Are you about to welcome a new cat at home? Still worried about how to ensure that your other cats adjust to a new pet? Adjusting to a new environment is a stressful and frightening experience for most cats. You need to exert a lot of time and effort to reduce the cat’s stress and ensure that the cat adjusts to their new house.
Before adding a new cat into your home, consider the following first:
- Is your house large enough for all the cats to have sufficient territory and space?
- Do you have other cats at home who suffer from chronic illnesses where the added stress of a new cat can worsen their health condition?
- Do any of your cats suffer from behavioral issues, such as aggressive behavior or inappropriate marking?
After considering the factors mentioned above and are ready to welcome a new cat to a new territory, take note of the sections below. These tips will guarantee a smooth transition with other cats and family members.
Move Them In A Cat Carrier
After getting your new cat from the shelter or breeder, let them stay inside a pet carrier as you’re traveling home. Even if your cat doesn’t like being inside it, a cat carrier will serve as their safe room as they are introduced to a new environment and new cats.
Putting your cat in a cat carrier is an effective way of preventing them from getting loose. This will also help them contain themselves in a familiar environment until they’re ready to get out and meet your confident and friendly cats. This is especially important if you’re welcoming a scared cat into your home.
Cat carriers are common today, and you can easily buy one online. We love this cat carrier from petisfam because it doesn’t collapse and is ideal for medium- and large-breed cats.
Prepare A Safe Room For The New Cat
One of the biggest mistakes pet owners make is to introduce their new cat to other cats the moment they arrive home. This doesn’t help turn your new cat into becoming your resident cat; this will only do more harm than good.
Instead of placing all of your cats in one room, prepare a safe room for your new cat. Pick a spare room in your house and turn it into a sanctuary for the new cat. Providing a safe room will make the cat feel comfortable and safe and make it easier for them to adapt to their new surroundings.
One of the most important things to include in the safe room is a litter box. We recommend this one from Purina Tidy Box because it comes with a scoop, one pack of cat pads, and two bags of 3.5 pounds of litter pellets. These supplies can last for up to a month!
You should also add a cat tree in the safe room to encourage your new cat to exercise and help them get rid of stress. This cat tree from Rabbitgoo is an excellent option because it’s made from sturdy materials and offers different activities, such as climbing, scratching, and climbing.
Most importantly, ensure that the safe room contains several cat toys. Kittens and adult cats need toys to control aggressive behavior, relieve stress and boredom, and build confidence. This 31-set of cat toys is a great buy because it offers variety to ensure that your shy cat will have fun.
Cat-Proof The Safe Room
Being in a new home can cause stress to your new cat. These stressful situations can encourage them to escape, which can cause plenty of problems down the road.
After providing all of the essentials for your new cat’s safe room, make sure to cat-proof the space. This is important to ensure that your new cat doesn’t escape.
There are many ways to cat-proof the safe room, namely:
Create Barriers
Investing in a baby gate is a must to ensure that your new cat stays indoors. We highly recommend this bamboo gate because it fits small spaces and doesn’t have those large holes where cats can easily escape.
Offer Distractions
Whenever you leave home, guide your cat away from the door by using a laser pointer, like this one. This will distract your new cat from going near the door and eventually going out.
Allow Limited Time Outside
Letting your cat roam outside for a few hours every day is a great way to reduce escape attempts. Just make sure to invest in a high-quality harness and leash, so you can easily keep track of your cat. We love this set from Pidan because it’s lightweight and comes in colorful designs.
Give Your New Kitten A Place To Hide
Unlike other animals, new kittens are naturally nervous and would prefer to hide all the time. Maximize cardboard boxes or sheets and then drape them over chairs to create hiding spots for your new kitten. If you adopted a shy cat, it’s best to remove large pieces of furniture, such as dressers and beds. It’ll be easier for you to interact with a cat hiding inside a box than a cat hiding under a bed.
Aside from using cardboard boxes and sheets, you can also purchase a cat home, so your new cat will have an easy place to hide. A cat home, like this one, is an excellent investment because it comes as an enlarged cave with a funny ball inside and offers a scratching post to alleviate boredom as your cat hides.
Help Your New Cat Know You
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to break the bank if you want to keep your new cat feeling comfortable and safe in their new home. Giving them one of your shirts can already go a long way.
According to experts, giving clothes that carry your scent to your new cat will help them recognize that you’re their owner. This is one of the reasons why felines love to lay on their owner’s clothes, as it makes them feel comfortable and safe. They’ll basically think of your clothes as their own.
Equip The Safe Room With Cat Food And Water
It’ll be challenging for your new cat to adjust to a new environment if they don’t have all of their essentials in one room. How can they feel comfortable if they’re hungry all the time? Do you think they can adjust to a new house if they don’t have access to clean water?
Your cat’s safe room should be equipped with cat food and water bowls. Ideally, their food bowl and water bowl should be placed on one side of the room, opposite to their litter box.
We love this food and water bowl from MILIFUN because it saves space (this is a 2-in-1 feeder bowl) and will automatically refill water into the bowl. If you want to keep your cat’s food bowl and water bowl separate, this set is an excellent option.
New cats will not eat much during their first night and may experience temporary diarrhea from the stress. If your cat refuses to eat or avoids their food bowl after 48 hours, offer some tasty treats, like canned tuna or salmon. If this attempt isn’t successful, reach out to a vet right away.
Give Your New Cat A Scratching Post
Just like how a dog leaves a territorial message for other dogs by peeing on specific spots, your new cat will also need a scratching post to deposit their scent. Having a scratching post will convey territory information to other cats in your home.
Moreover, having a scratching post encourages good grooming behavior, as scratching can help remove the outer layer of your cat’s nails. It will also give your new cat an outlet to scratch, so they won’t damage the furniture, drapery, and carpets inside your home.
If you’re still clueless on which scratching post to give to your new cat, we recommend this one from LE SURE. Aside from having a stable structure, this also comes with a hanging ball with a bell, allowing your new cat to have more fun indoors.
Use Feliway
There are now companies dedicated to manufacturing products to help pet owners like you. If you want an easier way to transform your new cat into your resident cat, consider using Feliway.
Feliway is ideal for adult cats as it imitates natural cat pheromones and helps a new cat feel comfortable in a new territory. This product comes in a spray or diffuser form, so you can pick an option suitable to your needs and budget.
Spend Time With Your New Cat
A shy cat will have a hard time going out of their shell if they feel alone throughout the transition. Often, they’ll require more time and effort to feel comfortable in a new home.
One of the most important responsibilities you’ll have once you have a new cat is to make sure that you spend time with them. In the beginning, visit your cat in their safe room for short periods of time. This will encourage a smooth transition as your cat will not be overwhelmed with your presence.
Over time, you can lengthen your time of visit and start doing more activities with them. For example, you can play or pet them or have some quiet time by reading a book in the same space. This can help your cat remain calm and adjust to having you as their companion.
Remember that a nervous cat tends to growl, hiss, pull their ears back, or twitch their tails. The best response to these actions is to speak softly to your cat and try to give them some pets.
Slowly Transition Beyond The Safe Room
After you have established a trusting relationship with your resident cat, it’s now time to allow them to explore their new home. Begin this process when you’re at home to supervise, especially if you have a dog or other cats living with you.
To ensure that your cat feels comfortable and safe as they leave the safe room, introduce them to one room at a time. For example, you can let them roam around your living room and keep the room closed all the time. This will help reduce stress as seeing too many spaces at once can be frightening to cats.
If you adopted a shy cat, don’t let them inside your basement for at least two weeks. Basements have many hiding spaces, and letting a shy cat in will make it very challenging for you to find them. Most of these hiding spaces are too small that they’re inaccessible to humans.
How Can You Introduce A New Cat To Other Cats At Home?
If you already have several feline friends at home, you also have to work on introducing your new cat to them. The relationship of your new cat to the other cats will significantly affect the comfort of the former. It’ll be easier for the new cat to transition to their new home if they get along with the other cats.
Here are some tips to help you introduce a new cat to the other cats in your home:
Phase 1
Never introduce your new cat to your other cats immediately. This can damage the relationship and initiate aggression, fear, anger, and litter box problems between the cats. Successful introductions require time, so make sure that you remain patient and wait for the right chance.
Encourage the cats to “sniff out” the situation. Start by allowing your cats to sniff each other under the safe room door. After two to four days, exchange cat beds between your old and new cats every day. This will help the cats familiarize themselves with each other’s scents.
Phase 2
If your cats don’t exhibit aggressive behavior, such as hissing and growling, let your old cats stay in one room while allowing the new cat to explore your house. You can do this for several hours each day for several weeks.
Phase 3
In this phase, you’re going to set up a meeting between your old cats and new cats. To do this, place your new cat inside a carrier in a location outside the safe room, like your living room. Encourage the cats to look and sniff each other through the carrier door.
If any of the cats show signs of aggression, return your new cat to the safe room.
You should repeat this phase thrice a day (if possible) until the cats appear comfortable with each other. Remember, different cats have different timelines when adjusting to a new home, so don’t rush the process.
Phase 4
If none of the cats show signs of aggression, you can now let them mingle without the carrier. This will enable your new cat to explore while allowing your old cats to meet the new resident. Make sure to keep an eye to guarantee the safety of all your cats.
To prevent fights or injuries, prepare a spray bottle filled with water and a towel. Use the spray bottle on the cat shows aggressive behavior. This is important to ensure the successful integration between your cats.
If your integration plan is not going smooth even after a couple of weeks or months, install a screen door. This will help the cats get to know each other by sight and smell while keeping everyone safe.
Phase 5
Over the next few months (or years), you’ll notice occasional hissing and grouchy behaviors in your cats. This is normal as felines are naturally hierarchal and will affirm the pecking order within your household. And just like humans, your cats will also have some of those “off” days when they don’t have the mood to mingle with others.
Note: The phases mentioned above are only approximate timelines. The integration of your cats may proceed slower or faster, depending on the personalities of the cats involved. You know your cats better, so always practice patience to ensure that your new cat stays comfortable as you introduce them to your old cats.
How Long Does It Take For A Cat To Feel Comfortable In A New Environment?
The length of time a new cat needs in order to adjust to their new surroundings depends on their temperament. While many cats feel safe in a new house right away, others will need a few days, weeks, or months to feel safe in a new space.
Follow what other cat owners are doing and let your cat go at their own pace. Give as much time to your feline friend to adjust and never rush the process. Moving to a new home isn’t an easy feat, so avoid being too hard on your new cat.
When Should You Get Help From Professionals?
You can only do so much as a pet owner. If your vet declared that your new cat is healthy but still shows signs of stress even after being in your home after a few weeks and months, it might be a symptom that something else is going on, namely abuse, trauma, or emotional issues.
If you suspect that your new cat suffers from an underlying health condition, look out for the following signs:
- Inappropriate urination or defecation (litter box avoidance in cats);
- Excessive aggressive behavior when interacting;
- Body shaking or trembling even without being touched; and
- Fearful behavior, namely continuous hiding for some unknown reasons.
Once you notice any of the symptoms above, schedule an appointment with your vet again. Help your cat adjust to their new home by seeking professional veterinary advice.
Takeaway Points
If you find yourself struggling to keep your new cat comfortable in their new house, always seek help from a licensed vet. They can provide tips and tricks to ensure that your new cat remains safe and comfortable, as they thrive with your old cats!