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Friends for Life Animal Outreach
Caring for Your Cat

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Make sure you devote some time in making your new family member feel welcome and secure. Give your new feline friend a small, separate room and allow it to acclimate to the new environment. Have the room prepared and show it the litter box. Make sure the litter box is in neutral territory, away from the feeding dishes. Visit and play with your cat in this room - it needs to feel safe and learn about its new territory. Slowly introduce your new cat to the rest of the home (this may take a few days), but do not force it, patience is the key. Allow the new cat some space while it introduces itself to other household members.

Introducing a New Cat to Other Cats

Cats who live in the same house may never become the best of friends, but they usually learn to at least tolerate each other with little conflict. You will need to take some time to introduce your cat to other family pets in order to prevent fearful and aggressive problems from the beginning.

Confine the new cat to one room in your house, and give it a litter box, food, water, and a bed. At feeding time, feed the new cat in its room while your other cat is eating in room next door. The object is for both of the cats to associate each other with an enjoyable activity, which in turn allows them to enjoy each other's presence. Gradually move both cats closer together, until only the door to the room separates them. Then, open the door so they can see each other while they eat.
Switch sleeping blankets between the new cat and resident cats so they have a chance to become accustomed to each other's scent. Also, put the scented blankets underneath the food dishes.
Once the new cat is using its box and eating regularly while confined, let it have free time in the house while the other cats are confined. This switch provides another way for the cats to experience each other's scent without a face-to-face meeting. It also allows the newcomer to become familiar with its new surroundings without being frightened by other animals.
Avoid any interactions between the cats that result in either fearful or aggressive behavior. If these responses become habitual, they can be difficult to change. It's better to introduce the animals to each other gradually so that neither cat becomes afraid or aggressive. You can expect mild forms of these behaviors, but don't give them the opportunity to intensify. If either cat becomes fearful or aggressive, separate them, and continue the introduction process in a series of gradual steps, as outlined above.

You'll need to add another litter box. Do not use the other cat's box. Scoop and clean all the boxes more frequently. Make sure that none of the cats is being "ambushed" by another while trying to use the box.

Introducing a New Cat to a Resident Dog

Dogs and cats that have not been together before will require some extra time to become accustomed to each other. Dogs usually want to chase and play with cats, and cats are usually afraid and defensive. You can use any of the techniques described above to introduce new cats to existing cats.

If your dog does not already know the commands "sit," "down," "come," and "stay," you should begin teaching them. Little tidbits of food increase your dog's motivation to perform, which will be necessary in the presence of such a strong distraction with a new cat. Even if your dog already knows those commands, work with obeying commands in return for a treat.

After the animals have become comfortable eating on either side of the door (See "Introducing a New Cat to Other Cats"), and have been exposed to each other's scents on the other side, you can attempt a face-to-face introduction in a controlled manner. Put your dog's leash on, and command him to either "sit" or "down" and "stay," using treats. Have another family member enter the room and quietly sit down with the cat on his or her lap. The cat should also be offered some special treats. At first, the cat and dog should be on opposite sides of the room. Repeat this step several times until both the cat and dog can tolerate each other without fear, aggression, or any other uncontrollable behavior.
Now, move the animals a little closer together, with the dog still on a leash and the cat gently held in a lap. If the cat does not like to be held, you can use a wire crate or carrier instead. If the dog gets up from its "stay" position, it should be firmly repositioned, and praised and rewarded for obeying the "stay" command. If the cat becomes frightened, increase the distance between the animals and progress more slowly. Eventually, the animals should be brought close enough together to allow them to investigate each other.
Your dog must be taught that chasing or being rough with the cat is unacceptable behavior, your dog must also be taught how to behave appropriately, and be rewarded for doing so. If your dog is always punished whenever the cat is around and never has "good things" happen in the cat's presence, your dog may redirect aggression towards the cat.
You may want to keep your dog on a leash when the cat is free in the house during the introductory process. Be sure that your cat has an escape route and a place to hide. Keep the dog and cat separated when you aren't home until you are certain they will both be safe.

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Friends for Life Animal Outreach
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