Cat Introductions: Good First Impressions are a must!

In this video, I take a deep dive into the most important details of cat introductions and guide you step by step through the most important component to a successful introduction: the challenge line. I teach you about your cat’s body language so you know when to push them forward, bring them back, or let them settle in. For a cat, feeling safe promotes the confidence necessary for a good first impression and I’m here to help you make that possible for them!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and ring that bell! 🔔

Join this channel to get access to perks:


😺😺😺😺😺😺😺😺😺😺😺😺😺😺😺😺😺😺

🐈‍⬛ Calling all pet parents! 🐈‍⬛
Share your video moments with me...and maybe the world!

😺 My Favorite Cat Products (naturally!) 😺

🐈 Follow Me Here! 🐈

😻 The Jackson Galaxy Project 😻
We make a difference for at-risk animals and the people who care for them. Join us!

#JacksonGalaxy #Cat #Advice

[swayyir]

Who’s in the process of introducing cats and wants to cry? Because i am

[AGruta]

The biggest challenge for me is to know when is it safe to leave the cats alone with each other, after all this process

[MsAwesomeify]

Dang, I brought my second kitty home 3 days ago...
They're sleeping in the same bed so I guess I got lucky in the end

[ShieniLicksOnLemons]

I was prepared to do all of this to introduce my cat to our new kitten but it was all for nothing, it was love at first sight 😭 we literally got the kitten yesterday evening and here we are all in the living room now watching TV because both of them were so desperate to be together.

[yasminhussain]

Every time I see the title of one of Jackson’s videos I’m like: *sigh* I know all this he’s already made an “introducing cats” video or a “how to play with your cats” or “catification” but I end up learning new stuff each video. It’s crazy how much knowledge and detailed understanding he has of their behaviour!

[indigoia]

Could not have come at a better time, we're bringing home cat #2 tonight!

[cathygrandstaff]

One thing I’ve found helps is food and treats, if the old cat associates meeting the new cat with getting something it likes it’s going to have a lot more positive opinion of that cat. I also pet the other cat and let my original cat sniff my fingers, so it smells the new cat and me together and knows we’re friends.

[ifuckedyourtiger]

Hey Jackson. It would be nice if you could give some advice on introducing cats in a limited space like a 1 bedroom or studio. Definitely makes it more challenging

[mireryn]

I was ready to follow your advice about introducing cats when my dad brought our little girl home last year. I kept trying and trying to follow the steps but my dad was having none of it and just let her out whenever he felt like it, no regard for how her or my little boy would take it. Sure enough, while she was pretty chill, my boy had a few fits around her and had even started laying in his litter box for comfort. Thankfully they're all right with each other now, but I've gotten into so many arguments with my dad over how to properly care for our cats - if left up to him, they would be having bags of treats as actual meals. :/

[mollyleannemundt]

My cat doesn’t really get along with other cats or dogs, but she LOVES my bunny rabbit. 😍

[Suzannen]

I had a solo cat.... She thought WE were her fellow cats. ADORED us. Slept on my head every day. Hugged me and nuzzled my neck.
When she was maybe a year and a half home, we tried introducing a kitten and she wasn’t having it (Jackson Galaxy videos didn’t exist back then lol). Baby Kitty had to go back after 2 days.
We brought in another kitten when she was 10. And another cat when she was 15. She never accepted them (even though we kept them). She was always only a people cat. She Hated all other cats AND all other people. But she was the best cat I ever had. So loving. She had cancer and made it to 17 years.... I miss her so much :(

[jamespirko]

During my childhood, I was raised with two alpha female cats who did not get along with each other. They were not introduced properly, because we did not have any Jackson Galaxy cat videos during the 1960s.

Calico TC was the senior cat, who just showed up as a gentle, friendly stray, house-trained, spayed, and was a skilled predator. She owned our yard, and could be seen hunting throughout my neighborhood.

Siamese Lucy was adopted when my father's friend's Siamese Queen had a litter of pure Siamese kittens.

The day my father brought her home, I remember her walking around the kitchen, filling the house with her distinctive Siamese voice. Having seen the movie "That Darned Cat" Lucy did not seem to be strange.

The first time they saw each other, it was a war between two Alpha Females, who instantly disliked each other. They hissed, howled, and swatted at each other for the next 15 years.

Eventually they divided the house between each other, with certain rooms belonging to one or the other. They divided the Living Room and Kitchen by sides of the room.

The TV belonged to Siamese Lucy, because the vacuum tubes kept it warm. One day one of my brother's friends saw Lucy in her Sphinx pose, and remarked "I swear I saw your statue move!"

Feeding time always was challenging. We would have to feed Lucy first, before feeding TC. Then Lucy would leave her food, and nudge TC away from TC's food.

TC would just walk to the door, as if to say "I can catch better stuff than that!" Within a half hour, TC could be seen chowing down on some unfortunate rodent or bird.

One day TC was absolutely insistent demanding to go outside, despite the rain. So I opened the front door to show TC that it was pouring rain.

This angered TC, she pulled her ears back, and turned away from the door. At that moment, Lucy came bopping into the room, happy with her tail straight up. TC hissed and attacked poor Lucy, who had an expression like "What did I do?!?"

Those incidents went on for 15 years, until TC died. Lucy walked the house for days, calling mournfully and searching for her rival housemate. Lucy adjusted to being an only cat for the next two years.

Decades later, I still miss those two stepsisters.

[AlmightyAphrodite]

Makes me sad how many people still just throw a new cat right in the middle of their existing resident cats. And have no respect for video's or tips like this to do it the right way for their cats. They think they know better and think this is making to much of a fuss about it. 😥
Love how you are trying to educate people, Jackson! 👌❤

[bodysnatcher]

i got a second, younger cat to be a companion for my older cat. everything was going fine until Olivia hit puberty. It didn't help she was twice the size of my older cat. When introducing them I followed all the advice I could and they did get along for a few weeks. One day i cam home from work and Olivia had attacked Missy to such an extent that there was a blood trail through the house and missy was cowering on the window sill, hunched into the corner in fear. I had to separate them and soon found a new forever home for Olivia. This was just too much stress for Missy and because I live on my own, i didn't have anyone to help me resocialise them. I received updates from Olivia and she is doing well, is healthy and happy. Missy seems to be much happier as a single cat and after a few weeks of building up her confidence again was back to her old self. Bless her she was really traumatised :(

[ambergreen]

We adopted our second cat one week ago. We did everything like suggested here but since 2 days ago it just wasn't possible anymore to seperate them (12 weeks & 10 months, both girls). The little one sat at the door of the basecamp, crying and scratching all the time, it just broke my heart, no matter how much time I spent in there. When I go out: cry cry cry. She really wanted to explore the rest of the flat, aside from daily site swapping.. got out like an arrow, really confident. I was unsure bc my teenage cat had bad experiences before, but it drove her crazy, all the crying, I had the feeling it really heated her up, hissing under the door. So we went for it. And what can I say, there's still a little bit of hissing, but they know each other visually since 24h and even slept in the same bed tonight. Not euphoric, but relaxed. I really wanted to follow these tips strictly, but with that little one, it was not an option anymore. Just wanted to share my experience :)

[Opulent_oatmeal]

Please do a video on non-recognition syndrome. I had never heard of it until it happened to my boys. I had to go through this process all over again just because one of them went to the vet. It's hard enough introducing cats once. Having to reintroduce the same cats because they don't recognize each other is harder and a little heartbreaking.

[bernadettebockis]

As a cat TNR trapper, I confirm. Cats like cats. A solo cat in a lonely home.... no!

Jesus. I just adopted another cat 3 weeks ago. I know I’m not doing my best. Sometimes I feel exhausted, other times I can see some progress. Thanks for the video.

[iowagirl]

I brought in a new cat with my 2 resident cats, and thanks to watching Jackson, it was successful! First I put new cat in her own bedroom with food, water and her own litter box. The bedroom also had a bed, so I slept in there each night so she wouldn't feel alone. I also started doing a scent exchange with gloves, petting new cat and letting the residents smell the glove. Then petting them and letting new cat smell them.. By week three I started doing room exchange and letting new cat explore more. At the end of week five, I could tell they had all had enough of it, and on Friday night I came home from work and opened it all up. Yes there were some mild spats and hissing, but mainly they just avoided each other at first. But there were never any fights, blood and tears. Now seven years later, we all live in harmony.

[melindagreen]

I am currently on this exact journey. Only I have 4 resident cats and have taken in 3 more in that I promised my mother I would take care of before she recently passed away. Have been using a 5 foot gate in the base camp instead of the door. Two of the new family members mustered up the courage to venture to the other end of my house. The 3rd one isn't ready yet, but she is coming up to the gate now. I think it's going well because I'm using your bully solution, self esteem, and I am putting peacemaker in all water sources. Please pray 🙏 for me, everyone. Lol 😂😂😂❤❤❤😻😻😻