Cats are soft, cuddly, energetic, and are great as animal companions. Although having more than one cat in the house is all great and all, it is not as easy as it sounds. Introducing cats to each other does not necessarily guarantee that they will get along, and experts say it usually takes a long time for them to warm up on each other.
Experts share their honest answers on cat parenting.
Sara Ochoa, DVM, says the length of which for cats to get along in the house depends entirely on what kind or breed of cat you have. She says it usually takes a few months for two new cats to tolerate living in the same house.
“Once your new cat is home and settled in their new environment, you can start to introduce your cats,” Dr. Ochoa says.
If you want the easier way to have two cats to get along in your house, dog and cat behaviorist Russell Hartsetin says you may want to adopt the cats together as kittens, so that way, they will learn and grow together.
Cats are territorial animals, which make it hard for them to welcome a new animal into their home. First step to introduce them is to separate them in different rooms. Then, gradually start to share the sounds and scents of each cat. You can place their food bowls on the opposite side of a closed door that separates the two.
“In addition, it’s a good idea to contact a cat behaviorist to help you introduce a new cat to a legacy cat for the best chance of having them get along,” Hartstein tells POPSUGAR in an interview.
The only way you can figure out if your cats are starting to get along is based on their body language. “The last thing you want to do is force a cat to try to like another cat,” Hartstein adds.
Put in a little more patience for your new fur-kids, and hopefully, they will be BFF’s in no time!
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