Moving with cats

[amax]

Hi everybody,

I have a situation and am looking for some advice. After each living alone, my gilfriend and I are moving in with each other, into a new apartment. We both have two cats apiece. My cats are a little over a year old and her cats are about 7 months old.

Can someone advise me as to the proper way to introduce the cats, into what will be a new environment for all involved.

I should mention that we are moving into a pretty large two floor apartment and there is a back yard.

Thanks for any help you can impart.

[SpencerTheLion]

Welcome to Talkpets! I'd make sure each cat has an individual water and food dish to discourage fighting. If they can be initially kept apart inside the apartment, I'd do so. Over time, gradually get them to see and smell each other. Exchanging towels with their scent will help. For a number of reasons, I'd discourge letting the cats outside.

[Zoo Keeper]

Well, everytime we add a new pet to the house, we just let them sort it all out on their own. We just keep a close watch to make sure nobody is getting too mean or rough with the new guy. Cats are usually pretty ticked off about new cats around, but they also get over it usually within a week. I've found the more I keep them seperate, the longer it takes for them to adjust.

Example: I kept my foster cat in the loft away from my other pets for health reasons and safety because she was about to deliver her kittens. So she was up there for about 3 months total, and my cats were seriously cranky the whole time. Once I got her kittens adopted, and got her vaccines, I let her mingle with everyone else. My cats promptly got over their irritation over the intruder.

Good luck!

[SpencerTheLion]

Zoo Keeper,

Once again, welcome to TalkPets! Feel free to share your rescue and feral cat experiences. I have had mixed results on isolating foster cats. If they are somewhat tame, they seem to adjust well. If they were only pets or feral, they are a lot harder to mix in.