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Post by jackie on Aug 31, 2015 4:06:50 GMT
My 19 year old ds is moving back with us temporarily. A little background on our pets first.
We have a three year old cat that we got from a shelter when he was a year and a half. We also have a three year old dog we've had since he was a puppy. The two get along fine. The dog is sweet and lovable to everyone, super cuddly. He loves to play with the cat. The cat is very standoffish. He's not cuddly. He comes to us when he wants scratched or rubbed. He will sometimes lay near us but never on us. He doesn't like to be picked up and will escape if we try, but once my dd picks him up, he will politely tolerate it. He does play with the dog sometimes, or at least tolerates her play until he's had enough. Sometimes if the dog accidentally gets too rough, the cat will give her the what-for and then take off. Despite the cat not being very friendly, he's also not mean. He never hisses, bites, or claws (except once in a great while when the dog gets too rough).
The whole point of all this background is, my ds is bringing his cat with him. It's a two year old cat (from a shelter, just like ours). His cat is much smaller than ours and very sweet and cuddly. I need to know if there's any advice on introducing the cat to our house. I'm not used to multiple pets. This cat is our very first cat and our first time of having more than one pet at once.
Is there any special way we should introduce the new cat to our pets? Does the new cat need to have her own water and food dish? Does she need her own litter box or can they share? Help!!
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Post by MichyM on Aug 31, 2015 4:20:20 GMT
This advice is spot on. I would follow it to a t. Lots of other good advice to be had with a quick google search. Don't expect them to ever like each other, though they MAY tolerate each other. If they become buddies that would be exceptional. And no, do not expect them to share a litter box (that would be asking for all kinds of elimination issues) or food dishes. Humane Society |
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Post by rst on Aug 31, 2015 5:03:02 GMT
I'd keep the new kitty in a separate room with the door shut for at least a week, maybe 2. Obviously he's have his own litter box and food and water in there. Your cat will get used to the idea of a new cat by hearing and smelling him, and you can expect him not to like it. But keeping them separate for that time will help. Then slowly leave the door open but don't try to do any formal introductions, just let them feel each other out a bit. It would be good for the new cat to have a safe place to retire to-- and also to get lots of love and cuddling in private. His scent on your hands and clothes will help with intros to your cat too. The dog is already pretty good with the cat, so after a getting acquainted negotiation, they should be ok with each other.
Be prepared for bad behavior, as in some peeing and scratching. You can help forestall that somewhat by keeping the litter box immaculate and by offering some play opportunities and a new scratching post. If it does become a problem, you can talk to your vet about anti-anxiety meds to help with the transition. We just went through this with our cats, and while it was not the easiest stretch for about a month, the 2 cats and one big dog are now all happily settled and share the foot of our bed in one big fur pile.
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Post by rst on Aug 31, 2015 5:06:49 GMT
Oops, sorry. Didn't see there was a link in the post above. I was repetitious.
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georgiapea
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,846 
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Post by georgiapea on Aug 31, 2015 5:13:53 GMT
What I would do is set DS's kitty up in his room with her food and water dishes and her litter box. The cat will be fine in just 1 room. Your cat and dog will know she is there and likely hang out around the door. After about a week I would see if your animals want to enter the new cat's room. They may all get along. If not, your DS's cat will still have a place to call her own.
We used to use clay clumping litter and always noticed the urine odor. Now we use Feline Pine and have zero odors. We scoop any time we notice and 'offering' or see that the wood pellets have broken down into sawdust. I only cover the bottom of the litter pan about an inch and a half deep. This makes it easy to scoop up all the 'used' litter and sprinkle some fresh into the pan.
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Post by jackie on Aug 31, 2015 18:24:23 GMT
Gosh, I'm glad I asked! I had no idea there was so much involved in bringing a new cat in! I know when we got the cat after the dog, we definitely didn't do anything special. Just brought him in and let the two figure each other out. Maybe we didn't handle that right or maybe it's a little more delicate when an established cat is involved. Just a question, does it make any different that our cat lived half his life in a shelter? He was in a room with lots of other cat/kittens every day. Or has he forgotten all of that?  |
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Post by PolarGreen12 on Aug 31, 2015 18:38:09 GMT
Gosh, I'm glad I asked! I had no idea there was so much involved in bringing a new cat in! I know when we got the cat after the dog, we definitely didn't do anything special. Just brought him in and let the two figure each other out. Maybe we didn't handle that right or maybe it's a little more delicate when an established cat is involved. Just a question, does it make any different that our cat lived half his life in a shelter? He was in a room with lots of other cat/kittens every day. Or has he forgotten all of that? Honestly I think it just depends on the cats. When I brought home a 2nd cat, I didn't do anything special and it was fine. They eyeballed each other for a few hours, by dinner time they were grooming each other. Mine do share a litter box, but it is scooped daily. They also share a food bowl for dry but get separate canned food each. They did share a water bowl but they seems to prefer the dogs water bowl, so I quit setting theirs out. |
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Post by Regina Phalange on Aug 31, 2015 18:39:06 GMT
I think its different when you are doing a cat/dog introduction. Cats are way more territorial and fussy than dogs...lol. Even though your other cat lived in a shelter, he/she has more than established his/her home territory now.
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Post by MichyM on Aug 31, 2015 19:10:55 GMT
Where the cat began or spent half of its life is irrelevant. Yes, you can try just plopping them both down in a room together and hope for the best. I've had cats all my life (the two I have now are feral rescues), and I volunteer with the cats at our city animal shelter. I personally would follow the recommendations I posted above to make the transition as smooth as possible.
ETA: be prepared for behavioral issues either way. Inappropriate elimination, inappropriate scratching. Anxiousness, etc.... If they don't occur consider that a bullet dodged.
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