How should you go about introducing two cats to each other?

[Greta]

My cat is a 4 year old male & he's neutered, and he's been an only cat for awhile.

My dad has a cat who's a 10 year old spayed female. She's always HATED other cats. (She and the first cat I mentioned lived in the same house together and she would try to, like, stalk him and chase him)

The two cats are going to be living together soon and I don't want my dad's cat to be really uncomfortable in her own home, or to get really upset.

Is there any way to...make it calmer or go smoother?

 

[Jerry S]

hi greta, i have to agree with the answer from peace love.

 

[PeaceLoveCats]

A good way to go about it would be to put the cats in separate but adjoining rooms and let them smell/paw at each other under the door for a while before introducing them face-to-face. Even before that you might want to get a toy from each of them and switch them, giving cat 1 cat 2's toy and vice-versa, letting them get used to each other's smell before bringing them into the same house.

I don't know if you want yet another cat, but bringing a kitten into the mix might smooth things over. If you did that I would introduce the kitten to the other cats separately and let them get used to the kitten. I had a neutered adult male and then got a small kitten and he actually took care of the kitten like he belonged to him. This kitten, if you choose to get one, could be the mediator of the group.

I've had multiple cats for a while now and they seem much happier when they are together versus being an only cat. These two cats may hiss and fuss for a while, but they will get used to each other. Just make sure not to put them together in an enclosed space if they aren't getting along. Give them room to run and hide if they feel they need to.

Treats are another good thing to think about. Most cats aren't food aggressive, but be careful just in case. My cats have never fought over food.

Overall, make sure the cats have a friendly, comfortable and safe environment to interact. It may take a while for them to get used to each other, but eventually they will accept it. They may not be lovey-dovey, but they won't kill each other, either.

Hope this helps!