Even when the introduction is complete , continued provision of additional resources can potentially reduce the chance of future fighting between the cats , as it is often caused by competition for resources ( Atkinson , 2016b ). This may mean the owner has to permanently modify the environment to ensure continued harmony within the multi-cat household .
hand as you go to greet , feed or play with the new cat , as a way of briefly introducing an existing cat ’ s scent in a positive manner ( Figure 4 ) and vice versa . If there are multiple existing cats , they will require individual cloths and their introduction to the new cat should be done on rotation . Once the cats ignore the scent as it is presented , you can move to Step 2 .
Management of the introduction
There are four key steps to follow when managing the introduction of the new cat ( Figure 2 ), and it is important not to move on to the next step until the previous one has been successfully completed . It is difficult to put a timescale on this process – in some instances it may only take a couple of weeks and in others it could take a couple of months .
However , as with all behaviour advice , it is important to stress to the owner the importance of patience . If the process is to be successful , no shortcuts can be taken ; in fact , rushing the steps can actually increase the risk of issues developing ( Heath , 2016 ).
Step 1 : Scent introduction
Figure 3 . Scent collection from the facial area .
Step 2 : Scent swapping
Step 3 : Allowing the new cat to explore
Step 4 : Limited face-to-face introduction
Figure 2 . Overview of the steps for introducing a new cat . Figure 4 . Introducing the new cat ' s scent during feeding .
STEP 1 : SCENT INTRODUCTION
Once the new cat is confident in its own area of the house , the introduction process can begin . Several disposable cloths ( e . g . J-cloths ) should be prepared – one for each cat in the household – and each kept in a separate plastic bag labelled with the cat ' s name . Use the labelled cloth daily to wipe the face and flank of each cat in turn , to collect the odours specific to them ( Figure 3 ). This cloth can then be wrapped around your
STEP 2 : SCENT SWAPPING
This step involves the use of a single new cloth to collect scent from all the cats in the household , so as to combine all the various cats ' scents . The cloth is then introduced to all cats in the household as before . Once there is no response to the cloth , you can use it to mark yourself , as well as other objects that the cats regularly rub up against . As before , this step should continue until all the cats are ignoring the scent .
Volume 37 ( 5 ) • November 2022
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