We will be watching my mom’s shy, fat cat for a couple of weeks while she is on a much needed vacation.
What is the best way to introduce her to our cat?
All advice is appreciated.
Is she not able to stay at her mother’s house and you feed her? Would be a lot easier than trying to introduce two cats to each other.
Do not attempt introductions if it is at all possible to keep them separated. It isn’t worth it for only 2 weeks.
Yeah, I have to say that I’d be hesitant to have another cat in my house for a couple of weeks. My cats don’t love change. One in particular is a basketcase who can be freaked out for days by a moved piece of furniture. To introduce a new cat, only to remove it two weeks later when he’s finally getting used to it, would send the poor little dude into a month-long catatonic state.
Of course, your cat may well be different, and I assume there’s a good reason why the cat is coming to your house instead of staying home, but I’d be prepared for the possibility of a couple of unpleasant weeks.
I must say that this is the biggest letdown after a promising thread title I have ever seen. I thought you had come up with a new business. 
My mom lives about 45 minutes away. She doesn’t want the neighbors in her house ( fear of them seeing her place not looking immaculate :rolleyes:)
Confuse a Cat is the best I could come up with.
If I did start a bidness like this, it would be called Rent a Pussy
What if I kept them in seperate rooms with their own food and water and litter?
Keep visiting kitty in one room with her own food, water, litterbox, and the door closed.
Let your own kitty have the rest of the house. You should be fine. >^.^< ~
and you may end up with curious kitties playing catch-a-paw under the door!
this is how I coped with giving a cranky old lady cat houseroom in an emergency. I had no trouble.
That’s how I’d do it. Some cats (like one of mine) take months to acclimate to strange animals. It will save you a lot of stress to keep 'em separated.
My two cats have been introduced to two dogs over the past 15 years, and they adapted nicely.
Separation would probably work but maybe it’s not necessary. I assume Shy Fat Cat will be traveling in a carrier. Bring him inside, set the carrier down in a quiet room, away from outside doors. Open the carrier and let him come out when he’s ready. Cats do tend to freak out about change, but they’ll get over it. Change is good!
But reconsider leaving the cat at home. Unless the cat has health issues that need monitoring, you could probably visit every third day and he’d be fine. They sleep most of the time anyway. Leave the TV or radio on, plenty of food and water, leave the toilet lids up in case he spills the water.
Always ask for an upgrade.
Make sure you do a walk around and note any and all physical damage
Don’t buy the extra insurance if your policy covers
Verify the mileage before leaving
What? Oh, cat
nevermind
That’s called prostitution and it’s illegal in most countries 
We do this cat thing on a regular basis (fosters from shelter). I concur with keeping the new cat in a separate room with separate litter box and food. After some time, usually a day, we leave the door open and let the new cat explore, being able to retreat back to the room if needed. Our own cats start out annoyed (often staying annoyed, but they survive just fine. And they like to eat each other’s food. I also give them lots of extra treats that they don’t normally get, but I think it appeases me more than them. After all, if you took in a new cat to keep, your cat would have to adjust.
Most cats but not all cats have this issues. Some cats can get along right off, not all but some cats do. When I had a cat, I took care of another cat and this younger cat, under a year, was all like, “Hey I’m the new cat come meet me.”
The dog barked at it once then said “God another one I’ll have to put up with,” then never said another thing.
My cat went under the bed and hissed for two days, but the temp cat would’ve been happy to play with either one.
I’m not saying they will not get along but they just might not care. Especially shelter cats which grow up used to other animals
You could do worse than emulate the Japanese model for this enterprise. Open a cat café and charge people good money for a short but intimate encounter with a professional feline. I believe $10 per hour is the going rate, although I assume any subsequent and private arrangements made between cat and customer are subject to the usual negotiations.
Another vote here for separate quarters, food, water, and litterboxes. However, don’t be surprised if your cat spends an inordinate amount of time hunkered down in front of the door to Shy, Fat Cat’s room, just…waiting.
Please tell me you have never actually done this.
I haven’t, but I’m wondering what would be wrong with it. Cats can be left alone for a day or two at a time without any problems, maybe longer. We sleep, we work, we go to school, we spend the night at a friend’s house, we’re in the hospital for a couple days, we die. The cat survives.
Yeah, there’s a chance the house could catch fire or the cat could get itself into trouble, but that can happen in a few minutes. Nobody watches their cat 24/7.
I as well. Actually, I was hoping “cat” was a typo of “car”, and I was all set to see the puns roll in.
*sigh 