Are you plann ing to adopt a new kitty soon? Congratulations! Of course, if you already have a cat, your current pet may not be as thrilled as we are. Our feline pals can be jealous, so you’ll want to do everything you can to make the transition easier for your cats. A New Orleans, LA veterinarian offers some tips on this below .
Cats take first impressions very seriously. If the initial meeting between Fluffy and Mittens doesn’t go well, it could take a long time for them to move past it. You don’t want to rush things. Keep your kitties separated at first, and introduce them gradually. Also, take care not to play favorites!
Dual play sessions can help quite a bit here. These work for a few reasons. For one thing, they let your kitties take their angst out on an appropriate scapegoat— a feather toy or catnip mouse— rather than on each other. Plus, they’ll naturally be calmer after they’ve burned off some of those angry zoomies.
Kitties can be jealous and territorial. If your pets have to compete for things like toys, beds, sunbeam space, attention, and food, they may become quite resentful of each other. Make sure there’s enough of everything to go around. We recommend having separate feeding stations, litterboxes, and water bowls. This applies to cat furniture as well. If you get a cat tower, make sure it’s large enough to fit both Mittens and Fluffy.
Kitties can be stubborn. However, Fluffy can change her mind about things fairly quickly when she realizes there’s something in it for her. Offer your cats toys, treats, cuddles, and catnip together. This can go a long way towards melting the ice. You want your feline buddies to realize that good things happen when they’re together!
Cats don’t like change. It can take a year or even longer for them to get used to one another. In some cases, kitties end up becoming playmates, cuddle buddies, and bffs. (This is always cute to see.) Or, you may find that they don’t really bond so much as just learn to tolerate each other. That’s fine! However, if they don’t seem to be making progress, consult your vet.
As your New Orleans, LA pet hospital, we are always happy to help. Call us anytime!