How to introduce cats

If you’ve just got another cat – or are thinking about getting one – you may be wondering how to introduce them to each other! Here’s a practical guide explaining how to introduce cats to cats.

[gigakoresh]

I wonder who grows up thinking "I want to be a cat behaviourist!".




I envy that person.

[sheilaquan]

Very informative - not just introducing new cats and/or kittens to each other but also if one cat spends some time away for treatment and is then returned to the household. Introducing kittens is much easier than adult cats.

[conniescott]

I'm getting a 10 year old female cat tomorrow that's never lived with other cats and has spent quite a lot of time left in a flat on her own. Her owner visits her maybe 3 times a week to feed her. I already have a 3 year old Male who's quite boy-stress so getting quite nervous about the hole ordeal. I have been watching lots of videos on how to introduce cats I just hope it all works out. So thanks cat protection for this video it's come in the nick of time.

[coprnicakiki]

Thank you for this video, I knew there was more to introductions than what my cat shelter lady said: just put them together and they will fight it out themselves 😕

[Beth]

My sister did adopt another cat 3 weeks ago. They became best friends really quickly about less a week. My family did this back in the early 80’s. We had another cat and even adopted another one that was a stray. They became best friends really quick, too.

[skylqr]

My cats are literally like a brother relationship on a show.
We have the eldest brother, responsible and taking care of his little brothers.
Then we have the emo middle child. (He even looks like one because of his black fur.) He hates everybody especially his new little brother.
Then we have the 3yr old kitten. Playful and whiny.

[petermc]

This is a fantastic/useful and informative Video, thank you for this. Cheers Peter

[conniescott]

Thanks cat protection, this is day 5 and it sounds like they want to attack each other, lots of high pitched screams from both cats through the class divide. Would really appreciate any advice as to how long can I keep both cats separated for. Thank you.

[WEAREKJD]

I have a 7 month old resident cat and i just got a 1 year old cat. My resident cat is male and new cat is female. She seems to ignore him and all he does is hiss and growl at her. Even her scent makes him go off. How can i get him to stop. He's even hissed at me because my hand smelled like her.

Edit: i also have a dog, he hissed at her when he first got here, now he's fine. The new cat was introduced fairly quickly to the dog. She allowed my dog to smell her and they sat together for a while.

[crazyjen]

Well I don't have a spare room. I only have my bedroom and bathroom. My other cats live in the whole house but love my room. I don't know what to do because of this. My new kitten is in my room but he is scared of me and gets happy when he sees the others because he wants to be with them...

[skylerdale]

Do these tips work for introducing a kitten to an old grandma cat? My current cat is 18 and next week we are picking up our new kitten. Is there a few things we should do instead since it is a kitten?

[macariusfreestyle]

Well mine got along after 5 days. I had my one year old for a week, the next week I brought in a 6 month old. The older cat was hissing and growling but after 5 days she quit that. My kitten was in a big play pep and I let her out when I get home and put her back when I leave.

I'm assuming they got along fairly quickly because they were both together in a cage at the local shelter, so they probably remembered each other lol.

[soozieable]

Wish I'd known all this years ago when I moved into Mum's with my cat, the twain could never meet if flying fur and claws were to be avoided sigh. [My cat and Mum's cat I mean not my cat and my Mum!!!]

[JustAnAverageLife]

What if I don’t have a glass door or a screen barrier? Or a mesh? I live in a rented flat and have wooden doors and don’t have the means to take them off their hinges and put in a glass screen, we have scent swapped already and let them see each other, there’s no more hissing at each other’s scent but there was a small growl at the glance, we have done room swapping and today we both gave them treats with the door slightly open and they for the most
Part focused on treats and ignored each other, not sure what to do next

[fimpero]

We are about to get a cat from the cats protection near us, our last passed away, but we have a neighbourhood cat that comes to us all the time we are worried what will happen so this is helpful

[Jen-nhbf]

My resident cat hates our new kitten, we have tried everything but the kitten is very playful and our older cat is very quiet and just wants to sleep and eat.

[smallnoisybird]

I am getting a kitten tomorrow is is going to be called willow I will try this I hope my cat nala is not going to have a bad reaction. I hope it works and we do not have a glass door or any see through glass it's chiselled so you can't se through it fingers crossed it will work.😓🍀😅😰😐🤞🏻🤞🏻👍

[luisportella]

In developing countries, there are not those specialists

[SJkoehld]

proposal for between steps 2 and 3: show them photographs of each other. Also you should sing them to sleep both with the same song before bringing the new cat to the house at all, to avoid rushing things.

[mikedoyle]

A useful video, well presented but sadly, like so many on YT, ruined by that unnecessary and annoying background music.