By Analise Gottschalk
Cats are adorable creatures that plenty of people enjoy having around them, whether for a reason that helps them with stress, anxiety, etc, or just purely to have them around as a member of the family. Yet, what if you have the nagging urge to have a second one? What can you do to make sure that chaos will not erupt in your house? This article will answer these, and will have many tips and pointers for this process! (This is a guide for indoor cat introductions. )
If you intend to get cats in one sweep instead of getting each separately, sometimes in shelters there are bonded pairs. Bonded pairs are pairs of cats that have already bonded and are perfectly happy in each other's company, so you would not need to worry about introducing them. (All you need to do is get them used to the house.)
However if you’re not getting a bonded pair, you will need to introduce the cats to each other. This has to be done carefully, so there are no bad reactions. The first step of introducing the cats is to obtain the second cat, (or how many other cats you are getting or if they are both getting adopted at the same time,) and put them in smaller and different rooms. This is so that the cats can get used to the new area, (and so it's not so hard to keep track of them.) You can slowly increase the space that they can wander around, until they are used to every part of the house. (Using a collar with a bell is helpful to track the cats as they roam so you can be aware of them.)
After that, you can slowly begin to introduce the cats. (Do not just put them in the same room and hope for the best straight out, it can go horribly wrong.) Letting them switch rooms so they can get a feel for the other's scent is good so they can be aware of who they are instead of having no clue. You can feed the cats on separate sides of a door, whether it is a door with windows or just a regular door. Opening the door a crack to let them smell each other is also a good idea, but if one of the cats shows hostility towards the other (hissing, growling, flattened ears,) then close the door and let them have time to themselves. Continue this process until you believe they are ready to fully interact. Put them in their carriers and you can switch having one of them outside the carrier and one of them in the carrier.
If all goes well, you can proceed to letting them both roam in the same area. (Doing this in a small room could make it harder to give the other a break if they need it, so it is best to do it in a room that is decently sized and has plenty of hiding spots.) Many things can happen during this, including full out fighting, where you need to be ready to pull them apart and separate them again,(Look out for hissing, growling, yowling, and negative body language. If it is not shown, they are probably play-fighting.) The cats could also just be entirely chill about it and accept the others' existence, not fighting at all. There is also a chance that they bond immediately, and are content to sleep with each other, use the same litter box, groom the other and more. During this entire process, if there are any positive interactions, make sure to reward the cats with treats as to show it is a good idea for them to be acting the way they are. If you scold/yell at them when they do something bad, it can make them scared of you and cause even more problems that would take long stretches of time to fix.
Pointers/facts:
If you have not already, vaccinate the cats so they cannot spread diseases to each other such as feline leukemia and rabies.
Depending on age and medical conditions they can have different diets, so make sure to be prepared for each of them.
Purring is not always a sign of them being happy, and can be used to soothe their own anxiety and stress, so watch out for any fluffed out fur or flattened ears when they purr.
Make sure you have bonded with the cats and that you spend equal time with each of them so they do not feel left out.