Hi Everyone! This is my first visit to your site which I've been reading and finding very helpful. Although I've found a lot of posts on introducting a new cat to the household, I still have some questions about out situation. I apologize in advance for the long, long post!!
Last night my husband brought his mother's kitten into our household. We have two cats already, about four or five years old (boths strays when we got them). They get along fine except for an occasional spat. We also have two large dogs who are very, very calm good-natured dogs who love the cats because they give them "baths" and clean their ears! Here's my question...is it possible to introduce a new cat to the old cats without much problem? Our old cats don't really seem bothered by the new one, a little curious, but not aggressive at all. Initially, one of the old cats did some growling and the new one did a lot of hissing but then everybody took a nap (not together but in very close proximity to each other). We separated them through the night since we couldn't supervise them. I'm wondering since the initial meeting went so well if you think we still have to keep them separated and do the gradual introducing thing which sounds like it can take a long, long time. I'm just thinking that it can't possibly be this easy to bring a new cat into an established "cat house"...lol! Our house is large (three floors) with four bedrooms and lots of places for cats to hide and claim as their own. The new cat is about five or six months old (guessing as he was a stray when my mother-in-law got him) and so far he seems to be the one showing the most aggression, but some of that I think is being nervous and in unfamiliar surroundings. Has anyone out there ever brought a new cat home without much of a problem? From reading the old posts, it sounds like with cats, there's always a problem introducing them to each other so maybe this is just the calm before the storm and I should continue to separate them. Any help and suggestions would be appreciated as I don't want any injuries or long-lasting hard feelings between the three. By the way, all three are males...our old cats are neutered, the new one isn't yet.
Thanks!
Lynda
P.S. Our old cats both wear SoftPaws and the new one doesn't (yet) so he would kind of have an advantage in a fight...don't know what to do about that either.
Last night my husband brought his mother's kitten into our household. We have two cats already, about four or five years old (boths strays when we got them). They get along fine except for an occasional spat. We also have two large dogs who are very, very calm good-natured dogs who love the cats because they give them "baths" and clean their ears! Here's my question...is it possible to introduce a new cat to the old cats without much problem? Our old cats don't really seem bothered by the new one, a little curious, but not aggressive at all. Initially, one of the old cats did some growling and the new one did a lot of hissing but then everybody took a nap (not together but in very close proximity to each other). We separated them through the night since we couldn't supervise them. I'm wondering since the initial meeting went so well if you think we still have to keep them separated and do the gradual introducing thing which sounds like it can take a long, long time. I'm just thinking that it can't possibly be this easy to bring a new cat into an established "cat house"...lol! Our house is large (three floors) with four bedrooms and lots of places for cats to hide and claim as their own. The new cat is about five or six months old (guessing as he was a stray when my mother-in-law got him) and so far he seems to be the one showing the most aggression, but some of that I think is being nervous and in unfamiliar surroundings. Has anyone out there ever brought a new cat home without much of a problem? From reading the old posts, it sounds like with cats, there's always a problem introducing them to each other so maybe this is just the calm before the storm and I should continue to separate them. Any help and suggestions would be appreciated as I don't want any injuries or long-lasting hard feelings between the three. By the way, all three are males...our old cats are neutered, the new one isn't yet.
Thanks!
Lynda
P.S. Our old cats both wear SoftPaws and the new one doesn't (yet) so he would kind of have an advantage in a fight...don't know what to do about that either.