How to Introduce a New Cat to Your Home

Quick answer

Introduce a new cat slowly. Give it a room of its own with everything it needs for at least the first week, then swap bedding so the cats learn each other's scent before they meet. Move on to brief sightings at a distance, paired with food or play, and only then short supervised meetings. Go at the pace of the more anxious cat, and expect anything from a couple of weeks to a few months.

Why slow works

Cats are territorial and most aren't built to welcome a stranger. A sudden face-to-face meeting can set off fear or aggression, and a bad first impression can stick for months. Cats recognise each other largely by smell, so a slow introduction lets the newcomer's scent become familiar, and mixed with the household smell, before there's any pressure to share space.

Before you bring a second cat home, think about whether your current cat is a good candidate. Older cats, very nervous cats and cats who have never lived with another may be happier alone. Pairs of littermates, or a younger cat with a playful resident, often do better.

Before day one

Set up a safe room for the newcomer: a spare bedroom or study works well. Put in:

• A litter tray, food and water (well apart from each other)
• A bed and a hiding place, such as a covered bed or a cardboard box on its side
• A scratching post and some toys
• A high perch if possible

Your resident cat keeps the rest of the house and its own resources exactly as before. Don't move its bed, bowls or trays to make room.

If you can, get a cloth or bit of bedding from the new cat's current home a few days early and leave it near your resident cat to see how it reacts.

Step 1: The safe room (at least a week)

Bring the new cat straight to its room and let it explore in its own time. Visit often, sit quietly, and let it come to you. Many cats hide for a day or two; that's normal. If your new cat is a kitten, the basics in how to litter train a kitten will help it settle in.

Your resident cat will smell and hear the newcomer through the door. Some sniffing and the odd hiss at the door is fine. Keep life normal for the resident and give it plenty of attention.

Step 2: Scent swapping

Once the new cat is eating, using its tray and seems relaxed, start swapping scent:

• Rub a soft cloth gently on each cat's cheeks (where their scent glands are) and leave it near the other cat's food or bed.
• Swap a piece of bedding between the two cats.
• Later, let the new cat explore the rest of the house while the resident is shut in another room, then swap back.

Watch the reaction. Sniffing and walking away, or rubbing on the cloth, is good. Hissing, growling or avoiding the area means keep going at this stage for longer. Move on only when both cats are calm around each other's scent.

Step 3: Seeing each other

Next, let the cats see each other at a distance without being able to touch. Options include:

• A tall baby gate or a mesh screen in the doorway (cats can jump standard gates)
• A door opened a few centimetres (an inch or two) and wedged so it can't open further

Keep sessions short, a few minutes at first. Feed both cats, or play with them with wand toys, on either side of the barrier so seeing each other comes with good things. Start with the bowls far apart and move them a little closer over days.

End each session before anyone gets tense. If a cat stares hard, flattens its ears, growls or puffs up, close the door calmly and try again later from further away.

Step 4: Supervised meetings

When both cats eat calmly in sight of each other and seem curious rather than tense, open the barrier for short, supervised meetings in a larger room.

• Have toys and treats ready to redirect attention.
• Make sure each cat has an escape route and somewhere high to go.
• Keep the first meetings to a few minutes and gradually lengthen them.
• Separate the cats again when you can't watch, until meetings have been calm for a while.

Some sniffing, a bit of avoidance and the odd hiss are all normal. Chasing that ends with one cat cornered, or yowling and fur flying, is not.

Set the house up for two cats

Even friendly cats compete quietly for resources. To keep the peace:

• One litter tray per cat plus one, in different places
• Several feeding and water stations, out of sight of each other
• Plenty of high places, shelves and cat trees so cats can share a room at different heights
• More than one scratching post and resting spot
• Separate play sessions, so a shy cat isn't pushed out by a confident one

Our guide to keeping an indoor cat happy has more on setting up the home.

Signs it's going well, and signs it isn't

Good signs: relaxed bodies near each other, slow blinks, tails up when they meet, sleeping in the same room, grooming each other, gentle play with breaks.

Warning signs: one cat blocking another from food, trays or doorways; hiding most of the day; peeing or pooing outside the tray; overgrooming; going off food; constant staring or stalking; repeated fights.

Stress can also show up as physical illness. Cats under pressure from a new housemate can develop cystitis, so watch for frequent tray visits or blood in the urine (see cat urinary problems).

If it goes wrong

If there's a fight, don't put your hands in. Throw a cushion between them, clap loudly or slide a board between the cats, then separate them into different rooms to calm down. Go back to an earlier step, often scent swapping, and slow the whole process down.

Some cats need months. Some pairs only ever reach a polite truce, living in different parts of the house, and that's fine if neither is stressed. If one cat is clearly miserable after a long, patient effort, talk to your vet. They can check for pain or illness and may refer you to a qualified behaviourist. Rehoming is sometimes the kindest choice for both.

Health checks first

Before any face-to-face meeting, have the new cat seen by a vet. Make sure it's vaccinated, treated for fleas and worms, and tested for infections your vet recommends. This protects your resident cat as much as the newcomer.