Instructions
Place your new pet in a pet carrier, and make the introductions slowly by allowing your cat to smell the pet carrier and get used to the new scent. The animals will need to be introduced to each other carefully to prevent any fears or aggressions from forming. Cats by nature are territorial, and if you have an indoor cat she can become very stressed if she feels her territory is being invaded. The introduction phase can take anywhere from a few days to a week (extreme cases can take months). So be patient.
Put your new pet in a small room separate from the remainder of the house. This will allow your new pet to get adjusted to his new home. Keep him in there for a few days with the necessities, such as food, water, bed and toys (and litter box and scratch post if you are bringing home a new cat).
Feed your current cat and the new pet on each side of the door. This allows them to associate something good -- food -- with each other's scents. Ensure you keep the food far enough away from the door that the animals don't get upset by each other while eating. You can gradually move the dishes closer when they seem to be getting used to each other.
Be sure to spend equal time with both animals to avoid exclusion. (Fluffy will get angry if she's ignored -- you won't like Fluffy when she's angry.)
Rub your cat's cheeks with a cloth or blanket and place it under the new pet's food dish. Do the same with your new pet and place the cloth under your cat's food dish. This gives them a further chance to become familiar with each other's scents and makes that eventual face-to-face meeting go much smoother.
Another trick you can use is to put your new pet in a pet cage and set it in a different room of the home while your current cat is allowed to walk around the new pet's room and get used to the scent that way.
Gradually introduce your new pet to different rooms in the house (while Fluffy is contained in another room). This enables the scent to become yet more familiar. Your new pet can also become more familiar with his new surroundings.
If you spend a few days repeating this process (with occasional monitoring) you should have success.
Get both animals together and get ready to make the face-to-face introduction.
If you're introducing a new cat, allow them to slowly meet up. In most cases they'll sniff each other's faces first and may start grooming each other. (Success.) Or they may sit and stare at each other for a while or sniff each other, hiss and make a run for it. Eventually they should work it out.
If you're introducing a new dog to your cat, keep the dog in a controlled situation and ensure the dog doesn't chase the cat or get it into a corner.
Arrange one or more "staged" introductions before leaving your cat and new housemate to get acquainted by themselves. As with any new relationship, two crucial ingredients are time and patience. Allow your cat and new pet to adjust to each other gradually. You're all living in the same home -- slow and steady will win the race to harmonious living.
How to Get Cats Acquainted With New Pets
Bringing a new pet into your home is a decision to be made carefully. When you already have a pet at home, you have a lot more to consider -- especially if your current pet is a cat. Cats are extremely territorial by nature and do not adapt well to change. Before bringing another pet home to Fluffy, there are a few things you will need to consider. Keeping the peace with your existing cat and a new housemate will require time, patience and a bit of work. You have to take the slow and easy approach.