Moving to a new house with a friend and her cat.. help!?

Alright so me and a friend have decided to rent a house together. I have two cats of my own.. about 7 months old both boys and not yet fixed. My friends cat is a female, fixed and about a year old now. I don't know how I should go about introducing the cats together.. or if I should get my two boys fixed right away. We are due to move in January. I've read up on introducing new cats to a home.. but the thing is the home will be new for all cats involved so how do I go about getting them to get along in a new place?


If someone could give me some ideas that would really be appreciated!

Yes get your two fixed right away (the effects don't always 'take' for a month or so). It's important to decide ahead of time which room will be a 'safe' place for whose cats (and safe for the others by having the closed door at different times). None should feel from the start that they have the run of the place and the other(s) don't. It can take a couple of weeks before they even tolerate the other cats' presence, let alone not start fights. While female cats can try to dominate males by hissing and scratching, they're often lighter and won't do well in real fights, plus two-to-one will make it hard on your friend's cat if your guys decide to get serious. Certainly I would not leave them alone together until you're very sure they really get along ok at any time, and until all feel very much at home there, with at least a couple of 'known' high places to run to where other cats can't reach them (only room for one cat to land and not be accessed from anywhere else). It may be best to establish specific feeding times from the beginning (or ahead of time if you now free-feed) with plenty of 'personal' space for each, and one of you two monitoring things, e.g. keeping others away while each finishes up, and putting bowls away til next time, or twenty mins. later if they can't finish at once - that's how I do it here. Be sure to have at least two, if not three litter boxes (not near food) and a couple of waters, and, ahead of time, inspect the house very carefully to be sure there are no e.g. difficult hidey holes in the basement, or unexpected access to outside. It might be be best to leave all at their own homes til the entire move is made and some familiar furniture's placed, especially in 'their' rooms, then bring them over. They should all get a chance to roam and smell neutral territory on their own for 1++ hours every day, and only gradually be introduced (after lots of under-door sniffing) after 1-2 weeks. You'll also have to gauge for yourselves how they react to each other when the time comes, as you can't predict about a given cat. I have two young male cats and one 15+ female, but she was here first, she's a Maine Coon, believes she's a princess and is very scathing of them, but I also know if at least one of the males were to decide to really attack her, she likely would lose (he's strong!). They respect her though, and she has where to go if they do get nasty (though haven't so far). She has no interest in them apart from hissing them off if they get in her face.

For ALL the reasons, including moving -- FIX 'EMFIX 'EM., FIX 'EM,

Hi, welcome to TCS.
I have to agree...
first things first...
get those sweet boys neutered.

Ya, Id probably fix em! Have they met each other at all yet??

no, they haven't met each other at all as of yet.. and I feel really mean getting my boys neutered Does it change there personalities much? As it is they don't spray at all because they aren't in contact with other cats.

Originally Posted by BebeBaby

no, they haven't met each other at all as of yet.. and I feel really mean getting my boys neutered

Does it change there personalities much? As it is they don't spray at all because they aren't in contact with other cats.

Click to expand...

This excellent article should help you understand why it is essential for the health and welfare of your kitties to spay or nuter...
http://www.thecatsite.com/Care/177/S...Your-Cats.html

Originally Posted by BebeBaby

no, they haven't met each other at all as of yet.. and I feel really mean getting my boys neutered

Does it change there personalities much? As it is they don't spray at all because they aren't in contact with other cats.

Click to expand...

Definitely get them neutered as soon as possible. When you put them in a new territory and there is the possibility of other cats around, you risk spraying as your two try to establish themselves.

This article has some tips for introducing cats. http://www.thecatsite.com/Behavior/4...cing-Cats.html

Hi again, I have the cats scheduled to be neutered on the 7 of December and I'm moving between the 1-15 of January.. will this be enough time to adjust to being neutered?

Excellent news...
Boys heal quickly from this routine surgery.
I think that it will be enough time for them to completely heal and will definitely help with their adjustment to their new home environment.

Be sure to remind us the day before their surgery so we can send offer our support.

The neutering really does help! Mine always calmed down considerably and learned to get along better. I also find that if I dont fix them they dont live as long?!? Maybe thats just my own misfortune though!! Good luck with everything, Hope it goes well! Let us know!

I definately noticed PJ & Punky mellowing out after being neutered, it sure took a few weeks.....but there was a difference. Not everyone will see it, though.

When you move, set up your kittes & your roomies kitties in their own "rooms". Give them a few days to adjust to the place, seperately(your boys, then your roomies kitty) allow them out to explore the rest of the place. Once they've adjusted, try introducing them slowly....remember it's normal for hissing/swatting....

Yes, neutering can change their personalities... for the better!

You are just lucky with the spraying issues. They are seven months old, you don't know what it can mean, and this situation won't last forever. Breeders get their tomcats fixed after a period of service because it's so hard to deal with, and interferes with their pet qualities and their quality of life, too.

This is not an issue to think of as we would people. They don't mind. They would prefer not to get in fights and lose their homes over behavior issues, so let's give them the option.

As far as moving goes, it's an advantage for the three cats involved to wind up in a new place at the same time. If it's everyone's new territory, there are fewer issues to negotiate. Follow proper introductions, as listed here:

http://www.thecatsite.com/Behavior/4...cing-Cats.html

and that should work out okay.

Get your boys neutered BEFORE you move. They are at the age of spraying and I can almost guarentee they WILL spray when you move!

Try isolating them in different rooms for a few weeks before they meet face to face. Since its new territory for all, it might be a lot easier to get along.