How difficult is adding a cat to a multi-cat household?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Or to a single dog household?

In a thread that I won’t bother linking to (it’s a gong show), it came up that a poster was unable to take in another cat is their home already had 3.

Currently, I’m going to be adopting a cat from my girlfriend who’s unable to keep him - he’s going to be living with myself and my dog who he’s met and gets along with reasonably well.

I don’t foresee major problems other than my cat alergy, asthma, and inability to take anti-histamines.

So, ignoring the wisdom of me taking in this cat, how difficult is it, really? If you already have an animal friendly household, how difficult is it to add one more animal? If you have 3 cats, how hard is it to add another to the mix?

I don’t predict that my question will get answered in that other thread, so I’m reasking it here.

What are your opinions? Additionally, any things that I can do to make my own kitty addition smooth? His current mummy says that he’s not fussy about his litter box, so he should happily share Voltaire’s (my dog). Additionally, I guess he’s a good eater and fairly well adjusted as far as cats go.

2

Watch them at first, but with the situation you described, it should go well. We recently added cats #3 and then #4 (yeah, I know, well on my way to being a Crazy Cat Lady) and although cat #2 has taken a dislike to cat #4, I expect it to work out in time.

3

[QUOTE=alice_in_wonderland]

So, ignoring the wisdom of me taking in this cat, how difficult is it, really? If you already have an animal friendly household, how difficult is it to add one more animal? If you have 3 cats, how hard is it to add another to the mix?
[/QUOTE]

Adding a cat to a single dog household might be a bit more difficult if the dog/cat isn’t used to another of the same species. If they haven’t already met, I’d be inclined to do it slowly, because a bad first impression can really sour things.

I’d let them meet under a door and get used to each other’s smell and then move onto a meeting with one of them under control, probably the dog, if Voltaire is bigger than a toy.

Keep them separated when you’re not around, until you’re really sure that there aren’t going to be any major arguments, just to be on the safe side.

As to introducting another cat to a multiple cat household, my experience has been that it’s not that difficult at all. The existing cats are already used to having to share their space and having other cats around, so they don’t have to work that out, they just have to deal with a new purrsonality.

Cats are usually realists, apart from the occasional maladjusted individual, they’d prefer to come to a harmonious arrangement even with a cat they don’t like, than waste a lot of energy fighting. I do think though, that this will depend on there being enough room for the cats to coexist separately, so that they don’t have to be in each other’s faces all the time.

Two of my cats dislike each other intensely, but they manage it by avoiding each other … if they happen to meet there’s usually an exchange of insults, but that’s about as far as it gets.

You might find that you can manage your allergies with the new cat pretty well after a while. I’m often mildly allergic to other people’s cats, but have no trouble with my own. A friend of mine is the same way … it seems your immune system can learn to tolerate a known quantity.

4

Number four was pretty difficult for us, but number five was a breeze! You’ll probably notice changes in attitudes and personalities, but for the most part, everyone learns to live in harmony. I rarely hear of a household that simply won’t accept a new critter.

5

I’ve never had a problem. Including when my four inch kitten met my four foot dog. And the dog was scared. All the new cats were met with skepical looks (cats are good at that) sniffed for a while and then accepeted.

6

Like quitting smoking, there’s the gradual exposure and the cold-turkey. Many sources will recommend that the newcomer be shut into one room for a couple of weeks so all the fur folk can get to know the smell of one another without the confrontation of tooth and claw. Others recommend a few days, and then switching rooms, with pretty much the same reasoning - the newbie gets to know the older cats’ smells, and the older cats occupy the room the newbie’s been in.

We have two cats who are dumber ‘n dirt, and every time we move apartments, they forget they know each other. It becomes new territory carvin’ all over again, with the attendant squabbles and hissing. The easiest “re-introduction” was this last time. Due to circumstances beyond my control, the cats spent two weeks shut up in the same bathroom. Small bathroom. Smelled like nervous cat. Started out with one in the tub and the other on the toilet seat. A few battles, but surprisingly few. At the end of the two weeks, the two sworn enemies were, if not the best of friends, more tolerant of one another than ever before. They’ll even allow their tails to touch while sharing the couch now!

So do what feels right, but be prepared to try a couple of approaches as needed.

7

We added a kitten to our household last summer, making her cat #4 (We’re crazy, too). Things didn’t work out as we expected.

Midnight (oldest cat by far) – we thought she might act like abn “aunt” to the kitten. No chance. She hisses at her every chance she gets. Midnight is, however, the only car the kitten treats with respect.

Lotta (previous youngest cat) – we thought they’d get along fine and play all the time. No chance. Kitten is too aggressive, and Lotta runs from her until she gainsd the High Ground.

Clarence (Our big dumb male jock cat with one eye) – He and the kitten get along fine. He used to be the one to initiate roughhousing with the other cats, so it didn’t bother him when the kitten started play-attacking him. They’re Best Buds, and often sleep together.

8

I had a ten-year-old cat who was very much Mistress of the House. We introduced a 3-month-old kitten but since we knew Existing Cat was used to being in charge, we kept the kitten in one room for a week before we let them meet. The kitten was quite happy, she had plenty to explore, we left her with food, water and a litter tray which she was happy to use. One of us was around all the time so would go in at regular intervals to play with her.

After a week of them getting used to each other, we let the kitten come out into the main part of the house. By then, Existing Cat was aware that there was a small furry object around that smelt different to her, but wasn’t unduly bothered about her position as Queen of the Manor being usurped.

There was a bit of hissing and grumbling from Existing Cat, but eventually a mutual peace was agreed and they got on relatively well. If the kitten’s play became too boisterous, Existing Cat would simply take herself off somewhere or ask us to let her outside. Obviously at that point we couldn’t let the kitten out because she had yet to be vaccinated and neutered.

After six months, when the kitten was able to go outside, the two of them were often seen chasing each other round the garden and later snoozing side by side in the sun. For all her protestations at the beginning, Existing Cat seemed to enjoy the company in the end.

Sadly Existing Cat passed away last summer and the kitten (now two years old) will be getting a kitten-sized companion soon. And it all starts again.

9

I have four cats now that I’ve accepted my niece will probably not take her Spike back. 4 dogs. They can all peacefully co-exist in the same room at the same time. But none of the cats like each other. The dogs like eveybody, dog and cat alike. And Spike is a terror, picking fights with the other cats just for the fun of it. He’s still young (about 8 months) and I hope he’ll outgrow it. The cats usually perch on their favored bit of furniture and each pretends he or she is the boss kitty. And She might be Boss kitty - Boss of the dresser, where there are no other cats. Still, for the most part it’s peaceful, except when Spike starts aggitating the others.

StG

10

I introduced a cat to a dog a few months ago and they’ll probably never be able to be in the same room together. I run a DMZ of at least two doors between them at all times otherwise there’ll be all kinds of barking and yowling and crap. It’s gotten to be routine, but be aware that it doesn’t always work.

11

We’ve introduced a number of cats to the other cats in our home. It’s not an easy thing most times; the existing cats do not want to share their territory immediately. But they will if they have to, and all should get along fairly well eventually.

What we’ve found works well is much what others here have said–we keep the new arrival separate from the others for a period of time (we have a glass door through which they can all look at each other, sniff each other under the door, and so on). There are a few spats when we do allow them to meet each other, but for the most part, our experience is that once we allow them to mix after watching each other through the door for a week or so, they will all get along fairly well within a few days.

We have had at least one occurrence when nobody seemed to want to get along with the new arrival, and for that time, we used Feliway. The link will tell you more about it, but basically, it uses feline pheromones to calm the cats. It worked for us, and did decrease the amount of aggressive behaviour all cats were showing. Might be something to consider if you’re worried about introducing a new cat to one or more existing cats.

12

At our highest, we had 11 cats. The 11th cat, Terence, was soon dubbed Terence the Terrible because he was a troublemaker.

Otherwise, we’ve been pretty casual about introducing new cats and haven’t had many problems at all. Right now we have 8. Albert has a vendetta against Irving and he likes to moan and grumble a lot, but otherwise, we rarely have any issues. We just sort of plop a newcomer down and keep close watch for a couple of days.

13

Thanks for all the replies!

So, kitty-cat is going to stay with Voltaire and I for a weekend in February as a dry run. I’ve spoke to his mummy and she thinks if I stuff him in my spare room while I’m away, it will minimize trauma to both critters.

Now, I just need some ideas about kitty proofing. He doesn’t have claws so I don’t need a scratching post or anything, but what other sort of kitty items might be required?

14

[QUOTE=alice_in_wonderland]
Now, I just need some ideas about kitty proofing. He doesn’t have claws so I don’t need a scratching post or anything, but what other sort of kitty items might be required?
[/QUOTE]

Consider getting a towel or shirt or something soft from your friend to put in the room with the kitty–something that would still have her scent on it.

Otherwise, she’ll just need bowls, preferably not plastic, food, a litter pan, litter, and someplace to lie/sleep/perch. If it’s a spare bedroom, she’ll probably be on the bed or under it!

15

My finacee and I (not cohabitating yet) are gradually introducing my cats, Lenny and Squiggy to her dog, Tippy.

Her dog used to completely flip out and bark at her former roommate’s cats, but he gradually learned that these are smaller members of “the pack” and now mostly ignores them. Lenny was not impressed the first day Tippy marched into my apartment like he owned the place. Squiggy had never seen a dog before and was wide-eyed and curious. He doesn’t mind the dog unless it stares at him, then he hides under the bed, and hisses and growls from the safety of his hiding place.

We started training the cats that every time Tippy came in the door, they would get their most highly favored cat treat. The dog would follow everyone else to the kitchen. At first there was a lot of anxiety as the cats were torn between the desire to hide and the desperate longing to wolf down their favorite snack.

Drooling snack-worship won out. So now, whenever the dog comes in, everyone rushes to the kitchen for treats. We don’t expect Lenny and Squiggy to ever be cuddly buddies with the enormous dog, but it’s peaceful and they require minimal supervision.

What happens when we’re all living together permanently remains to be seen. They’ve never been left alone together either.

16

My experience is if the dog does not eat the cat, they will usually get along, if they don’t the cat will eventually scratch the dog on the nose, then all will be good :smiley:

[QUOTE=WhyNot]
We have two cats who are dumber ‘n dirt, and every time we move apartments, they forget they know each other. It becomes new territory carvin’ all over again,
[/QUOTE]

They didn’t forget, they actually remembered very well. What the cats were doing is that they were establishing their territories in the new area. Cats are solitary animals in general and need their own space. In a multi cat environment each cat will establish ‘zones’ which is theirs and respected by other cats, either through dominance, or undesirability of a area to other cats (usually in a multi cat location at least one cat will take the ‘high ground’, which seems undesirable to some cats and open up a bunch of new space for the cat colony). There is some overlap of male and female territory, with a male’s territory usually much bigger and overlapping in several female’s territory.

17

I’ve had no problems adding cats to our multi-cat and multi-dog household. We’ve had some hissing and hiding but never any fights. It takes time in some cases, but if they are already getting along fairly well it should be OK.

I wouldn’t leave them alone together until months down the road, however. Put the cat into a room with food/water/box, or crate the dog if he’s trained and he’s more comfortable there when you need to leave until you are absolutely sure there will be no aggression between the animals. If your dog is used to being the only pet he may welcome the new addition.

About what else you’ll need - cats don’t require a lot and I don’t know your living situation, but my inside-only cats really like birdfeeders placed outside all the windows they like to look out. If you live in a high rise I don’t know how easy this would be.

18

[QUOTE=Boscibo]
Put the cat into a room with food/water/box, or crate the dog if he’s trained and he’s more comfortable there when you need to leave until you are absolutely sure there will be no aggression between the animals.
[/QUOTE]
This is what I did when I introduced Squiggy to Lenny. Squiggy was locked in the bathroom and Lenny would have the run of the apartment for the day. They would sniff (and hiss) at each other under the door. In the evening when I was home from work, Lenny got locked in the bedroom and Squiggy woudl get the run of the apartment for the rest of the evening. More under-the-door sniffing and growling.

They got used to the idea that there was another cat sharing the territory, and eventually they got to roam the apartment at the same time while supervised by me, the big, burly human. There was some growling and tail poofing, but no real squabbles.

Now they bathe each other and play together.

19

Get the kitty some cat toys, but don’t be upset if the cat doesn’t like to play with them. That’s just how they mess with our heads. :smiley: Also, keep a squirt bottle filled with water handy at all times. That’s a harmless way of explaining to the kitty that he’s doing something wrong.

If the kitty’s particularly furry, you might want to get some hairball lube so you don’t have the little darling hacking them up all over the place.

Might also talk to your doc to see if there’s anything they can give you so that your allergies aren’t so bad that you want to die.

20

Seven cats here (the eighth died recently). I find it easier to introduce a kitten to a houseful of adults, as the resident adults figure out quickly that the fluffball isn’t much of a threat to them and their declared territories, while an adult new cat requires more settling of hierarchies and dibs. But it can be done, though it may take longer for the angst to subside.

Short-term: A large dog crate for the new cat or, even better, a large cage, which thus will comfortably hold a litterbox, towel/shirt/whatever to sleep on, food and water dishes, and still have some free floor space left over. Put the new cat in it, in a room with a closable door, and let everybody get acquainted for a few days, shutting the resident population out of the room when you’re not going to be around to supervise. This will get a lot of the cursing, spitting, and name-calling out of the way while both sides are unable to carry through on threats, giving them time for curiosity and familiarity to take over.

Long-term: A litter box for each cat, if possible. Even though they’ll likely wind up using the same one. I’ve got seven boxes on three of the four levels of my townhouse. Different cats have different preferences.