- Shop
- Information
- Services
Cat Compatibility Adding A New Kitten Or Cat To Your FamilyThere are 2 main factors that determine the compatibility of kittens and cats, these are age and gender. It is much easier to successfully introduce cats when they are young. Older cats tend to be very settled and secure in their place in the home. Gender is also important, generally females will get along in groups and are more accepting of other females. Males are more unwilling to accept other males into the home, especially un-neutered males. Neutered males are more likely to accept males kittens, especially if the resident cat was neutered at a young age.  Introducing Your CatsThere are certain things you can do to help successfully introduce a new cat to the home: Be patient - It can take time for cats to get to know each other and to accept each other. The best way to do this is to keep the new cat in a room that the current cat can’t access, ensure he has his own water and food dish and litter tray. Let the new cat acclimatise in here, ensuring that you spend plenty of time with both the new cat and the resident cat. To animals, smells are far more important than appearances, so you want to get your pets used to each other's scent before they meet face-to-face. Swap the blankets or beds the cats use, or gently rub a washcloth on each cat’s cheeks and put it underneath the food dish of the other. Let the new cat have some time free roaming around the resident cat's areas, while confining your other pets to the new cat's room. It's best to introduce your new cat to a room or two at a time and increase her access to other rooms over a few days. This switch provides another way for them to experience each other's scents without a face-to-face meeting. It also allows the newcomer to get familiar with the new surroundings. You can do this several times a day, but only when you're home to supervise. Next, after you’ve returned the cats to their designated parts of the house, use two doorstops to prop open the dividing door just enough to allow the animals to see each other. Repeat the whole process over a period of days — supervised, of course.  If the cats are not getting on and begin to fight, use a Pet Corrector, make a loud noise by clapping or throw a pillow nearby to distract them. Never try to break up a cat fight by picking one up, if you get scrabbed or bitten it can lead to infection.  Calming treatments can be administered to the resident cat if you feel they will be stressed out by the introduction of a new cat or kitten. Spot-Ons and Tablets are both available, which do not have a sedating effect but will provide anxiety relief. Pet Remedy Plug-Ins should be used for nervous or anxious cats or kittens, and will help a great deal with the stress levels of the new cat, as well as your older pet. |