Introducing a cat or a kitten to a resident cat
By Anita Kelsey
Another of the most common reasons I visit cat behaviour clients is because of failed or difficult attempts to introduce a new feline arrival to a resident cat, or to an already bonded feline family.
One of the biggest misconceptions is the assumption that a cat automatically needs, or would benefit from, a feline friend. In reality, many cats would much prefer to remain the only cat in the home, where they do not have to share territory, resources, human attention or affection with another feline.
Even when a much-loved companion cat has passed away, leaving the surviving cat without another feline in the home, this should not automatically be seen as a green light to try to replace that relationship. Cats form individual relationships, and a new cat cannot simply take the place of the one they have lost. The surviving cat may still be grieving for a considerable length of time and may find the arrival of an unfamiliar cat stressful rather than comforting.
Alternatively, some cats positively flourish once they become the sole cat. After years of sharing their home, resources and humans, they may appear more relaxed, confident and affectionate when they suddenly have that space and attention to themselves. What feels like loneliness to us may, from the cat’s perspective, feel like peace.
If you truly feel that your cat would benefit from a feline companion, and I shall talk about a single resident cat here rather than an already bonded group simply for ease, as introducing a newcomer to a feline group brings many more considerations, then the next important factor is age.
I cannot tell you how many times I have visited clients who have brought a kitten into the established territory of an elderly cat. That older cat certainly did not imagine spending their latter years being chased, pounced on, disturbed and generally bothered by the relentless energy of a youngster. What humans understandably see as the gorgeous, playful and entertaining behaviour of a happy kitten can feel very different to an older cat who may simply want peace, predictability and plenty of uninterrupted rest.
A normal kitten can seem to have energy 24/7, and expecting an elderly cat to tolerate, entertain or somehow benefit from that level of activity can place an enormous amount of pressure on them.
So, before we even get into introductions, there are two very important questions to ask yourself:
- DOES YOUR CAT ACTUALLY NEED OR WANT A COMPANION, OR IS THE NEW CAT REALLY FOR YOU?
- WHAT AGE AND PERSONALITY TYPE WOULD BEST SUIT YOUR RESIDENT CAT, RATHER THAN WHAT YOU PERSONALLY WANT?
Once you have decided that adopting a new cat is the right choice, the next consideration should be the space you have available in your home and whether you can create a proper base camp. This is usually a separate room where the new cat can settle safely and gradually become familiar with the sounds, smells and routines of the household before any direct introductions begin.
If you do not have the space to separate the cats properly, introductions can become extremely difficult to manage safely and effectively. In that situation, the kinder decision may be to remain a one-cat household and simply cherish the cat you already have, rather than risk creating unnecessary stress and conflict for everyone involved.
Remember:
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Your resident cat is likely to see the new cat as an intruder at first and may feel unsettled, defensive or simply put out by their arrival.
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The new cat is entering unfamiliar territory and is likely to feel nervous and cautious while they work out this new environment.
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Not all cats will become friends. Some may only ever learn to tolerate one another, and some may never be comfortable living together at all.
STEP ONE – THE BASE CAMP
The base camp for your new arrival should contain everything they need to feel safe and comfortable while they begin to settle in. This should include plenty of space, a feeding station, a toilet area positioned well away from the food, somewhere secure to hide, a scratching post and a selection of toys.
A simple hiding place can be created using a cardboard box turned on its side with a cosy blanket inside. You can also drape some material over part of the opening to give the cat extra privacy and somewhere to retreat if they feel overwhelmed.
It is completely normal for a newly arrived cat to hide or appear frightened for the first few days, and sometimes even for several weeks. They have entered an unfamiliar territory and have no idea yet whether the environment, the people within it, or the other cat are safe. Allow them to go through this process at their own pace and try not to rush them. Patience, predictability and understanding are far more helpful than trying to encourage them out before they are ready.
Do not forget your resident cat during this stage either. They will already know that something has changed through the unfamiliar smells and sounds coming from the new arrival’s room. Help them adjust by keeping their normal routine as consistent as possible and giving them plenty of reassurance, attention and affection. If your new cat is coming from another home then have their own belongings in their base camp, such as their familiar feeding bowl and litter tray.
STEP TWO – SCENT TEST
Before you allow any visual contact between the cats, it is important to begin with scent. Cats rely heavily on smell to understand who belongs in their environment, so giving them time to become familiar with each other’s scent can help make the eventual first sighting feel less sudden and threatening.
A simple way to do this is to use a soft cloth and gently rub it around the cheeks and facial area of one cat, where their scent glands are located. You can then place that cloth in the other cat’s area and allow them to investigate it in their own time. Repeat the process in both directions so each cat has the opportunity to become familiar with the other’s scent.
Do not push the cloth towards them or insist that they investigate it. Simply leave it somewhere they are likely to come across it naturally. If they approach, sniff or investigate calmly, reward this with a small treat, gentle praise or something else they enjoy. The aim is to begin creating a positive association with the unfamiliar scent.
If either cat hisses, growls, backs away or appears uncomfortable, do not worry. This is useful information and simply tells you that they need more time. Remove the cloth if necessary and try again later, perhaps placing it further away from their favourite resting or feeding areas so they do not feel that the unfamiliar scent is invading an important resource.
You can gradually progress to swapping bedding, blankets, toys or other soft items that carry each cat’s scent. Room swapping can also be introduced later, where each cat is given an opportunity to explore the other cat’s area without the other cat being present. This allows them to gather information about one another safely, without the pressure of a face-to-face meeting.
There is no need to rush this stage. The goal is for the scent of the other cat to gradually become part of the normal background of the home rather than something novel or alarming. Only once both cats are showing a reasonable level of comfort around each other’s scent should you begin thinking about controlled visual introductions.
STEP THREE – FEEDING NO VISUALS
Once both cats are coping reasonably well with each other’s scent, you can begin creating positive associations through food while they remain completely out of sight of one another. Feed each cat on opposite sides of a closed door, initially placing the bowls far enough away that both cats are comfortable enough to eat without hesitation. The idea is for each cat to begin associating the sound and smell of the other cat with something pleasant, predictable and rewarding.
Do not place the bowls immediately beside the door simply because you want to speed things up. If either cat refuses to eat, keeps staring towards the door, appears tense, growls, hisses or repeatedly walks away, move the food further back. You can gradually reduce the distance over a period of days as long as both cats remain relaxed. Progress should always be dictated by the least comfortable cat.
Short treat sessions can be used in exactly the same way. You might give each cat a few favourite treats on either side of the closed door, allowing them to hear and smell one another while something enjoyable is happening. The aim is not for them to become excited about meeting, but for the presence of the other cat to begin feeling ordinary and safe.
Remember that eating is not automatically proof that a cat is relaxed. Watch the whole cat. A cat who is eating while crouched, constantly stopping to listen, staring at the door or flicking their tail may still be uncomfortable. What you are looking for is both cats being able to eat, move around and behave normally despite knowing that the other cat is nearby.
Only when this stage has become calm and relatively uneventful should you consider progressing to controlled visual contact through a secure screen or barrier.
STEP FOUR – FEEDING GRADUAL VISUALS
Once both cats are comfortably eating on either side of the closed door, you can begin introducing very brief visual contact. This should be done through a secure barrier such as a mesh screen, tall baby gate or partially covered screen so that neither cat can rush towards or physically reach the other.
At first, keep the visual exposure extremely limited. You might uncover only a small section of the barrier or allow the cats to see each other for just a few seconds while they are eating something particularly tasty. Keep the food bowls at whatever distance allows both cats to remain relaxed. There is absolutely no benefit in placing them close together if doing so causes either cat to stop eating, stare, crouch, hiss or become tense.
The aim at this stage is not to encourage interaction. In fact, the best visual sessions are often incredibly boring. You want each cat to notice the other, perhaps glance across, and then return to eating or whatever they were doing. This ability to see the other cat without feeling the need to react is exactly what you are trying to build.
Keep sessions short and end them while things are still going well. Several seconds of calm behaviour is far more valuable than several minutes that eventually result in staring, growling, hissing or frustration. You can gradually increase the length of the sessions and the amount of the barrier that is uncovered as both cats become more comfortable.
Do not panic if you hear an occasional hiss or growl. These are normal forms of feline communication and do not automatically mean that the introduction is failing. However, repeated vocalisation, prolonged staring, stalking, tail lashing, flattened ears, attempts to rush the barrier or one cat refusing to eat are signs that you may have progressed too quickly. Increase the distance again, shorten the sessions or return temporarily to the previous stage.
As always, allow the least confident or least tolerant cat to dictate the pace. There is no set timetable. Some cats progress through this stage within days, while others may need several weeks. Your goal is calm acceptance, not speed.
These are the usual steps involved in introducing cats, but they should never be viewed as a rigid, black-and-white formula that will work in exactly the same way for every cat and every household. Cats are individuals, their histories are different, their tolerance levels vary enormously, and the dynamics between two cats can change from one day to the next. This is where the experience of a qualified feline behaviourist becomes invaluable.
A large proportion of my behaviour cases involve introductions that have either stalled, gone wrong or been rushed, and much of my work is about carefully working back through these stages, observing how each individual cat is responding and adjusting the process accordingly. The important part is not simply knowing the steps, but knowing how to read the behaviour in front of you. When do you progress? When do you hold back? When does a hiss simply mean, “give me some space,” and when is the overall body language telling us that a cat is becoming increasingly distressed? When should a session end, when should distance be increased, and when might a completely different approach be needed?
This is why there can never be a single introduction timetable. What works beautifully for one pair of cats may be completely inappropriate for another. My role is to monitor the subtle changes in behaviour, interpret what each cat is communicating and adapt the process before stress has the opportunity to escalate into conflict. In many cases, it is these small adjustments, made at the right time, that can make the difference between an introduction progressing successfully and a situation becoming much harder to resolve.
If this sounds familiar and you are reading this because you are not quite sure what has happened, why progress has stalled, or whether you have somehow done something wrong, please do not be too hard on yourself. Cat introductions can be incredibly complex, and there are often several different factors influencing how things unfold.
Sometimes only a small adjustment is needed. In other cases, it may be necessary to go back a few stages, change the environment, alter the pace or look more closely at what each individual cat is communicating. This is exactly where I can help.
If you feel you are still not quite where you hoped to be with your introductions, I can help you understand what may be happening and what could be done differently to give your cats the best possible chance of moving forward.
No enquiry is too small. I will always do my best to assess the situation honestly and help you find the most appropriate way forward for everyone involved.
You can contact me at info@catbehaviourist.com.
I would be honoured to help you and your cats.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anita Kelsey holds a first class honours degree in Feline Behaviour and Psychology (work based BA Hons) and runs a vet referral service dedicated strictly to the diagnosis and treatment of behaviour problems in cats. She is also a qualified cat groomer and specialises in grooming challenging or phobic cats. Anita, a strong advocate of a vegan lifestyle, is based in East Sussex but consults all over the UK as well as international requests. She lives with her husband, a music producer, and 1 Norwegian Forest cat, Kiki.
Click to read genuine reviews on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/4grgX2M7kUB2EevJ8
Her first book ‘Claws. Confessions Of A Professional Cat Groomer‘ was published by John Blake in 2017 with her second book, Let’s Talk About Cats self published via Amazon worldwide in 2020. The Little Book Of Extraordinary Cats is Anita’s third book out now 2026.
