September has been declared Happy Cat month from
the folks over at Catalyst Council, and this week is Happy Multi-Cat Week. I decided to share my experience with my
cats, because in the beginning we were not a happy multi-cat household! But
with patience and determination we got there.
(I’ll make a disclaimer here; I do not claim to be a cat behavioral
expert in any way, I’m just sharing what worked for me and my experience.)
Lexy was an only cat for eight months when I
decided she was lonely during the day and would be happier with a friend, so I
started to look for a companion for her.
A month later I found Lola’s photo on Facebook. I thought I would start the introduction process
as soon as possible, so I brought a towel that Lexy had been sleeping on to the
vet (Manhattan Cat Specialists - the best vet in NYC!) where Lola was being medically cared for and asked the tech if it could go
in Lola’s kennel. It was advised against
because Lola’s immune system was still compromised. On the flip side, it was
also not advised to bring anything from Lola’s kennel home to Lexy. So there went that idea!
When Lola came home I kept her in the bathroom for
a week (mainly because she was still on medication). Lexy was not happy with this intruder, to say
the least. She would sit and growl by
the bathroom door at night – a growl I had never heard from her. Lola wrote in her book that she thought Lexy
wanted to eat her, and I agreed with her! During that week I showered Lexy with
attention when she wasn’t near the door.
When she was near the door and sitting nicely, I showered her with more
attention and treats. (I’m a Behavioral Psychologist by trade, and I figured the
underlying principles of positive reinforcement probably don’t change much when
working with animals. I still don’t know
if I’m right! But I followed my instinct.) When she sat by the door and growled
I silently shooed her away with no other positive attention.
When Lola’s medications were finished and she was ready to meet the world, I rubbed washcloths on both of their faces and let them
smell the others’ scent. The next day
they changed places – Lexy went into the bathroom and Lola roamed the rest of
the apartment. I did this a couple of
times, and Lexy didn’t mind snacking on Lola’s food. (One morning during the switch Lexy got
locked in my closet. Don’t ask for more
details, please. Just know it was a scene out of Seinfeld!)
Then came the day for them to see each other. I let them peek at each other through the
bathroom door and Lola’s inner big cat came out. She growled and swatted and
growled some more. I brought Lola out in
a carrier but it appeared she felt trapped so that wasn’t a good idea. I brought her back out to the living room and
sat her on my lap.
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| I don't like that thing. |
