It’s wonderful to be able to re-home a rescue cat and it’s lovely to see these often scared felines blossoming in their new loving households. I’ve had a series of stray cats come home with me rather than heading to the animal shelter – the perils of working in a vet clinic! There are however a few considerations when bringing a cat into a household that has existing pets.

Most cats and dogs need careful, controlled exposure to each other before they can be let loose! The first step is to get the new cat bonded to its new home. Setting up a small room where the new arrival can be kept on its own whilst it gets used to its new space is ideal. Set up a litter tray and cat bed and give them lots of fuss while they settle. It can take time for a cat to get confident in its new space, so expect them to be nervous initially – hiding under beds or behind furniture is common. Gradually the new arrival will get more confident, less anxious and associate the new house with comfort, safety and food.

Create a positive association between pets
Meanwhile existing pets will be able to sense and smell the new cat. Feeding them on the other side of the door to the new cat’s room can help create a positive association between the smell of a new pet and something nice, i.e. food. Swapping bedding will also increase familiarity between pets and it’s a good idea to let the new cat into other areas of the house while existing pets are out.

At some point, though, a physical introduction is required, which should be done under close supervision. Try to keep dogs on a lead initially – encourage them to sit and reward them with treats for remaining calm. Some behaviourists advocate putting the new cat in a crate so dogs can get close enough to sniff and see, but no more. With cat to cat meetings don’t expect instant friendships. In most cases apathy is the best case scenario – the cats ignore each other and respect each other’s space, but hisses or disgruntled meows are not unusual. If hissing escalates to aggression, a sharp clap of the hands and herding pets into separate rooms is required (be careful getting between warring cats!)

They’ll soon settle into a new pack structure
Within a few weeks the pets should have overcome their fears and excitement of the new arrival and will have settled into their new pack structure – they might even be curling up together or grooming each other. Try to trim your cat’s nails before introductions – a sharp claw to a face is not uncommon. Cat pheromone sprays and plug-in diffusers can help cats settle into a new home and serotonin boosting supplements can be given to reduce stress. Chat to your vet if you’re unsure whether your existing pets will cope with a new arrival. Giving a rescue cat a new home is a wonderful thing to be able to do and with a bit of careful planning it can be done without too much stress and upheaval.