New cats: Adjusting to new food and resident cats?

Question

An old roommate had to move to a place that doesn't allow pets, so I took her 2yr old house cat into my home. I already had two cats of my own. Since all of the cats eat from the same bowls, I just fed her cat what mine ate, Friskies cat food, wet and dry. She told me her cat ate Purina Urinary formula but I didn't bother to buy it bc it's easier for them all the eat the same food. Now the cat has the worst diarreah and I don't know what to do. Any suggestions?


Also, one of my cats constantly hisses and swats at the new cat, is there something I can do to help them get aquainted faster?

Answer 1

Grocery store cat food is not very good for your cats. It can cause all sorts of problems like what you are experiencing. I would buy a better quality cat food to feel all of them. Buy your cat food from a Feed Store or Pet Store. Innova is a great food. The best foods are high in proteins, which is what cats live on in the wild. Their diets are all meat. Grocery store foods are all high on fillers such as corn, by-products, glutens, rice, etc. The first ingredient should be chicken, fish, turkey, etc. not chicken by-products. The new cat should be closed up in a room by itself and fed the Purina Urinary Formula that she had the cat on, but since that hasn't been done, please switch to a better quality food for all their sakes. Their lives and health depend on what you feed them.

Answer 2

Introduce them slowly. Put one cat in a room with the door shut and then leave the other ones out. They will sniff eachother under the door and get to know eachother by smell. After a little while, switch them. This is so each cat can smell where in the room the other has been. Keep doing this until they no longer fear or feel threatened by the other. It may take as long as three weeks! The cats who have been living there already have established a pecking order and your house is their territory. When a new cat is introduced, they will feel the need defend whats theirs from the "intruder" cat. Give them time, eventually they will accept the new kitty. At the very least, they will learn to tolorate her.

If the new cat is used to a certain type of food (especially if it is for a medical problem), it is best to keep her on it. If you need to, feed the other two in a different room than you do the other one who requires special food. Keep in mind, also, that anytime you switch food on an animal, they will have gas or diarreah because they have been used to eating the same thing for so long.

Answer 3

The reason this cat has diarrhoea is because you have suddenly changed foods and the gut flora cannot adjust! If the cat has been fed on a urinary diet for a specific reason I would keep her/him on it - this is pH balanced for urinary disorders. Friskies is what is known as a "supermarket" brand, and thus not pH balanced, with high concentrations of salt and fat and indigestable fibre. I would instead recommend putting all the cats onto a premium diet (Hills, Proplan, Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Iams, Advance, Eaglepak) which is a nutrionally balanced meal, pH balanced so no urinary/kidney problems and is so much better for all the cats! BUT if you didnt want to feed your cats quality pet food, you need to instead "wean" the newly adopted cat onto its new diet. This should occur over a period of a week where the Purina should be reduced and the friskies increased each day (eg 3/4 Purina, 1/4 Friskies on day one, 2/4 Purina, 2/4 Friskies day two etc). This allows for the gut flora to adjust to the change in food. The change in environment and conditions causes stress in the cat and this will also contribute to the diarhoea. If the cat has diarrhoea for more than 2-3 days you need to take it to a vet to be put onto a special formula (such as I/D) to make the stools solid (diarr causes dehydration and death).
Hissing and swatting is normal behaviour between the cats - remember that the new cat is entering habitated territory! We recommend that introductions are slow and supervised until all parties are comfortable (if not tolerant) of each other (two of my cats don't get along, but tolerate each other). I would keep the cats seperate - so they have seperate areas - but so they can smell each other but not attack each other. Eventually they will get used to each other, but it will take time, especially if the cats are older. When you feed the cats, feed the new cat in a seperate room to the others but place something of your cats in the room, eg a blanket, so they get used to the scent. I would give each cat their own bowl - you will actually find that one cat will dominate over the food, and with a multi-cat household food competition increases. This also helps reduce food aggression.
So, to sum it up, I would recommend a premium pet food which you need to purchase from a quality pet/produce store or a vet clinic for all the cats - this is way better for them and actually is cheaper in the long run! Regardless of the food you feed, you should gradually introduce the new food to prevent upset stomach which causes diarrhoea. And just remember to be patient with introductions, cats are very protective of their territory and introductions need to be gradual and supervised.
Good luck!!

Answer 4

If another cat isn't getting along with the new cat keep them separated for a little while. Gradually start to bring them together more and they should get used to one another.