MOLLY DEVOSS, CFTBS, CCBC, FFCT, CRM
Certified Feline Training & Behavior Specialist, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, Fear Free Certified Trainer, Certified Reiki Master/Teacher
Available for Nationwide Consulting
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Introducing Cats
Introducing a new cat to your feline family can be a daunting task. By nature, cats are highly territorial and view a new cat as a turf invader. There are many factors behind the cats’ affinity for others of its species. And some cats simply decide they don’t like a specific cat. It’s very important you give them the best chance at building a familial long term relationship. Start by watching this webinar on the process.
These are products that will help you get through the introduction steps:
(click on each image to link to the products)
Good things!
It’s important that only good things happen at the barrier door separating the cats. This means you should feed them on each side of the door; move the food bowls to about two feet either side of the door. You should also give lots of treats at the door. We recommend Vitakraft Lick ‘n Lap, available in Chicken and Salmon flavors.
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You’ll also want to prey play on either side of the door – we recommend either a feather/crunchy paper wand toy, or a long ribbon-like one. Your cats will have a preference to what they like best.
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Door Buddy Strap
After a few days of good things happening on each side of the door, it’s time they get to see each other and get a full scent of their new roommate. It’s crucial you don’t rush this step. If there is hissing and other signs of stress at the door, then wait a few more days. THE best product to use to provide a gap in the door, not big enough for the cat to get out/in, and that won’t close on paws, is the Door Buddy Strap. I’ve done a full video review of this product here.
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Watch Molly’s product review on this item here: https://youtu.be/qSDYnHTDhYI
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Harness Training
While good things are happening at the door, this is also the time to harness/leash train your cats. If you know one is the lunging aggressor, just train it, if you don’t know, or suspect all the cats might lunge once the new one is loose, then train them all.
This H harness is the easiest to get on your cat without a huge fight. There are many different colors/sizes in our store. If your cat is particularly calm and patient, the Come With Me Kitty Harness is the most secure system, but a little bit challenging to master getting it on.
Click here to see how to put it on:
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Kitty Holster Cat Harness
This award-winning, difficult-to-escape-from, Kitty Holster® Cat Harnesses are Made in the USA. It is a soft, comfortable walking vest that secures with ultra-strong Velcro closures to keep your cat safe and sound. The breathable, washable cotton has an undyed lining, suitable for all skin types and climates. This harness is perfect for traveling, walking and taking your cat out on a balcony.
Sizes to fit almost any cat:
XS - Neck: 5" - 9"; Girth (chest): 10" - 14"
S/M - Neck: 9" - 12"; Girth (chest): 13" - 17"
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Leash for introductions
When you have harness and leash trained your aggressor cat, the in-person introductions begin. I like to use this long leash so the cat has room to move, but you can still keep them from lunging at the victim cat.
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Marker Training
While good things are happening at the door, and you are harness training, this is the time to start marker training your cat to “look” at you. A “marker” is a word, sound, or hand signal that you’ll use to tell your cat the exact moment they did something that earns them a reinforcer (reward, like a treat.) One of the first stages of an aggressive encounter between cats is staring. You’ll want to be able to control this by breaking the stare with a “look” request. Each time your cat looks you in the eyes, say “look!” and give them a treat. I highly recommend the Lick ‘n Lap for this because you can dispense a small amount each time and have multiple successions without the cat getting too full. You can watch a webinar on this process here.
Visual Barriers
As long as the gap introduction went well, your cat has mastered look on request, and is comfortable wearing the harness, you can move to the visual barrier stage. This simply means replacing the door with a see-through one. It can be anything the cats can’t get through and that you can cover if needed. There are examples shown in the webinar on Introducing Cats, and here are some to the right I also recommend.
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Wide and Tall Cat Gates
Sometimes your opening is very wide, and this gate does the trick!
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Baby Gate with Cat Door
When you tell me you can't have an uncovered litter box because the dog is eating the cat poop, or your toddler keeps playing in the "sand" - I'm going to tell you go get one of these baby gates with a cat door! Comes in black too!
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Dislike for the litter box is one of the leading causes of cats urinating outside the box. Cats tend to feel trapped in covered litter boxes. I've even seen incidents where one cat sits on top of the box and swats the cat going in and out!
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Scenting
While swapping spaces helps to build a communal scent, often creating a new, same scent works well. Also, scenting is necessary when reintroducing a cat who is coming home from the vet.
When you get to the step of physical introduction without barriers, it will be important the cats smell similar. I like to use Brewers Yeast for this. Sprinkle it on the back of your cat's head, between the ears, down the back of the neck to the shoulder blades. Work it into the coat a little bit. Do this on each cat and then the cats will smell the same. And don't worry if they lick it off themselves or each other - brewers yeast is a natural pest deterrent (fleas, ticks, etc.)
