Introducting a New Cat
I'll
inherit a 4yr. old spayed, front declawed female. I already have 3
neutered males. Ages 7yrs. and 3yrs. She's used to being the only cat
in a 1 person hsehold. Need to know the best way to keep everyone happy
and how to introduce her.
Whenever you introduce a new cat into a multicat household, you can expect territorial displays. The cats may fight, urinate inappropriately or hiss at and chase each other. Our goal is to minimize all of these undesirable features as much as possible.
The new cat should be confined to a room, so the others will know she is there, but not have access to her. This will enable her to have her own territory. The separating door should be opened after a few days, allowing the cats to meet in neutral territory. You should have plenty of cat boxes, water dishes and food trays around, so competition is minimized.
The punishment for aggression is confinement. You should tolerate some initial hissing and conflicts, for the cats will need to work out the pecking order.
Medications can help cats become more accepting, but should only be used as a last resort.
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