Socializing Cats to Animals
Time To Interact
Many experts recommend putting the new cat into a locked room for a little while with their food, water, and litter box and introducing him to some items from your resident cat. This might be a piece of bedding or scratching post. This way the new cat gets used to the scent of the resident cat.
Do the same with your resident cat. Introduce a piece of bedding or other item from your new cat to the resident cat so he ... Read More »
Other Cats
Despite what you might think, cats are not naturally friendly to one another. Some species of cats do travel in packs but for domesticated felines, they're usually just fine on their own. While humans bond with other humans and seek out their company, cats are not like this naturally. Introducing another cat into your home when there is one there already can be a tricky, delicate process.
Here are some considerations for trying to bond two cats together:
Try to match their ... Read More »
Dogs
Introducing a dog into the home where there is already a cat can be a tricky prospect. Dogs and cats are natural enemies and cats know this instinctively; they will do what's necessary to protect themselves and their food supplies.
Part of socializing a cat with a dog will also mean training the dog properly. You can't expect a cat to be calm and mellow if the dog is barking in a threatening manner or starts to chase the cat around ... Read More »
Rabbits
It's good to be familiar with the behavior of rabbits before you bring one home to where you cat is. Since rabbits don't act or respond the way dogs and cats do, an owner can easily mistake their behavior for a lack of response at all. In reality rabbits are not technically domesticated animals and usually don't respond well to other animals; in the wild they're usually easy prey and so have learned to avoid many situations and to scare ... Read More »
Birds and Rodents
You may see videos of cats playing nicely with birds, hamsters, and even mice and assume that all you need to do in order to introduce these other creatures into your home is to give all your pets a lot of love and they'll soon bond and get along great.
This is a common mistake that many pet owners make and one that can actually be traumatizing to your cat. Birds and rodents are actually prey for a cat and they ... Read More »