How to make friends between a cat and a female cat in the same apartment

Having decided to get a second cat, few people think about how their pet will react to the addition of another family member. Usually, old-timers are not happy about their new neighbor and attack him, trying to drive him into a corner. If you do not intervene in time in the relationship between animals, they will constantly conflict and the matter may end in separation from one of them. Let's find out how to make cats friends with each other.

Rules for keeping two pets

To make it easier for two animals to get along in one apartment, they need to immediately understand that the only authority in the house is a person. And so that the old-timer does not develop jealousy and resentment, he cannot be deprived of love and affection.

To reduce the risk of competition between pets you need to:

1. Provide each cat with an individual tray, a place to sleep and eat. So that animals do not feel deprived, it is advisable to buy them similar bowls, beds and pots.
2. Design separate places for each pet on an elevated surface. Cats like to keep an eye on what's going on from wall shelves, vertical stands, and cat trees.
3. Provide animals with play complexes, tunnels and houses for joint games. To ensure that cats feel safe and can escape if necessary, these structures must have multiple exits and sufficient space.
4. Place food and water bowls in the same room, but at a sufficient distance. This is necessary so that the cats see each other while eating, but are protected from attacks from their neighbor. If one pet constantly gets into the bowl of the other, then it is better to feed them in different rooms.
5. Provide both pets with toys. To avoid conflicts, you should not give one cat the favorite thing of the other.

On a note. Due to their natural cleanliness and disgust, cats do not accept the use of someone else's litter box. Therefore, each of them needs its own potty plus one spare.

Simple ways to get rid of conflicts

There are scent glands on a cat's face: when the animal rubs its nose and head, it expresses friendliness. Therefore, the owner needs to use 2 clean mittens, stroking the pets from the muzzle to the ears. The mitten with the alien's scent should be moved to the territory of the old cat, and its pheromones should be moved to the territory of the new resident. This will allow cats to feel the “favorable” aromas of their neighbor and not feel anxiety towards him.

Other ways to smooth out conflicts include:

• when allocating a place for a feeder, you need to place it so that the neighbor can watch the second animal eat;
• cats need to be fed at the same time, using the same food;
• you need to play with both pets at once, using 2 toys for them (each should have their own);
• install shared climbing equipment, increasing the total area shared by the 2 cats.

These simple methods help relieve the anxiety that both cats experience. Eating and playing together helps make neighbors feel relaxed. Gradually, you need to move both feeders closer to each other, giving the cats the opportunity to get used to the reduction in distance. The same should happen when playing together: during the game, the fishing rods are brought closer to each other, and then again spread as far apart as possible. In the common territory, aggression must be resolutely suppressed.

How to introduce cats

Experts do not recommend bringing a second pet into a house where an old cat lives. A young and active animal will take a lot of attention from the owner. And the old man, feeling unnecessary, will fall into depression and may die.

You cannot bring a kitten under 3 months into a home where an adult, uncastrated cat lives. A sexually mature male poses a serious threat to the baby. Therefore, you will have to wait until the kitten grows up, or castrate the cat.

The presence of a new pet is also undesirable where a pregnant or lactating female lives. Protecting its offspring, the cat will fight with the “uninvited” guest. And if she gets stressed, she might kill her own kittens.

The appearance of a second animal is justified in cases where the cat living in the house is left alone for a long time and suffers from a lack of communication. But even in this case, much depends on how the first acquaintance goes.

To ensure everything goes smoothly, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:

1. All windows in the apartment are closed and doors to rooms are opened so that the animals have room to maneuver.
2. The carrier with the second cat is brought into the corridor and the first pet is allowed to sniff it.
3. The door of the carrier is opened and they wait until the animal decides to get out on its own. If the newcomer immediately hides in the nearest room or hides under the sofa, he should not be reached. As soon as the cat comes to his senses a little, he will crawl out on his own.

In the future, the owner should only observe the behavior of the pets and intervene only if necessary. Pets can be left alone only after full adaptation.

To make it easier for cats to get along together, you cannot:

1. Pushing animals together. Each cat will protect its borders. As a result, fights will inevitably arise between them and making them friends will not be easy.
2. Lock two people in one room. Since the newcomer has not yet gotten used to it, and the old-timer intends to defend his territory, conflicts will begin between them. And this will greatly complicate the reconciliation of the two cats.
3. Lock yourself in different rooms. According to experts, separating unfamiliar cats is not the best way to introduce them. The animals do not see each other, but they smell an unknown smell that frightens them. As a result, the cat perceives him as a threat, and this may prevent them from making friends.

Peaceful solution

In any case, it is better to start acquaintance under the supervision of the owner, gradually bringing the pets closer together. If the cat has a good disposition, then you can introduce it immediately, without prior quarantine of the animals. But in any case, gradually bringing the cat and kitten closer together. First, let her sniff the small one, while holding the pets. It is better for two people to do this. One was holding a baby, the other was holding an adult cat. After the “sniffing” procedure, you can try to release the pets; if tension does not arise in the form of snorting, hissing and other moments, you can let them communicate. At the same time, the owner must continue to carefully observe the objects of acquaintance, encourage them with kind words, and caress them. It is quite possible that they will play. It happens that the older cat begins to take care of the younger one by licking him. This is a good start and ensures that the relationship will be established in the near future.

How to make friends with cats

All cat acquaintances follow a similar pattern, and their success is influenced by the temperament of each animal.

The greatest likelihood that pets will quickly find a common language exists in the following situations:

• when a small kitten is placed with a cat;
• when a cat is taken to a cat;
• when both animals are relatively young.

The most difficult thing is to make friends between an adult cat and a kitten and two males. But such a neighborhood is also possible if you introduce the animals correctly and show maximum patience.

Adult animals

The easiest way to make friends between a cat and a female cat in the same apartment is if the female is placed with a male. He will not perceive her as a rival, which means that the animals will not have competition for territory. An uncastrated male may begin to show signs of attention to the female. But if the cat hisses in response, the cat will most likely retreat.

The female is more demanding and is unlikely to immediately accept a new neighbor. If an adult cat is neutered, she may hiss and become aggressive when introduced. Over time, the “mistress” will calm down and get used to the new resident. It is unlikely that cats will sleep on the same bed, but it is likely that they will not refuse to play together.

Making two cats friends is much more difficult. Each of them will consider herself a mistress and defend her rights. It is especially difficult to reconcile cats if one of them is sterilized and the other is not. A female who has given birth will always be guided by the instinct to protect her offspring, even if there are none yet. The owner will have to make a lot of effort to make the cats friends with each other.

Relationships between two adult males are not easy. They perceive each other as rivals and begin to compete fiercely. Cohabitation of a pair of sexually mature males will be marred by constant marks and fights. To make cats friends with each other, they will have to be castrated.

Cat and kitten

To make friends between a cat and someone else's baby, you need to be patient. At first the female will hiss at the new kitten, but over time her maternal instinct will awaken. As soon as this happens, she will begin to take care of her adopted child and teach him all the wisdom.

If a sterilized individual lives in the house, you will have to think about how to get the cat to accept someone else’s kitten. If the female's maternal instinct is not activated, it is necessary to wait until she gets used to the presence of a new resident. And in order to quickly make friends between a cat and a kitten and not provoke conflicts, it is recommended:

• At first, do not leave animals alone;
• do not allow the kitten to use the tray and bowl of an adult cat;
• do not deny your cat affection when she needs it.

Cat and kitten

Making friends between an adult cat and a kitten is quite difficult. The male will begin to perceive him as a rival and may behave aggressively. In order to make friends between a cat and a kitten over time, you need to stop the baby’s attempts to get closer to the adult pet’s bowl and at first do not let him roam throughout the apartment.

First meeting

You can’t immediately let a new tenant near your old pet. The cat, which previously lived in the apartment, will appreciate the appearance of a new one as an invasion of its territory. The result of such an acquaintance will be aggression, expressed in hissing or direct attack.

The reaction of the new tenant depends on his age and temperament:

• a small and insecure kitten will experience stress and will remain distrustful of both the owner and the older pet for a long time;
• an adult cat with character is capable of fighting back, and as a result of the fight, the old inhabitant of the apartment may also suffer.

Trying to quickly meet 2 cats does not contribute to their good relationship with each other. In addition, the old cat will lose trust in the owner, considering him the reason for the appearance of a rival, whom this owner is now also courting.

Possible problems

When trying to make friends with cats, many owners encounter the following problems:

1. Sexual conflicts. They occur between females in heat or two males. If the animals are breeding, they are temporarily isolated from each other. If cats do not take part in breeding, they are sterilized.
2. Upholding your own interests. The reason for a fight can be food, toys, a house, or even a tray. To correct the situation and make friends with cats, they need to buy similar accessories and give them the same food.
3. Fights between animals. If cats are clinging to each other, you can separate them by pouring water on them or covering them with a blanket. Then they need to be isolated for a while and try to get acquainted again a little later.
4. If cats are injured during a fight, they are treated with an antiseptic. If necessary, victims are taken to a veterinarian.

You can make friends between cats by showing maximum patience and perseverance. But if after a while all attempts end in failure, then it is much more humane to find new owners for one of them.

Why is a cat aggressive towards her adult kitten and how to make them friends?

QUESTION:

After the last lambing, they kept the cat for themselves, now there are two cats in the apartment - a mother and a daughter, but after she finished feeding, the young one became a stranger to her. They are at enmity, or rather, the mother cat is aggressive towards the young one, hissing and even spreading her paws. They decided to sterilize the eldest one - she is 7 years old, and left the young one for further production of kittens. How can they be reconciled? And when the kittens appear, how will the grandma cat perceive the newborns? Thanks for the answer!

ANSWER:

First of all, you need to decide how serious the conflict is. The fact is that cat games can be very loud and very similar to real battles. The combatants raise their fur, intertwine in embraces, somersault and roll on the floor - however, there is no real aggression or injury. It has been noticed that most of the techniques “rivals” are practiced “with gloves”, without using their claws. After a fight, cats quickly change their anger to mercy and subsequently exist quite peacefully, showing elements of attention and goodwill (mutual licking and rubbing their cheeks, sleeping side by side, eating in close proximity to each other).

Often a hiss, a raised scruff and a strike with a clawed paw are just an expression of a sudden surge of emotion. The animal may have felt irritation or physical discomfort. Group members use this technique to restore the status quo, and an outbreak of aggression does not at all mean a “declaration of war.” It has been noted that quite harsh disputes occur between littermate kittens, but with a significant difference in age, the older animal usually occupies a higher status, supporting it with a demonstration of dominance. There is nothing terrible that a mother periodically “raises” her grown-up daughter, who is entering the phase of puberty - their warm relationship is not broken, but is illustrated by trivial “family scenes.”

The true intensity of the hostility is evidenced by repeated scenes:

1. long howls and screams;
2. low, angry growls and hisses;
3. static “stone” poses;
4. ears laid back and pressed to the head;
5. looking eye to eye;
6. claws extended and readiness to use them;
7. raised wool;
8. swollen, nervously wriggling tail.

Usually, after a psychological attack, the subordinate individual “loses his nerves” and retreats from the “battlefield.” But rivals of equal strength do not want to give in and, along with intimidation techniques, use alternating pounces and paw strikes. The rash intervention of a frightened owner at such a moment (for example, an attempt to pick up one of the fighters in his arms or push him away with his foot) can “add fuel to the fire”, switching aggression to the person. Need I remind you that “there is no beast worse than a cat,” and an angry cat can cause serious damage in the heat of passion.

The culmination of the confrontation is “close combat”, in which the participants cling together into a single ball using claws and teeth. Shreds of fur flying in all directions, screams and growls add poignancy to the picture.

You can break up such a brutal cat fight using some strong irritant that switches the attention of the animals, for example:

1. clap hands;
2. the sound of a saucepan lid falling on the floor;
3. a sharp shout;
4. pouring cold water on the fighters.

Experts advise using another specific trick: you need to throw a blanket or thick blanket over the mating cats, pressing it along the perimeter to the floor, and hold it until the bullies disperse on their own, instinctively clinging to the floor. Next, one of the participants in the battle can be picked up and carried to another room.

Murkas fight for various reasons, but the fights are based on instincts:

1. defensive (personal comfort);
2. territorial (fight for territory);
3. prey (competition for food and other resources);
4. sexual (defending the right to have offspring and ensuring their safety);
5. social (some kind of “jealousy” towards the owner).

Thus, cats can fight without sharing:

1. territory;
2. shelters;
3. food and toys;
4. owner's attention.

In same-sex individuals kept in the same house, “passions” are fueled by sexual cycles.

To level out the conflict and allow both “warring sides” to become more tolerant, felinologists suggest the following actions:

1. divide the territory of the house, laying out “its own route” for each pet. Thus, a less aggressive cat can move along the upper tier, for which purpose all kinds of shelves, hammocks, stairs and passages are hung on the walls. Thus, a direct clash “on the warpath” will be excluded. As relations warm up, some of the structures can be removed;
2. install at least two trays, houses, beds and scratching posts in different places, which will reduce competition for resources;
3. feed cats at the same time, but in different places: for example, one from a bowl on the windowsill, and the other from a bowl on the floor. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the dominant mother does not try to take food from the younger cat;
4. pay attention to pets without singling out personalities, trying to stroke or treat both cats with treats from the fingers at once;
5. do not ignore the attempts of tailed pets to escalate the conflict, instantly scattering them in different directions;
6. for severe anxiety, use sedatives and anti-stress medications (Cat Bayun, Stop Stress, catnip powder).

Steilization leads to a decrease in the level of sex hormones and often to an automatic decrease in the personal status of the animal. After surgery, the cat becomes less frisky and emotional, which will most likely reduce its bullying behavior.

It is impossible to predict the attitude towards future kittens born by a cat-daughter: with a developed maternal instinct, the “grandmother” will treat her “grandchildren” with love and care, helping her daughter cope with her offspring. But a less successful scenario is also possible, when the older animal perceives newborns as increased pressure. Some lovers of mustachioed tabby cats write that as the second individual grows up, the slaughter intensifies and one of the cats has to be handed over to “good hands.”

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