How do you get 2 cats to get along?

Question

I got a spayed cat (app. 3 yrs) from the pet shelter 3 weeks ago. Right after I had taken her home, I found another cat which had been hit by a car. That one needed a lot of treatment and stayed for 2 weeks at the vet. She's app. 8 yrs, not spayed yet, blind on one eye and has a problem with her ears and jaw. Due to her condition and the fact that she is not a pretty cat, I couldn't find anyone who wanted her. I do want to take care of her, but I am afraid the two of them won't get along as the cat that is already in my house is kind of aggressive (probably due to the time she had spent at the pet shelter). Does anyone know how to make them get along?

Answer 1

First of all.....when you bring the hurt cat home DON'T PUT THEM IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER. Keep one in a bedroom with the door shut, seperate litter boxes, food bowls EVERYTHING APART. Give this about 2 weeks. Optional to bring something out of the room that the cat has slept on and lay it on the outside of the door so that the other cat can 'smell' the new one behind the door. The cat that has been in th ehouse the longest will start sniffing at the door, putting paws under the door, everntually maybe in 3 weeks she/he will sleep by the door to be close to the other cat. THIS IS THE TIME, that you can let them be around each other, UNDER AN EAGLES EYE. Eventually they will be able to be together, I'd say 3 weeks...or less.

Answer 2

i think its great what you are doing! my family has done this millions of times and it has always worked out, eventually (the key word). it may take them a little while but they will eventually warm up to each other. my parents have two cats they got from the shelter and they hated each other at first. they arent the best of friends now, but they tolerate each other and live in the same space.

it honestly takes a few weeks so do not expect it to happen over night. i have a 2 year old male cat and just got a ragdoll kitten a month ago. they just now (a month later) started liking each other. they will even lay together now on the couch.

personality has a lot to do with whether they will get along or not. you wont know until you try it. it may be a match made in heaven.

good luck!!!

Answer 3

Sometimes they sense that they are ok around another cat or that where they are is safe and never have problems. You may have to hold the aggressive one and let someone else hold the new one. You pet the new one and talk to your cat and tell her everything is ok. Then switch cats. She will smell the cats smell on the other person and your hand and know that you are not freaking out. If she sees you holding the cat and petting it she will know that the cat is ok. She may get jealous so make sure to pet equally for a while.If you see her hit or hiss at the new cat tell her no and tell her nice kitty.Pet them both when this happens and they will know they are ok and they will see that you like them both. Best wishes and bless you for taking in these hurt and abandoned cats!!

Answer 4

Some cats when introduced for the first time will bond, others will respect each other and just learn to co-exist in the same household.
I would give them the time to decide for themselves. Often it's just a matter of time getting used to each other. Just be sure to provide two litter boxes, two food bowls, two water bowls placed in different areas. For starters I would keep the injured cat in a separate room when I wasn't home for her safety in case the 3 year old decides to pounce on her. Once they have been together for awhile and you know for sure they are at least ok with other, then let the injured cat have free roam of the house when you aren't there.
There's no rule that says you can't discipline the aggressor when she's get out of control.
But just give them some time and chances are they will share you and their new home.

Answer 5

Oh dear. I went through this myself when I brought a young neutered male kitten into the house with my older, crotchety female cat. They never really did get along. My thought was that having a kitten might mellow Maggie (the older female) out a little--bring out her latent maternal instincts (she was spayed of course). But it was a mistake. She saw him as a threat right off the bat, which he took as an open invitation to chase her and jump on her--hey! if I chase her, she'll run--how cool is that! He was only playing and would never have hurt her, but she pretty much stayed in the basement the whole time he lived with us. (He was killed by a car about a year and a half ago, I'm sad to say.)

The thing is, it DID work out in a way--we just had to play the police all the time. It was a pain, but worth it. Both cats were great pets, they just had a hard time getting along, like many siblings do.

Sometimes it's just to do with the personalities of the cats. Recently we brought another (adult, female, spayed) cat into the household. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that she's as docile and sweet-tempered as a cow (and nearly as big as one!) but for whatever reason, Frances doesn't ruffle Maggie's (the grumpy old lady) feathers at all--they just let each other be.

Warmest congratulations on your decision to take in a "difficult", "not-pretty" cat. Whatever you decide to do to acclimate your cats to one another, I'm sure it will work out fine. Wish there were more like you. Best of luck.

Answer 6

I don't think you can get 2 adult cats to get along. For cats ever to be friends you almost have to get them as kittens, at least one of them. This does not mean that the 2 cats can't coexist. Some are more/less aggressive. Sometimes they will fight for a while and then ignore each other, you just have to see.

Answer 7

It takes cats a while to adjust to each other - don't be surprised if they fight back and forth for a "good" month. What may help with the situation (and what my vet suggested to me) was to put baby powder on your hands and then pet them. What it does is make the cats smell like each other and because they smell alike they are less likely to attack each other - it sounds crazy I know - but it worked for my cats. Good Luck

Answer 8

cats are very terrotorial. It will take time for them to learn to like ea ohter. But it will happen after a while. But give it a couple of weeks. If they are together a lot, for example if they live together, eat together, ect they will learn to get along. Don't let them go to seperate corners or it will never happen.

Answer 9

Get the othe one spayed.[folsom feline will do it real cheap] Buy each one thier own special toyand own litter box etc..Equal amount of attension.Sooner or later they will start getting along.

Answer 10

fix the girl