentine" is often what seems to be recommended. (Personally, I
find the proper length of quarentine time varies greatly depending on the
individual cat.)


#2. Switching bedding is the second step. With 1 current cat and one new
cat, you switch the two cats bedding. This is the second step in them
becoming familiar with each other scent. With as many cats as we have, we
just toss the new cat's bed in the middle of the living room floor,
allowing
all residents to sniff the new kitties scent, then we rub a towel on each
resident kitty a little and fold in up into a temporary bed to give to the
new kitty. Allow a few days for the cats to get familiar with the scented
bedding.


#3. For those who can afford it, we've found a portable cat kennel makes
an
excellent third step. We have a mid-priced cat kennel; it's 4 ft. tall, 3
ft.wide and 2 ft. deep. It has 2 carpeted cat benches, and can be fitted
with all a cat's needs - litter box, toys, scratcher, food & water, etc...
Our third step is to move the new cat into the living room ( the main area
for our cats) in the portable kitty kennel. This way all the cats are only
separated by some small bars; they can get very familiar with each other
(sniff noses, pat paws, etc...) and yet this still protects the new cat
significantly and comfortably. We also feed them soft food in close
proximety at this point, putting all the dishes in a ring around the
kennel
(and 1 dish in the kennel for the new kitty in there of course), the
theory
being that this is a positive reinforcement that being close to each
other
is a good thing. These kennels are available through various pet catalogs
for $100 to $150; e-mail me if you want the info. for these catalogs.


#4. When the new kitty appears curious about exploring the rest of the
house, allow the new kitty intermitant access to the house at large. Open
up
their room/kennel door often, and keep an eye on everybody. Make sure
everyone's okay and nobody's being TOO bullied by others. (When an
occasional squabble does break out, a squirt from a water gun might help
to
break it up and discourage further fighting.) Let them in and out (of
their
safe space - ie. room or kennnel - ) as they want. Gradually you can
increase the time they have free roam of the house until everyone's
getting
along just fine and you're sure they've been accepted as part of the
feline
family. (Until they are totally accepted however, make sure they're
protected (alone or kenneled) when you aren't around to "supervise" just
in
case to make sure all stay safe.) It also helps to keep everyone's nails
trimmed and relatively blunt during this phase of the introduction
process.


=================================

the trick seems to
be getting them used to each other before they are actually allowed in
the same room together. keep the cats separated for a while. their
scents will get in the air and each cat will eventually get used to
the scent of the other. introduce them slowly, at short intervals.
once they get over the idea that they're not the only cats in the
world, it can get a lot better. my cats chased each other around all
the time, and tho they're not totally stuck on each other, i know they
like having each other around. so even if cats don't bond, they do
enrich each other's lives.

======================================



Some precautions you should take, is to purchase an additional litterbox.
And don't feed them out of the same food bowl. When you introduce the new
cat, isolate the newcomer in a bedroom or bathroom for a week or so. You
might allow the cats to sniff one another through a cracked door after a
few
days. Do the introduction slowly, and your chances of getting the cats to
accept each other inceases. Since both cats are young, things should go
rather smoothly. Difficulties usually arise more often in older cats that
are not used to newcomer cats.
=======================================

As long as both male cats are neutered before maturity, there should be
no complications with the introduction.
You should expect some hissing and possibly growling for some days - up
to a few weeks - while they get to accept each other. Actual fights
should not be tolerated. The most important thing is for the owner(s) to
stay calm and act as if everything is "business as usual" - let the cats
figure out things on their own in cat manner, this gives the best
prognosis for good cat intregration.

=============================================

It's almost always possible to get two cats to accept each other, although
it can be nerve-wracking until it works. Cats are naturally territorial,
but
when two or more live in the same house, they establish a joint territory
and defend it together.


To introduce two
cats who haven't grown up together, keep them apart for the first day or
two
(in different rooms) so they can get used to each other's presence before
they have a direct encounter.
============================================





  #3  
Old November 14th 05, 06:46 PM
5cats
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Getting our two cats to accept eachother - Moving in a new cat

Muffin McMuff from Mullaghduff wrote:

Also...
Same bowls v separate bowls

Same litter tray (whilst '2-month-keep-his-cat-inside-period' is
happening) or different litter trays?


Definately give them separate bowls and litter boxes. Even cats that get
along well don't necessarily like to share these.

Here's another good page on introductions
http://www.maxshouse.com/introducing_cats.htm

Above all else, go slowly and let the cats set the pace for introductions.
  #4  
Old November 15th 05, 11:15 AM
Muffin McMuff from Mullaghduff
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Default Getting our two cats to accept eachother - Moving in a new cat

Gail wrote:
The new cat should be placed in a separate room by
herself. Provide her with litter box, food, water, and a
bed. Place the cat carrier in the center of another room
and let the resident cat sniff it. After a few days, lock
up the resident cat and let the newcomber smell and roam
around the house by herself. Place the new cat back in
the room. Gradually open the door a little bit and let
them smell each other through the door. If possible, you
can place a screen up and let them see each other without
touching. Gradually expose them to each other. Always
supervise them. You can use Feliway dispenser to decrease
anxiety. When they are fully integrated, you need at
least two litter boxes (the rule is the number of cats
plus one), mutiple food dishes, and multiple water
dishes. Gail



That sound like excellent advice! Thank yu so much for taking the time to
read and reply :-)

I will come back and tell the outcome, this will be in a few months time :-)

--
Vj


  #5  
Old November 15th 05, 11:17 AM
Muffin McMuff from Mullaghduff
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Default Getting our two cats to accept eachother - Moving in a new cat

5cats wrote:
Definately give them separate bowls and litter boxes.
Even cats that get along well don't necessarily like to
share these.


We are worried that when they eventually DO get on (hopes) that my cat will
become fat, and his cat will get thin, because my cat will eat all her food
as shes a nibbler, and he's a nosh it all up at once ype! Any tips on this?

Thanks for the link too :-)




Here's another good page on introductions
http://www.maxshouse.com/introducing_cats.htm

Above all else, go slowly and let the cats set the pace
for introductions.




--
Vj


  #6  
Old November 15th 05, 11:18 AM
Muffin McMuff from Mullaghduff
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Default Getting our two cats to accept eachother - Moving in a new cat

5cats wrote:

Here's another good page on introductions
http://www.maxshouse.com/introducing_cats.htm

Above all else, go slowly and let the cats set the pace
for introductions.



The screen door in the link is a great idea!



--
Vj


  #7  
Old November 15th 05, 02:27 PM
5cats
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Default Getting our two cats to accept eachother - Moving in a new cat

Muffin McMuff from Mullaghduff wrote:


We are worried that when they eventually DO get on (hopes) that my cat
will become fat, and his cat will get thin, because my cat will eat
all her food as shes a nibbler, and he's a nosh it all up at once ype!
Any tips on this?


I've got one of those greedy nibbler types and the only thing that's worked
for him is to stop free-feeding and feed them separately.
  #8  
Old November 15th 05, 03:29 PM
Muffin McMuff from Mullaghduff
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Default Getting our two cats to accept eachother - Moving in a new cat

5cats wrote:
Muffin McMuff from Mullaghduff wrote:


We are worried that when they eventually DO get on
(hopes) that my cat will become fat, and his cat will
get thin, because my cat will eat
all her food as shes a nibbler, and he's a nosh it all
up at once ype! Any tips on this?


I've got one of those greedy nibbler types and the only
thing that's worked for him is to stop free-feeding and
feed them separately.


I feed my cat once in the morning and once in the evening, and he scoffs the
lot in one go, it takes him about 4 minutes..

His cat will lick a bit of it and wander off and eat bits throughout the
day, and she always leaves some!. Are you suggesting, I re-train her, and
remove the food bowl when the time is up?

:-)


--
Vj


  #9  
Old November 15th 05, 04:00 PM
5cats
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Posts: n/a
Default Getting our two cats to accept eachother - Moving in a new cat

Muffin McMuff from Mullaghduff wrote:

5cats wrote:
Muffin McMuff from Mullaghduff wrote:


We are worried that when they eventually DO get on
(hopes) that my cat will become fat, and his cat will
get thin, because my cat will eat
all her food as shes a nibbler, and he's a nosh it all
up at once ype! Any tips on this?


I've got one of those greedy nibbler types and the only
thing that's worked for him is to stop free-feeding and
feed them separately.


I feed my cat once in the morning and once in the evening, and he
scoffs the lot in one go, it takes him about 4 minutes..

His cat will lick a bit of it and wander off and eat bits throughout
the day, and she always leaves some!. Are you suggesting, I re-train
her, and remove the food bowl when the time is up?

:-)



Not yet, but it's something to think about if undesirable weight changes
occur in the future.

  #10  
Old November 15th 05, 05:44 PM
Muffin McMuff from Mullaghduff
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Getting our two cats to accept eachother - Moving in a new cat

Thank you everyone that replied to this :-) I am not at the pc now for a
while so I may not reply to any more.

Have a wonderful week!

--
Vj


 




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