Changes

* Prepare a quiet room in the new home with food, water, a [[Cat Latrines|latrine]], and familiar items from the cat’s previous home. This will be the room into which the cat will be initially introduced, so it is best if this place has not recently been occupied by other cats.

* Prepare a quiet room in the new home with food, water, a [[Cat Latrines|latrine]], and familiar items from the cat’s previous home. This will be the room into which the cat will be initially introduced, so it is best if this place has not recently been occupied by other cats.

* Use the cloth to transfer facial and flank odours to furniture in this room of the new home.

* Use the cloth to transfer facial and flank odours to furniture in this room of the new home.

* Install a [[Pheromonotherap - Cat#F3|F3 diffuser (Feliway]] in this room 1-2 hours before the cat arrives.

* Install a [[Pheromonotherapy - Cat#F3|F3 diffuser (Feliway)]] in this room 1-2 hours before the cat arrives.

* Install additional diffusers throughout the home at a rate of 1 per 50-70m2.

* Install additional diffusers throughout the home at a rate of 1 per 50-70m2.

* Allow the cat to explore the new room by opening the cat basket. The cat should be able to return to the basket if it desires. The cat should not be pulled out of the basket or coaxed.

* Allow the cat to explore the new room by opening the cat basket. The cat should be able to return to the basket if it desires. The cat should not be pulled out of the basket or coaxed.

* Do not allow access to the rest of the house until the cat is completely relaxed in this first room. This may take several hours or even a few days. The cat should be relaxed, playful and approachable.

* Do not allow access to the rest of the house until the cat is completely relaxed in this first room. This may take several hours or even a few days. The cat should be relaxed, playful and approachable.

* The cat should then be allowed free access to one or two additional rooms in the house every couple of hours until it has explored the whole house. The cat should be allowed to do this in peace, not with people rushing around or trying to distract it.

* The cat should then be allowed free access to one or two additional rooms in the house every couple of hours until it has explored the whole house. The cat should be allowed to do this in peace, not with people rushing around or trying to distract it.

===Existing Cats Present===

===Existing Cats Present===

===General preparations for the arrival of a new cat===

====General preparations for the arrival of a new cat====

* Start with the new cat in its own room, containing a [[cat Latrines|litter tray]], food, water and a several comfortable places to rest and hide. Installation of a [[Pheromonotherapy - Cat#F3|Feliway diffuser]] in this room makes it seem more familiar and secure for the new cat.

* Start with the new cat in its own room, containing a [[cat Latrines|litter tray]], food, water and a several comfortable places to rest and hide. Installation of a [[Pheromonotherapy - Cat#F3|Feliway diffuser]] in this room makes it seem more familiar and secure for the new cat.

* The new cat should be allowed to become completely confident in this new room and with all members of the family before allowing it out of this place. This may take a week or more. The cat should be eating, resting, playing and approaching people normally and without [[Feline Fear Overview#Signs of Fear|signs of fear]].

* The new cat should be allowed to become completely confident in this new room and with all members of the family before allowing it out of this place. This may take a week or more. The cat should be eating, resting, playing and approaching people normally and without [[Feline Fear Overview#Signs of Fear|signs of fear]].

* The resident cats should be provided with several extra places to get food, as well as places to drink and extra places to rest and hide. A [[Pheromonotherapy - Cat#F3|Feliway diffuser]] will increase their sense of security.

* The resident cats should be provided with several extra places to get food, as well as places to drink and extra places to rest and hide. A [[Pheromonotherapy - Cat#F3|Feliway diffuser]] will increase their sense of security.

===Introducing the cats to each other ===  

====Introducing the cats to each other ====

Stage 1: '''Scent introduction''':

Stage 1: '''Scent introduction''':

* Prepare several disposable cloths, each labelled with one cat’s name.

* Prepare several disposable cloths, each labelled with one cat’s name.

• Use each labelled cloth daily to collect the scent from the face and sides of the body of the cat with whose name it has been labelled. Do this each day. The cloths must not be mixed up and should be stored separately in plastic bags or wallets to prevent scent transferring between them.

* Use each labelled cloth daily to collect the scent from the face and sides of the body of the cat with whose name it has been labelled. Do this each day. The cloths must not be mixed up and should be stored separately in plastic bags or wallets to prevent scent transferring between them.

• Whenever a person goes to greet, feed or play with the new cat it should be briefly presented with the cloth belonging to one of the resident cats to smell and investigate. The cloth should be wrapped around the person’s hand. Initially the cat may seem unhappy [it may back away, hiss or freeze]. At this stage, it is important not to force contact as the cat may become aggressive.

* Whenever a person goes to greet, feed or play with the new cat it should be briefly presented with the cloth belonging to one of the resident cats to smell and investigate. The cloth should be wrapped around the person’s hand. Initially the cat may seem unhappy (it may back away, hiss or freeze). At this stage, it is important not to force contact as the cat may become [[Feline Aggression|aggressive]].

• If there are multiple cats in the household then the resident cats should be presented with the new cat’s smell in the same way, and the new cat with odours from each of the cats in the home.

* If there are multiple cats in the household then the resident cats should be presented with the new cat’s smell in the same way, and the new cat with odours from each of the cats in the home.

• With repeated presentation of the scent on the cloths each cat should come to ignore the smell and should start to react positively to it by rubbing against the hand wrapped in the cloth. When all cats are reacting in this way it is time to move on to stage 2.

* With repeated presentation of the scent on the cloths each cat should come to ignore the smell and should start to react positively to it by rubbing against the hand wrapped in the cloth. When all cats are reacting in this way it is time to move on to stage 2.

Stage 2: Scent swapping:

 

• After collecting the odour from the cats in the usual way [from face and flanks], the cloths should be put together in a single bag so that scent from them mixes.

Stage 2: '''Scent swapping''':

• This combined scent is then used in the same way as in step 1.

* After collecting the odour from the cats in the usual way (from face and flanks), the cloths should be put together in a single bag so that scent from them mixes.

• Once you can see that there is a positive reaction to this combined scent you can mark yourself with the mixed scent by rubbing the cloth on your clothes. This way, when the cats greet they will pick up the combined scent when they rub against you to say hello. The cloth should also be rubbed against objects that the cats usually rub against, such as furniture and doorways.

* This combined scent is then used in the same way as in stage 1.

• As long as each cat accepts being rubbed with the scent from the others you can move to using a single cloth for rubbing the cats to collect their scent.

* Once you can see that there is a positive reaction to this combined scent you can mark yourself with the mixed scent by rubbing the cloth on your clothes. This way, when the cats greet they will pick up the combined scent when they rub against you to say hello. The cloth should also be rubbed against objects that the cats usually rub against, such as furniture and doorways.

• Once all cats are accepting this new odour and are actively rubbing against the cloth and the other objects that have been marked with the cloth then it is time to move on to stage 3.

* As long as each cat accepts being rubbed with the scent from the others you can move to using a single cloth for rubbing the cats to collect their scent.

Stage 3: Allowing the new cat to explore.

* Once all cats are accepting this new odour and are actively rubbing against the cloth and the other objects that have been marked with the cloth then it is time to move on to stage 3.

• The new cat should be allowed to explore the rest of the house while the resident cats are excluded or shut into a separate room. This allows the new cat to learn all of the hiding and escape places so that, as the cats start to meet in person, it does not feel vulnerable.

 

• Once the new cat is confidently using the feeding, resting and toilet places in the rest of the home then it is time to move on to the next stage.

Stage 3: '''Allowing the new cat to explore''':

Stage 4: Limited face to face introduction.

* The new cat should be allowed to explore the rest of the house while the resident cats are excluded or shut into a separate room. This allows the new cat to learn all of the hiding and escape places so that, as the cats start to meet in person, it does not feel vulnerable.

• The cats need to begin to see each other in a way that minimises the risk of aggression. A glass door or mesh screen are best, but some child gates are made from mesh that provides a partial barrier. Mesh barriers are the best, because they allow the cats to smell each other. If neither is possible then a partly opened door may be used [open just enough that the cats can see each other but not get through].

* Once the new cat is confidently using the feeding, resting and toilet places in the rest of the home then it is time to move on to the next stage.

• Give the cats their food on either side of the screen or doorway at their normal feeding times, or are distract them with a game.

 

• It is also useful to rub the door or screen with the scent from the cats so that there is maximum chance of recognition of the smell.

Stage 4: '''Limited face to face introduction''':

• The cats are encouraged to play and feed progressively closer to the screen as long as there is no aggression between any of them.

* The cats need to begin to see each other in a way that minimises the risk of aggression. A glass door or mesh screen are best, but some child gates are made from mesh that provides a partial barrier. Mesh barriers are the best, because they allow the cats to smell each other. If neither is possible then a partly opened door may be used [open just enough that the cats can see each other but not get through].

• Once the cats are showing no aggressive or fearful behaviour they can be allowed to meet face to face after an initial meeting through the door or screen.

* Give the cats their food on either side of the screen or doorway at their normal feeding times, or distract them with a game.

* It is also useful to rub the door or screen with the scent from the cats so that there is maximum chance of recognition of the smell.

* The cats are encouraged to play and feed progressively closer to the screen as long as there is no aggression between any of them.

* Once the cats are showing no aggressive or fearful behaviour they can be allowed to meet face to face after an initial meeting through the door or screen.

 

It is important to continue mixing odours between the cats and applying their “group scent” to yourself, other people living in the home and on common marking places in the house until the cats have begun to rub against each other or groom each other. At this point, Feliway diffusers and other environmental changes may be taken away gradually. The total time for the introduction process may vary from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, but there is no shortcut if harmony is to be achieved.

It is important to continue mixing odours between the cats and applying their “group scent” to yourself, other people living in the home and on common marking places in the house until the cats have begun to rub against each other or groom each other. At this point, Feliway diffusers and other environmental changes may be taken away gradually. The total time for the introduction process may vary from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, but there is no shortcut if harmony is to be achieved.