Welcoming a new four-legged member into your home can be very good news for you, but not especially for your cat. And it is no mystery that these animals are often quite reluctant to enjoy the company of another feline if they have just met him recently.
It is for this reason that in the event that your cat does not want to see the new member of the family even in painting, hisses at him and has even attacked him, you find yourself worried and without much hope of that can improve this situation. However, as you will see in this article on our site, the how long it takes for a cat to accept another can vary greatly depending on the circumstances. But if you follow the tips that you will read below, you will surely get your pets to start getting along better little by little.
Why won't my cat accept another cat?
Generally, cats tend to be very conservative and territorial animals, that is, they need to keep theirfixed habits and your space under control. This characteristic of felines is born from their instinct to search for security. To do this, you need to know your space, your social group and maintain your routines. In this way, his immediate environment is known to him and he knows that he will not lack for anything, so he can rest easy.
This means that any change, no matter how small, can generate stressin your pet, since it breaks with the established schemes and the novelty becomes unknown territory, a fact that generates insecurity. This includes a change of furniture, a move, and even a change in their litter box.
So it's no wonder that welcoming another kitty into the house can be a particularly unpleasant surprise for your cat, as even though they're the same species, it means sharing their space and valuable resources with a complete stranger. In other words, he perceives the new member as a threat.
This fact does not have to happen in all cases, since it will depend on the individual characteristics of each cat, but it usually occurs in those cats that have not been socialized of puppies with other cats. Also in those cases in which the owners want their furry friend to want to share their home with the newcomer in good faith, since the latter does not have to want to lend their litter box, their food or their bed to the new kitten. Likewise, one cat may not accept the other if the owners try to force their relationship by bringing them together and not respecting that each one needs their own space and their own pace of adaptation.
My cat hisses at the new kitten
When a cat does not accept another, it clearly shows through its body language, adopting a threatening posture, and through communication sound through snorts and growls.
What to do if my cat hisses at the new cat?
In case your cat snorts at the new kitten, you should not panic, as this is clearly just a warning with which your furry tells the other to stay away. However, you should be careful and move the kitten away or make sure that there is some obstacle between them (such as a fence), because if the little one is a little clueless or does not quite understand what the other feline is telling you, you could innocently approach and get a scratch
In spite of this, try to remain calm, because although the fact that your cat attacks the new kitten may impress you, it is surely not the intention of him to do a serious injury. Of course, don't punish your cat, since he won't understand it and you will only manage to generate negative emotions in a situation, which is already stressful enough. And it is that as you will see in one of the following sections, to correctly introduce one cat to another, what you should look for is that associates the presence of the other feline with something positiveTherefore, punishment will be completely counterproductive to achieving this goal.
Fortunately, direct aggressions (without previous warnings) are not usually the most common, and the aggressions that may occur will hardly be dangerous if the cat does not present previous aggressiveness problems, unless the new kitten may also respond aggressively (in which case, it could end badly), since the most normal response is run away from the conflictBe that as it may, the safest thing will be not to take risks and try to put distance between the two through an obstacle.
For more information, see: How to make a cat accept another?
My cat does not accept the new kitten: other signs
There are many other behaviors apart from hissing that your cat may exhibit if he doesn't accept the newcomer, some of which are clear signs that he is under stress. For example:
- Stare at him.
- Do not let him access his food, litter box, bed…
- Hide in corners, under furniture, etc.
- Excessive grooming, even to the point of irritated skin or hair loss.
- Decrease food intake or, in severe cases, stop eating.
- Marking and/or urinating outside the litter box.
- Irritable or skittish mood.
In this other article we show you more Symptoms of stress in cats.
How long does it take two cats to get along?
There is no specific period of time in which it is determined that a cat must accept another cat, since this process of Adaptation could take, depending on the case, days, weeks or months. This is because the reaction of each cat will be different depending on its individual characteristics, such as its age, character, previous experiences or its genetics.
Now, we can firmly state that depending on the guidelines we follow when introducing the new feline to the home, we can shorten this time or, conversely, lengthen it if the new kitten is introducedforced and sudden , because trying to speed up the process by presenting both cats when they are not yet ready, will generate stress and they will associate this negative experience with the other feline, a fact that will consequently make coexistence difficult.
How to introduce a new cat at home?
Welcoming a new cat into your home must be a decision that is made in a conscious and responsible, because as the owner you must ensure its well-being your furry one and the one that will arrive soon.
In that sense, the first step to take will be choosing the best companion for your cat, especially if you want to adopt another furry one so that keep you company. It is for this reason that you cannot expect, for example, that if your cat is elderly it will get along with a young kitten, as the latter will be much more active and playful, which will make it lose patience very easily.
In the same way, assess whether welcoming another cat with the intention that your furry one does not feel so alone is a good idea, because your cat may not have been properly socialized since it was little (having only got used to to live with people) and, therefore, do not appreciate the company of another feline as much as you do.
Once you have chosen which cat will best suit your family, we advise you to follow the guidelines below. But first, we advise you to read this other article on How to make two cats get along?
Prepare the arrival
Before you welcome the new kitten into your home, you must adapt your home for its arrival, so that the cat that already lives at home you can perceive small changes and get used to them, preventing everything from happening from one day to the next.
Adapting your house implies, for example, placing nests or a scratching tree so that each cat has an private place in which to isolate, in case they felt uncomfortable.
Also, it is a bad idea to want your cat to share its bed, as well as its litter box or food bowl with the newcomer, because although sometimes they may not give it so much importance, the most common is that sharing your valuables only encourages conflict. Therefore, add another sandbox, bowl, shelter, etc., will be the most recommended and, if possible, in a separate room in which the new feline for the first few days.
For more information, consult this other article on How to prepare for a cat's arrival at home?
Keep Them Separate
The first days, yes or yes, they should stay apart. In other words, you should install the new kitten in a room or an area of your house where it is alone, comfortable and feels safe Therefore, You will need to have all the essential needs at your disposal: water, food, sandbox, toys… This environment will help you to adapt well to your new home and family.
On the other hand, avoiding suddenly meeting in the same area and/or room will minimize the risk of any stressful incident occurring that could lead to a bad experience and worsen the relationship between both of you.
Mix scents and use pheromones
Prior to introduction, it is highly recommended that both cats familiarize themselves with each other by smell. To do this, what you must do is, during the period in which they are separated, exchange accessories and clothing that retain the smell of the cat to give them to the other feline. In the same way, it is also advisable to caress one of them and then let the other smell you to favor this exchange of smells.
Also, it will be very flattering if you use cat pheromones, which you can buy at many pet stores with diffusers. The use of these volatile substances during adaptation processes has proven to be very effective, as they promote a calm and welcoming environment for both cats and, as a consequence, minimize tensions and stressful situations, helping them to coexist in harmony.
Visual presentation of cats
Once you see that your new furry has adapted comfortably to his family and that both cats do not have negative reactions to the exchange of smells, but rather are indifferent, you can start the next phase.
For this stage, you should allow both cats to have eye contact, but never physical contact to avoid scares or forced situations. To achieve this, you must propose situations in which they can see each other without touching, for example with a fence or glass in between. You can also try keeping one in a carrier if it's used to being inside and allowing the other to come closer.
If you notice that either of you is uncomfortable, it is best to end the session and try again when you are calmer to avoid the appearance of negative emotions that worsen the relationship.
Finally, the most important part of this phase will be that they associate the presence of the other cat as something positive and, to this end, you should offer prizes and caresses to both in the presence of the other feline to promote this association.
In this other article we explain more about how to introduce two cats?
Share Space
If the evolution in the previous phases has been adequate, that is, if you notice that neither of you is upset in the presence of the other feline, you can start letting them share the same room or area, always being present to avoid taking risks.
Finally, it should be noted that both cats must have access to a own shelter so that, if they are uncomfortable, they can hide and not feel cornered by the other cat.
If once they share space you have doubts about whether they get along or not, we encourage you to read this other article on How do I know if my cats are playing or fighting?
