Ukka Kozachok
(carefully - humor!!:))
Even when you are the most independent and self-sufficient cat, your slaves may be tempted to bring another cat or cats into the house. Who asked them to do this is unknown. I told them many times, “It's okay for me to be alone!” But no. They want to rescue someone else from the street, and they also worry that their kitty gets sad when no one is home. They are restless. Well, nothing can be done, slaves sometimes get out of control and do what they want. So when they bring a second cat into the apartment, you have to do something about it.
Of course, you can start a war and show the guest where the crayfish hibernate. But you're a well-behaved and kind cat - maybe you can try to make friends?
Just keep a close eye on the slaves, and if they do something stupid, put them in their place right away.
What can they do wrong?
Without warning, shake a new cat in front of your nose and say “Be friends!”. First of all, any domestic cat will be shocked by such impudence and will immediately kick the newcomer. Secondly, the new cat may be so scared that it will start hissing at the old-timer, or even kick him in the face. So, no spontaneous and quick acquaintance! Be respectful of the cats' feelings.
Sometimes people want to do everything faster and can't think of anything better than locking the old and new cats in a room. They say, let them sort out their relationship, determine who is in charge and make friends. And so the cats ran off to fulfill their dreams. What will the grieving owners get? It's possible that the cats will be fighting and disliking each other for a very long time.
They took both cats in their arms and began to poke their noses so that they could sniff and become friends. No comments at all. It is not a sin for such people to scratch their hands.
But the slaves can be thanked for taking their time and letting the cats get used to each other in stages. It should be noted right away that it is more often and easier for a cat and a female to find a common language. Of course, all of them should be sterilized (there are no other options). But cats are not a statistical unit. It is a living creature with its own character, behavior, psyche, and preferences. Therefore, it all depends on how these animals will find a common language. It can be two cats or two cats, and their chances of becoming friends are also high.
So what do smart slaves do?
They bring a new cat and divide the room. The old cat gets a bigger territory, a bigger room. The new cat gets a smaller one. It can also be a kitchen, a balcony, a bathroom. You shouldn't worry that she won't have enough space. She is currently under such stress that the smaller the space she has at her disposal, the more secure she will feel. Also, don't force your cat out of the carrier. Let her decide for herself when to go out.
And for the owner cat, there should be almost no restriction of her territory. Because the invaders want to say only a firm “No!” - and no friendship.
Each cat should have its own bowls, litter box, scratching post, and toys. So that there is no jealousy!
No one can tell you how long it takes to establish good contact, but cats need to get used to a new smell for the first few days, and sometimes even a few weeks. If there are several rooms in the apartment, you can change the newcomer's location every 2-3 days to let him sniff around. The next step is to change the cats' places and rooms. Again, so that everyone can smell everything.
About the smell. There is a trick that will help cats better perceive each other. A person takes a clean glove, a sock, a piece of cloth, and starts stroking the newcomer. Especially on the glands - on the cheeks, chin and forehead. Have you noticed how cats rub against something interesting to them in these places? That's right. Because these are important and odorous places.
Then this cloth goes to the territory of the owner cat with an important message: “There is another cat in the house, here, you can sniff and learn more about him!” You don't need to shove the cloth under the animal's nose, just put it nearby. You also need to “collect” the smell of the old cat and bring the cloth to the newcomer. This procedure can be carried out several times a day - let them smell enough!
What kind of reaction should a person expect? For cats to start reacting absolutely calmly to a fabric with a different smell. Positive reinforcement will not be superfluous: if the cat sniffs the cloth, it gets a treat. Everyone is happy. And if she walks indifferently through the “storehouse of someone else's smell”, she also gets a treat. Negative behavior (the war with the cloth) is simply ignored, attention is not focused on it.
It makes sense to move on to the next step in the acquaintance process only when the cats react completely calmly to a cloth with a foreign smell. People should focus on the cat that is stupid. And if one of them has already sneezed at someone else's smell, and the other one is still confused, you should respect his feelings and not rush him. Let him sniff and get used to it.
During this period, slaves should not show excessive affection for an old cat, thinking that it may be offended, that it should be apologized to. Excessive attention can make the cat even more fearful and stressed.
You need to be careful with a newcomer. Do not force it out of its hiding places, do not squeeze it, and give it time to get used to the person. What you should do is play! With fishing rods, feathers, mice. And tasty food is sacred.
Feline behaviorists advise that at the next stage of acquaintance, you should block the passage between the rooms with a net or grate so that the animals can see each other, smell each other, but not have direct contact yet. We are not sure that everyone has such devices at home, but we can come up with an analog: cover the passage with a cloth for the period of this acquaintance. In short, let the slaves improvise, it's their business, not the divine creature's!
It is important to feed the cats several times near such a “dividing line”. You need to put their bowls next to the barrier at the same time. This will allow the cats to see that there is enough food for everyone and there is no need to fight for it. It is also a positive reinforcement of the fact that they are near each other.
When the cats calmly react to the presence of another animal through the mesh/fabric, you can move on to a face-to-face session in the same room. It's better to have a spray bottle - if there is a quarrel and the cats fight, you can quickly squirt water on them! As for trying to separate them with your hands, I can only advise someone who no longer needs their hands.
The meeting should be short, if there was no fight, then 10-15 minutes for the first time in the same room - with the head.
If everything goes well, the cats sniff each other, or show no particular interest, you can increase the time spent together in the room. To consolidate the positive effect, feeding together works well. As long as it's all equally! And at the same time. Food always calms them down. And then there are the games. You need to start playing with them, but make sure that each cat has its own fishing rod and feather.
And here again it is worth remembering about positive reinforcement. Did the cat pass by another cat and not pay attention to it? Here's a tasty treat! Doesn't hiss? Here's your meow! The absence of aggression and negativity is something to praise the animal for.
If some quarrels start, you should distract the cats with games. But people should not panic. When one cat expresses its dissatisfaction and the other leaves, the conflict is avoided, and you can exhale.
And finally! If the cats do not show aggression towards each other during a week of constant meetings and joint play, they can be left together. It will be fine!
But what to do if the acquaintance has already gone wrong and passions are running high? Conduct a “reacquaintance” according to a similar scheme. Separate the cats and ask them to reconsider their attitude to the other cat step by step. Yes, it is more difficult than starting from scratch. But it's doable!
So, kitty, if your slaves did everything right, you will most likely have a new friend or girlfriend. And you can do so many interesting things together!