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Effect of Environment on Feline Behaviour (view source)
Revision as of 15:52, 16 June 2014
, 15:52, 16 June 2014→Introducing a Cat to a New Home/Environment
==Introducing a Cat to a New Home/Environment==
==Introducing a Cat to a New Home/Environment==
The importance of properly introducing new cats to a home where there are existing cats is well known. If introduction is not managed correctly, there is a greater probability of [[Feline Fear and Stress|fear and anxiety problems]] in the future. It is also important to introduce cats correctly to households where there are no other cats, but where animals, children and the general routine in the household may be unfamiliar and stressful. The same is true when moving cats form one home to another.
The importance of properly introducing new cats to a home where there are existing cats is well known. Before introducing a new cat, it is important to think about whether the existing cats will accept it. If they are under stress already they are not likely to accept a new cat. Their existing problems should take priority. If introduction is not managed correctly, there is a greater probability of [[Feline Fear and Stress|fear and anxiety problems]], [[Feline Aggression Towards Other Cats in the Same Household|inter-cat aggression]] and [[Indoor Marking - Cat|inappropriate spraying]] in the future. It is also important to introduce cats correctly to households where there are no other cats, but where animals, children and the general routine in the household may be unfamiliar and stressful. The same is true when moving cats form one home to another.
===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.
* 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 cats are then introduced to each other through series of gradual steps.
Stage 1: Scent introduction:
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
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.
• This combined scent is then used in the same way as in step 1.
• 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.
• 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 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.
Stage 3: Allowing the new cat to explore.
• 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 4: Limited face to face introduction.
• 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].
• 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.
• 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.
* Before moving the cat to its new home, try to harvest some of the cat’s [[Feline Communication Behaviour#Facial and Flank Marks|'''flank and facial odours''']] onto a clean cloth.
* Before moving the cat to its new home, try to harvest some of the cat’s [[Feline Communication Behaviour#Facial and Flank Marks|'''flank and facial odours''']] onto a clean cloth.
* 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.
==Environment in Potentially Fearful Situation==
==Environment in Potentially Fearful Situation==