How Should You Get Two Cats To Get Along If My Cat Had Bad Experiences With Other Cats?

[ricue611]

I'm planning on getting a new cat soon. I have done research and found out that when you introduce two cats, the best way to do it is by introducing by scent first. You should have the new cat in a separate room from the resident cat, and introduce the scents of the cats to each other by using towels, or anything that gets scent trapped into it.

Why I am asking this question.

The reason I am asking this question is because the cat that I have right now has had nothing but bad experiences with other cats. I got a new cat four years ago, and I tried introducing it to the cat that I have right now, and I rushed things. I got the new cat and put him in the room that my old cat was in, and I put the new cat in front of the cat that I have right now. When I picked up the kitten to take it out of the room, the cat that I have right now started screaming at the top of his lungs and tried to murder the kitten that I had in my arms. I thankfully only came out with a cut on my foot.

Sometimes, I get cats from the neighborhood that go to my front yard, and when my cat is outside with them, he is very aggressive towards them, and wants them to leave.

Should I get a new cat?, and if I do, How do I introduce them?

 

[susanm9006]

It is most certainly a risk to get another cat. Your cat that didn’t do well is now four years older and generally the older the cat gets the less flexible they are about newcomers. Would I take that risk or put my resident cat through that? No, personally I wouldn’t. If you choose then you need to have the time and space to do a long slow introduction. And you need to also have a plan for what you will do if the two cats don’t get along, even after a slow introduction.

 

[ricue611]

It is most certainly a risk to get another cat. Your cat that didn’t do well is now four years older and generally the older the cat gets the less flexible they are about newcomers. Would I take that risk or out my resident cat through that? No, personally I wouldn’t. If you choose then you need to have the time and space to do a long slow introduction. And you need to also have a plan for what you will do if the two cats don’t get along, even after a slow introduction.

I have a plan if they don't get along, but how long do you think it will take?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Other than you having an open and generous heart, knowing this could be very challenging, you still want to do this? I'm wondering why.
In any case, it will take as long as the cat that is slowest to accommodate it.

 

[ricue611]

Hi!
Other than you having an open and generous heart, knowing this could be very challenging, you still want to do this? I'm wondering why.
In any case, it will take as long as the cat that is slowest to accommodate it.

I want to do this because I haven't been able to get a new cat because we have two dogs. It would be very difficult to take care of two dogs and two cats. One of my dogs is going to die soon, and out of respect for her, we are going to wait at least five months after her death. I think having a new cat would be good for my other cat, and getting a new dog would be more difficult because the other dog is a male, and very territorial.

 

[ricue611]

I'm planning on getting a new cat soon. I have done research and found out that when you introduce two cats, the best way to do it is by introducing by scent first. You should have the new cat in a separate room from the resident cat, and introduce the scents of the cats to each other by using towels, or anything that gets scent trapped into it.

Why I am asking this question.

The reason I am asking this question is because the cat that I have right now has had nothing but bad experiences with other cats. I got a new cat four years ago, and I tried introducing it to the cat that I have right now, and I rushed things. I got the new cat and put him in the room that my old cat was in, and I put the new cat in front of the cat that I have right now. When I picked up the kitten to take it out of the room, the cat that I have right now started screaming at the top of his lungs and tried to murder the kitten that I had in my arms. I thankfully only came out with a cut on my foot.

Sometimes, I get cats from the neighborhood that go to my front yard, and when my cat is outside with them, he is very aggressive towards them, and wants them to leave.

Should I get a new cat?, and if I do, How do I introduce them?

My cat isn't a mean cat. He is a very nice cat, but he hasn't socialized with any cats throughout his life. It has been four years since my cat went crazy on a new cat that I tried introducing to him, and he very rarely is outside with other cats. He has only been outside with other cats twice. The first time was with a black cat that he did nothing to, and the other time was with two cats under a car that screamed loudly to make them go away. I don't think it would be near impossible for him to get along with another cat.

 

[sabrinah]

Coming from experience, your cat would probably appreciate it if you didn't bring another cat in. When I was maybe 10 my grandpa moved in with us and brought his cat. She was always a vicious creature and spent every second up until the day she died making my cat miserable. No one would do anything about it or listen to me because apparently young=stupid regardless of the subject. Years after that I moved in with a relative that has 2 cats. My cat was not interested in making friends. You could do whatever introduction you wanted and coexisting with other cats was not part of her plan. The cats were kept separated but she still wasn't happy until we moved out. If she so much as hears another cat she gets angry. I would love another kitty, but my cat would not. She comes first.

You already know there's a decent chance your cat won't be ok with a newcomer. Is getting another cat really so important that you're willing to risk your cat's comfort? Are you prepared to rehome the adopted cat if it doesn't work out, and pay for vet bills if they get into a nasty fight?

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. With your cat's history of aggression towards other cats, I'm glad you came here to get advice/comments/suggestions from our cat community prior to getting another cat.

Seeing that you also will have a dog in the mix, that increases the introduction process, as not only do you have to get the cats get along, you need a cat who will be ok with a dog.

How does your current cat get along with the dogs? Is it likely after your ill dog passes, your cat and remaining dog will be buddies? If so, that might be enough companionship for your cat.

Since you're reading up on introductions, here are the TCS articles on the subject:

Your Second Cat: How To Choose The Best Friend For Kitty
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
Introducing Cats To Cats
How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat
How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction
The Multi-cat Household

Best And Worst Dog Breeds To Live With Cats
How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog
Introducing Cats To Dogs
Caring For Cats And Dogs

 

[Furballsmom]

the cat that I have right now started screaming at the top of his lungs and tried to murder the kitten that I had in my arms.

Hi! Here's to try and maybe better explain the impression that you've given;

For a cat to want other cats that are outside his house to leave, by screaming and yowling at them and such, is fairly normal territorial "This is mine" behavior for most cats.

What you've described in the quotes as your cat being so upset as to rush at you to try to murder the kitten and you ending up with a hurt foot, is normal for your cat, and concerning regarding bringing a new cat into the household.

Four years isn't going to make any difference in your resident cat's outlook on life and what belongs to him. You said your male dog is too territorial for you to bring in another dog. I'm thinking your cat is too territorial as well. In addition, if your dog is this territorial you don't know the dog won't see a new cat as a problem.

Depending on the personality and age of a cat that you bring in, no matter the care with which you handle introductions you may very well either end up with two cats and a dog fighting it out and your house becoming a war zone, or the new cat being submissive, frightened out of its wits and possibly being hurt.

Bringing a new cat into your household is sounding not only unfair to all the animals involved but, as mentioned above, quite possibly dangerous.

By the way, has your resident kitty been to the vet recently? He sounds a bit highstrung and somewhat easily stressed, and stress can have a detrimental impact on the physical health of cats. Is he neutered?

Your ill dog and your household's emotions about that are, without a doubt, having a stressful impact on your cat. I'm so very sorry you're having to deal with that and your kitty, if you haven't already, could benefit by a vet visit to ensure everything is ok.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I really can't add much to what everyone else has said. But, I will tell you I have a 14+ yo cat who is an 'only-child'. She is so, because I swear she would KILL another cat, based on her reaction to all other cats she has ever set eyes on. From the very day I brought her home from spaying 12 years ago and she escaped my house to chase down another cat in the neighborhood, to just a few days ago when she nearly went through the patio screen to get to another cat in the backyard - she has always hated all other cats.

The only exception was one stray that ran the neighborhood, called Boots. They could sit together one of each side of my screen door for hours.

Unless you got lucky and their relationship would miraculously imitate Feebys & Boots, I think you need to be happy as a one-cat household.

 

[Kflowers]

If you get an adult cat, you could probably save it from your cat if the introductions went south.

You probably could not save it from your territorial dog. Irealise you think the dog will only be territorial with another dog, but you are wrong. To the dog, as to any other animal and most people, any animal who invades his territory is the enemy. Dogs, even old ones, are way faster than people. Unless your dog is absolutely voice trained your new cat won't have a chance if he grabs her. You have one second to scream, "Drop it!" Dogs kill by grabbing prey around the neck and swinging their heads to the right then the left. That's it, prey's neck is broken. Game over.

 

[ricue611]

Hi! Here's to try and maybe better explain the impression that you've given;

For a cat to want other cats that are outside his house to leave, by screaming and yowling at them and such, is fairly normal territorial "This is mine" behavior for most cats.

What you've described in the quotes as your cat being so upset as to rush at you to try to murder the kitten and you ending up with a hurt foot, is normal for your cat, and concerning regarding bringing a new cat into the household.

Four years isn't going to make any difference in your resident cat's outlook on life and what belongs to him. You said your male dog is too territorial for you to bring in another dog. I'm thinking your cat is too territorial as well. In addition, if your dog is this territorial you don't know the dog won't see a new cat as a problem.

Depending on the personality and age of a cat that you bring in, no matter the care with which you handle introductions you may very well either end up with two cats and a dog fighting it out and your house becoming a war zone, or the new cat being submissive, frightened out of its wits and possibly being hurt.

Bringing a new cat into your household is sounding not only unfair to all the animals involved but, as mentioned above, quite possibly dangerous.

By the way, has your resident kitty been to the vet recently? He sounds a bit highstrung and somewhat easily stressed, and stress can have a detrimental impact on the physical health of cats. Is he neutered?

Your ill dog and your household's emotions about that are, without a doubt, having a stressful impact on your cat. I'm so very sorry you're having to deal with that and your kitty, if you haven't already, could benefit by a vet visit to ensure everything is ok.

My dog is territorial towards other dogs. My cat and my dog get along very well.

Do you think I should give it a try? I have a plan in place if nothing works. I am going to make the two cats get along first, then I'll make the cat and the dog get along.

I know it will be pretty hard, but I think I can do it. My cat only had two bad experiences with cats. The one that I put in the thread is the worst one, and the other one was with two cats under a car that car that he screamed to make them go away.

I'm going to be absolutely certain of everything first before I consider. I am thinking about seeing a veterinarian to see what they recommend, and what tips they can give me. Should I use drugs to make things easier?

 

[ricue611]

If you get an adult cat, you could probably save it from your cat if the introductions went south.

You probably could not save it from your territorial dog. Irealise you think the dog will only be territorial with another dog, but you are wrong. To the dog, as to any other animal and most people, any animal who invades his territory is the enemy. Dogs, even old ones, are way faster than people. Unless your dog is absolutely voice trained your new cat won't have a chance if he grabs her. You have one second to scream, "Drop it!" Dogs kill by grabbing prey around the neck and swinging their heads to the right then the left. That's it, prey's neck is broken. Game over.

My dog and my cat get along very well though. If I bring a new cat to the house, I think they will have a higher chance of getting along because, my cat and my dogs have been living together with no problems for almost five years.

 

[ricue611]

If you get an adult cat, you could probably save it from your cat if the introductions went south.

You probably could not save it from your territorial dog. Irealise you think the dog will only be territorial with another dog, but you are wrong. To the dog, as to any other animal and most people, any animal who invades his territory is the enemy. Dogs, even old ones, are way faster than people. Unless your dog is absolutely voice trained your new cat won't have a chance if he grabs her. You have one second to scream, "Drop it!" Dogs kill by grabbing prey around the neck and swinging their heads to the right then the left. That's it, prey's neck is broken. Game over.

When I first introduced my cat to my two dogs, they didn't like it, but they didn't want to kill him. I have two German shepherds. I showed my cat to them when they were behind a gate. The dog that had the most problems with him was the male dog. The female dog got along almost instantly. The male dog was more difficult because he was more territorial, but the male dog and the cat got along pretty quickly and pretty smoothly as well.

The male dog is not scared of anything that is small. I walk the male dog sometimes, and sometimes little dogs run up on him, but he doesn't do anything to them.

 

[FeralHearts]

Hi there - welcome to TCS! :-)

So how long does it take to get everyone adjusted? It could go quick and easy and take weeks - it could take years.

rubysmama has given you some awesome links on introductions etc. Read them more than once. Honesty there are great links. A few of them have almost been my bible the last few months.

My best advice for success for you is going to be this: no matter what - take it SLOW. Keep them separated for as long as needed. Do slow introductions. Even if it's 3 steps forward 4 back. 2 steps forward 2 back. The yo-yo will happen - and that's okay.

Almost equal advice is that when you do get the new kitty, and I have a feeling your mind is made up :-) , please come here and start a thread if you have any concerns during the process. This site is awesome and we'll be there for you to help in any way we can. Many of us have been where you will be, including myself in the present, and we'd be glad to share any methods we've used to help, or give you a hug when it's been a rough introduction day.

I hope this helps a little.

 

[Kflowers]

I never thought your dog was scared of anything.

 

[ricue611]

I never thought your dog was scared of anything.

I'm not scared of the new cat and the dog getting along. I'm only scared of the new cat and my resident cat getting along. Can you please give me tips or recommend a set of steps, or procedures to see if its possible. Should I use drugs? How many times a week, or How many times a month should I do visual presentations?, How many times should I site swap?, How old should the new cat be when I bring it home?

 

[ricue611]

I never thought your dog was scared of anything.

My dog doesn't consider anything that is small a threat. If I bring a new cat to my house, I don't think he'll like it, but I don't think he'll want to kill it. If I bring home a fully grown cat, then he might consider it to be a threat, but if I bring home a young cat, then I don't think he'll consider it a threat.

 

[Kflowers]

Here you go. I have no personal experience using these methods but many on this board have found then helpful.

Introducing Cats To Dogs

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide

Introducing Cats To Cats

 

[Furballsmom]

How is your unwell GSD hanging in there lately? I'm sending her all my love

Regarding drugs or over the counter calming products, here is a list;
One of the most popular is feliway but there have been comments of the diffuser getting quite hot when it's plugged in, and sometimes it doesn't have an effect on the cat(s).

You could try low volume classical harp music, there is an app called Relax My Cat, there is MusicForCats.com and also George Handel compositions are known to help a cat to relax.

Also, you could try one of these, only a small selection of a fast-growing section of pet products;
Bachs Rescue Remedy, Richard's Organics Pet Calm-this one is drops that you put on the tip of the tongue. Also, Quiet Moments Cat treats, there is Calming Care, Calm-o-mile, Sentry, Natures Miracle calming spray, Vetri-Science's Composure is another item to look at, Pet Remedy (it has valerian) is yet another, as is Essential Pet Pet-ease, Only Natural Pet (brand and website) has a calming product, Pet Naturals also has one I believe.

Also Thunderease has diffusers as does Sentry.
You might want to check with your vet, but some people have good results with CBD oil, plus there are vet-prescribed calming products too.
Lambert Vet Supply is a website to look at, and of course chewy, also there's Petwishpros, drsfostersmith, animaleo, Petco and PetSmart, and other pet stores.

There is a product called a lickimat which could be helpful, as cats can be calmed by the process of licking. The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats

This discussion's post talks about some other products;
Calming Treats For A Very Picky Cat