Integrating 2 cats

Hi there,

I have a slight concern regarding how my cat will react when I move house.

Let me explain.

I have a 2 yar old ginger tom, called Loki. My girlfriend has a 6 year ginger tom called Jasper. They are both 'characters' and both need quite a lot of attention.

We are planning to move into the flat that Jasper has always lived in in a couple of months time. This obviously means unrooting Loki with me, and I am expecting the fur to be flying.

Are my concerns justified, and how should we handle the move? Any tips?

To compound the issue, Jasper has started spraying recently, which I guess might mean that he is feeling a bit insecure. Is this likely to make that worse?


Mark

Well you've definitely come to the right place! First, good luck with your move.

Second, it's possible Jasper is picking up on the changes occuring. I take it Jasper is a boy. Is he neutered? Its possible it could get worse but you might want to take him to the vet to eliminate any other possibilies.

Third, the best way to bring in your cat to the new environment is to stake out a room that is not 100%used by the resident cat. The bathroom, a second bedroom, even the only bedroom if that's all you have. Put in food, water, litter box, toys, scratchiing post, cat bed, anything to make your little one comfy. Since you are integrating two changes at once (intro to a new cat and a new home), you have to exercise a lot of caution. Get their scents intermingled by having the resident cat rub his paws on a blanket, and get your kitty to the do the same. Switch the blankets around. Make sure the resident cat hears and smells your cat before he sees him.

You didn't mention where you were from, if were from the US or someplace else. I know it's readily available here in the US but I highly tout and recommend Feliway -- diffusers and spray. A diffuser you plug into a socket in your home and it's essentially aromatherapy for cats. The spray works well for "spot treatment."

If Jasper is spraying, you can clean up the mess, and spritz Feliway there. It's supposed to eliminate behavior like that. Also, if your kits begin to fight, you can spritz Feliway in the area they had been fighting in...I've been doing this with my cats for months, and surprisingly, no more fights in that spot!

Good luck with everything.