Lake Road Animal Hospital
3065 Lake Road ~ Horseheads, NY 14845
Phone 607-733-6503 ~ Fax 607-733-3656
Kennel 607-733-6509
FELINE BUDDIES
What it takes for cats to be best friends.
So you think Miss Kitty would like some feline companionship? One important question to contemplate
before attempting to introduce a new cat into the household is: For whom am I matchmaking--my cat or me?
Whether cats actually experience loneliness, as humans normally do, and miss being with other cats, has
never been determined. And some kitty combinations--an elderly cat coping with a newly arrived kitten or your
male cat discovering a strange new tomcat in his domain--can be recipes not for feline bliss but for cruel and
unusual punishment, for both you and the cats. In such cases, the elderly cat or the reigning male cat of the house
will be much better off by being left alone--as will be their owners.
Statistically, however, a relationship between cats may have a better chance for success than a human
relationship. When you consider that half of all marriages end in divorce, cats can seem downright reasonable and
decorous.
Twenty-five percent don’t get along.
“If you’re selecting a second cat, keep in mind that about 25% just don’t get along with other cats,
period,” points out Katherine A. Houpt, VMD, PhD, director of Cornell’s Animal Behavior Clinic. She sites a
Swiss study of new cats brought to an animal shelter. “The new cats did not become socialized; the original cats
were nothing but miserable. Everyone was stressed.”
Sally, for example, dislikes all cats (and most humans) and only likes dogs. When as a year-old cat, she
was introduced to a new kitten, she became so stressed that she developed a life-threatening urinary tract disease,
probably because stress compromised her immune system. Even now, at the age of 9, she tries to ignore the other
cats in the household.
If there’s no choice.
Sometimes the cat owners have no choice about putting cats together. For example, when two cat-owning
people decide to marry, it is a toss-up whether the cats will enjoy the alliance.
When Oscar, a year-old kitty, met Tommy, who was 9, it was love at first sight. The two orange tabbies
ran around together and played endlessly--which was a good thing, because their humans had decided to join
households. Had they not been so friendly, the human relationship might not have done as well.
Given these cat caveats, there are guidelines for increasing the chances of a happy union between your cat
and a new feline buddy.
Introduce when young.
A particularly good time to introduce cats to each other is when they are young and playful. Observe
whether a cat seems unhappy and vocalizes her feelings. Although it is no guarantee that she will accept a new
cat, it is an indication that she has been with another cat in the past and would probably allow a new cat into her
life.
Notice whether your cat is friendly to people, for it is a sign that she would likely be friendly to a second
cat. If, however, she hides under the bed or sofa when company comes, she would probably want nothing to do
with a second cat.
If your original cat is a male, he is less likely to be irascible toward a female. If your current cat is a
female, for cat happiness and domestic tranquility, find her another female.
One important rule: Don’t commit to a particular cat on the spur of the moment. Rather, take the trouble
to go through some cat trials, for this may save you a decade or more of domestic misery.
Test cat compatibility.
If you’re at a cat shelter and have a new cat in mind, ask the shelter personnel if they have a kind of
neutral, friendly second cat at the shelter. Put the friendly cat by the cage of the one you are considering. Be wary
of claws while holding one cat to the cage of the other. If your choice suddenly has ears pinned against her head
and is hissing like a steam kettle, the prognosis is poor. If the shelter cat is more serene and comes to the front of
the cage, tail up, purring and rubbing against the bars, take that as a very good sign.
Some combinations are doomed and should be avoided. A lot of cats don’t seem to be very accepting of
any strange cat. Feral cats are not very accepting of indulged house cats--and vice versa. A 12-year-old household
cat is probably not going to welcome a kitten; in fact, the playful kitten may drive the older cat to distraction. If
your cat is 2 years old, she may not mind the kitten; some cats will display maternal behavior toward the
newcomer.
Keep them separate!
Once you have committed to a second cat and are going to introduce the new cat into your home, apply
the same techniques that are used to treat aggression between felines. Put the new cat in a room by himself for a
week as he becomes oriented to the house, its odors, its spaces, and the rhythms of life in the household. This is
also essential to make sure the cat does not run out of the house and disappear.
During this period, Rub both cats with the same towel to exchange odors. Exchange used but clean litter
boxes. Consider a prescription-only product called Feliway, which simulates feline cheek-gland secretions. Spray
it around while the cats are new to each other; it will serve as a calming influence. If the cats are frisky and want
to play under the door that separates them, they will soon be playing with each other.
Although a kitten is almost always a better bet and you may delight in the wonderful budding relationship
between kitty and your cat, it does not always ensure an unending, peaceable kingdom. Enjoy their relationship,
but don’t be shocked if the partnership, like that of many humans, develops some strains down the line.