How to make my cat accept another cat in the house?

[Daleksatemyshed]

I know this is going to be difficult but any tips for making it easier? We took in a stray/homeless cat and she's very territorial about the house, doesn't like another cat on the doorstep never mind inside! We now want to have another cat but I'm afraid it's not going to go well- any ideas please

When my kitten came to me I had a 2 year old cat. I rubbed a sock on the cat and when kitten slept I put the sock next to her and I did via versa for cat, they had one day where cat slept in the hallway and not the front room as usual but then they had to get on with it. They shared bowls with food and water a litter tray from the off. Luckily it worked for them.

Keep them separate for as long as they want - ours didn’t like each other for about 2 months - fed separately and allowed them to decide when they were ready, actually thought would never accept each other but they did and not best friends but certainly get on ok - still keep their bowls apart as don’t like eating close to each other.
So my advice let them come round to each other .

An older cat will often accept a kitten but not another adult cat.

Thank you all for your replies. The new cat is an adult male but he's been neutered and he's very placid and calm. I just don't want the cat we have to feel pushed out.

I would love to know the answer to this as I have three cats and two of them hate each other with a passion and they are 16 and 17. I have tried everything. We just accept it now that they will never be friends

Depends on the cats, I have nine and we've always done introductions carefully and slowly with scent swapping and using food and play as positive experiences when they are first together. All of mine get on well, but I have two females who don't really like each other, but they do tolerate each other.

I have actually found it easier with more cats as they just seem to accept that they share, and some have very special relationships, which are lovely to witness. A lone cat often seems to feel that they have to protect what they've got or lose it. It can take a long time, but slow and steady wins the race. If the new cat is submissive then your current cat may accept them more easily.

Just to add, have a watch of Jackson Galaxy on youtube on introducing cats, he has some good tips!

Here's a sample iheartcats.com/jackson-galaxys-6-steps-to-properly-introduce-cats/

Thanks @Stickytreacle, there's some useful ideas on that site. You have nine cats, that sounds like mayhem, we had five once and that wS tio many for me

Can you get the feliway friends and plug it in now?

One tip that definitely helps it to make sure there's an abundance of resources, so your current cat doesn't feel defensive. So loads of food (more than they need or usually get), treats provided more often than usual, newcomer and incumbent cat both get new toys.

Also, definitely keep them separated (by at least one door) for at least the first few days. They will still know the other cat is there, the same as we would know if there was an extra person in a different room to us, but it gives them a chance to get used to the idea. If it's possible to separate them with a glass door, and feed them at the same time but on opposite sides of the door, this can help them get used to each other's presence.

Be prepared for everyone to be cross and hissy and fluffy for a few days. But as long as they're not full-on fighting and yowling, they should settle down eventually.

Good idea @ThatWriterInTheCorner, I'll stock up on the treats and the Feliway @EachandEveryone. Hopefully if I take it slowly it will all be OK

Cats are, by nature, solitary. They often dislike living with other animals.

I've always had cats. I had 2, not related, but in a cat shelter at the same time. One was very dominant, bullied the other one by attacking her if she dared to venture upstairs. They found their place on the pecking order of things, then along came our male cat, a stray. All 3 then tolerated each other. When the 2 females eventually died, the boy was the only one left so I introduced a female cat, about a year old. He attacked her so often, she took refuge in my wardrobe and wouldn't come out. I had to rehome her.

5 years later, he's still the only cat in the house. You CAN'T force your cat to accept another cat. It would be wrong of you to try.

No @JustBehave1, I can't force this, but I have very good reasons for wanting to take the second cat in. His owners didn't look after him ,despite him being rather unwell, and as cats do, he's voted with his feet.

I'm not convinced cats are solitary. Feral cats live in colonies of fluctuating members.

If this helps, about our old cat who was fighting with random stranger cat about 10 days ago.

I'm in process of getting an old man cat to accept our new kittens. We started with sound he could hear them but not smell or see. Then we overlapped smell no eyeballing, but in each other's territory over a few days so could smell each other. Then some eyeballing very briefly, and then actually in same room for like 3 seconds at a time.

Day 7 now, and we are allowing very short periods (< 1 minute), supervised time in same room, us ready to pounce. I could imagine weeks will go by before they are allowed unsupervised time together.

Right now, the Little ones stare & old cat yowls so then we fuss over OldCat & remove him and distract him. His best hope is that the young ones will leave him the F alone.

Agree about lots of resources & cuddles.

I agree with lljkk, cats are rarely solitary in the 'wild', and often from close bonds with other cats. I certainly find my nine are happy and get on well as a group, in fact I think they get security and safety being in a large number. I had more issues when we had a single or two cats in the past.