A week and a half ago, I adopted two awesome males from a local shelter (each about 9 months old) ... Well, actually, I adopted Cat 1 and am still waiting to bring Cat 2 home. Turned out when I went to pick them up, Cat 2 had ringworm, so the shelter agreed to treat him (which takes a few weeks) until he's cleared. I was immediately convinced to get these two as a pair when I first saw them. You could tell by the way they played together that they were buddies, and the shelter folks said they were bonded from having spent a month in the same foster home.
Question is when Cat 2 finally comes home (in another week or more), should I follow all the normally recommended steps for acclimating a new cat with an "established" cat--even though the cats already know and like each other? It only took Cat 1 a day to warm up to the new house and he's already fully settled into his routine. Everything I've read about acclimation says to keep the new cat apart from other (i.e. closed rooms) to avoid problems and to manage the new guy's stress. But, since these two were already bonded nicely at the shelter and won't have been separated that long (three weeks?), I wonder if would be less stressful (for both) to just reintroduce them right away (i.e. letting Cat 1 come up to the carrier right away to see what the reaction is??). I'd assumer hey'd be excited, although perhaps Cat 1 will have become territorial already?
Any thoughts?
Question is when Cat 2 finally comes home (in another week or more), should I follow all the normally recommended steps for acclimating a new cat with an "established" cat--even though the cats already know and like each other? It only took Cat 1 a day to warm up to the new house and he's already fully settled into his routine. Everything I've read about acclimation says to keep the new cat apart from other (i.e. closed rooms) to avoid problems and to manage the new guy's stress. But, since these two were already bonded nicely at the shelter and won't have been separated that long (three weeks?), I wonder if would be less stressful (for both) to just reintroduce them right away (i.e. letting Cat 1 come up to the carrier right away to see what the reaction is??). I'd assumer hey'd be excited, although perhaps Cat 1 will have become territorial already?
Any thoughts?
