How to Introduce a New Cat into the Household

We have five cats. We didn't get them all at once, and when we have added another kitty into the mix, we learned to follow certain steps to make sure that the older cats will accept the new cat or kitten.

Take it slow.

When you bring a new cat or kitten home, it is best to bring them into the house in a cat carrier. We usually place a towel inside the carrier so that the new cat or kitten has something to be comfortable on. Then we bring the carrier into the living room, and leave the door shut.

We allow the existing cats to come up to the carrier and sniff at it, to check out the new arrival. The new cat is inside, and is protected, but he or she can also smell the other cats.

The key to making this work is to go slowly. If you try to force the issue, you might have a literal catfight on your hands.

After about an hour, we then open the door to the carrier. The new cat or kitten will eventually come out on its own to take in the new surroundings. Let the cat walk around the room, down the halls and see their new home. I recommend leaving the bedroom doors shut, for a while at least. Sometimes a frightened cat will run under a bed, and it can be quite a challenge to coax them out.

Leave the carrier out for the first couple of days, to give the new cat or kitten a place that feels safe to him. After spending a bit of time in the carrier, the towel has his or her scent on it, so this feels familiar.

Getting to know each other.

Keep an eye on your other cats, as they will want to get to know the new kitty, and vice-versa. Often this will involve sniffing the rump area. This may seem strange to us, but this is how cats check each other out.

There may be some growling and perhaps even a swat or two. This is perfectly normal, as you are bringing in a strange new cat into their home. The new cat or kitten may not necessarily be a shrinking violet either. It's possible they may growl, grumble and take a few swats at the others as well.

Separate Tables.

For the first several days, I would recommend you feed the new cat or kitten separately. Cats are very protective of their food, so you don't want to create a situation where the new arrival has to fight just to eat. This is especially important with a kitten. If your other cats are fully grown, they shouldn't eat kitten food, and the adult food is not a good idea for the little one.

Peace, eventually.

Follow these steps, and soon you should have a reasonably harmonious home. This is not to say that there will not be occasional squabbles, but these are usually infrequent. We have used this method, and our five cats get along just fine for the most part.