Bringing Home a New Pet:
How to Avoid a "Cat Fight"
by Breanna Camarillo

Three years ago when I first introduced two seemingly harmless cats -- my 14-pound, ever-lovable lug of an orange and white cat Lenny to my then-boyfriend’s family tabby cat, Carmel, a slinky, (slightly tipsy, thanks to a harmless neurological condition), seven-pounder, I learned the origins of the term “cat fight.” They growled; the fur on backs stood up to an intimidating fluff and their flattened ears and poised claws showed no signs of an ensuing friendly handshake. The scene a few months later when the cats met my two pugs was much the same, with a lot of hissing and bared claws.

With these memories still fresh in my memory, it’s no wonder I was a little tense bringing home my newest fur family member Fifi Le Catte this past week. Her foster mother from the rescue organization said she liked dogs and other cats, yet still, I learned from experience that helping a new pet adjust to a home, even a friendly pet, is a science, one that every new pet owner should learn in order to help avoid unneeded stress or injuries for the animal.

So, please, for the sake of the two and four legged family members in your household, learn from my mistakes and do what I did this time around. Follow these tips from the Humane Society of the United States, which may make your animals’ first encounter a pleasant -- or at least less frightening -- memory.

Cat-to-Cat Introductions

Cats are territorial, and they need to be introduced to other animals very slowly so they can get used to each other before a face-to-face confrontation. Slow introductions help prevent fearful and aggressive problems from developing.

1. Confine your new cat to one medium-sized room with her litter box, food, water, and a bed. Feed your resident pets and the newcomer on each side of the door to this room, so that they associate something enjoyable (eating!) with each other's smells. Don't put the food so close to the door that the animals are too upset by each other's presence to eat. Gradually move the dishes closer to the door until your pets can eat calmly while standing directly on either side of the door.

2. Swap the sleeping blankets or beds used by the cats so they each have a chance to become accustomed to the other's scent. You can even rub a towel on one animal and put it underneath the food dish of another animal. If there are more than two animals in the house, do the same for each animal.

3. Once your new cat is using her litter box and eating regularly while confined, let her have free time in the house while confining your other animals to the new cat's room. This switch provides another way for the animals to experience each other's scents without a face-to-face meeting. It also allows the newcomer to become familiar with her new surroundings without being frightened by the other animals.

4. After the animals have been returned to their original designated parts of the house, use two doorstops to prop open the dividing door just enough to allow the animals to see each other, and repeat the whole process over a period of days—supervised, of course.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Avoid any interactions between your pets that result in either fearful or aggressive behavior. If these responses are allowed to become a habit, they can be difficult to change. It's better to introduce your pets to each other so gradually that neither animal becomes afraid or aggressive. You can expect a mild protest from either cat from time to time, but don't allow these behaviors to intensify. If either animal becomes fearful or aggressive, separate them, and start the introduction process once again with a series of very small, gradual steps, as outlined above.

Cat-to-Dog Introductions

You'll need to be even more careful when introducing a dog and a cat to one another. A dog can seriously injure and even kill a cat very easily, even if they're only playing—all it takes is one quick shake to break the cat's neck. Some dogs have such a high prey drive they should never be left alone with a cat. Dogs usually want to chase and play with cats, and cats usually become afraid and defensive. Use the techniques described above to begin introducing your new cat to your resident dog.

1. Practice Obedience. If your dog doesn't already know the commands "sit," "down," "come," and "stay," begin working on them right away. Small pieces of food will increase your dog's motivation to perform, which will be necessary in the presence of a strong distraction such as a new cat. Even if your dog already knows these commands, work to reinforce these commands in return for a tidbit.

2. Control the meeting. After your new cat and resident dog have become comfortable eating on opposite sides of the door and have been exposed to each other's scents as described above, you can attempt a face-to-face introduction in a controlled manner. Put your dog's leash on and have him either sit or lie down and stay for treats. Ask another family member or friend to enter the room and quietly sit down next to your new cat, but don't ask them to physically restrain her. Have this person offer your cat some special pieces of food. At first, the cat and the dog should be on opposite sides of the room. Lots of short visits are better than a few long visits. Don't drag out the visit so long that the dog becomes uncontrollable. Repeat this step several times until both the cat and dog are tolerating each other's presence without fear, aggression, or other undesirable behavior.

3. Let your cat go. Next, allow your cat some freedom to explore your dog at her own pace, with the dog still on-leash and in a "down-stay." Meanwhile, keep giving your dog treats and praise for his calm behavior. If your dog gets up from his "stay" position, he should be repositioned with a treat lure, and praised and rewarded for obeying the "stay" command. If your cat runs away or becomes aggressive, you're progressing too fast. Go back to the previous introduction steps.

4. Give out positive reinforcement. Although your dog must be taught that chasing or being rough with your cat is unacceptable behavior, he must also be taught just what is appropriate, and be rewarded for those behaviors, such as sitting, coming when called, or lying down in return for a treat. If your dog is always punished when your cat is around, and never has "good things" happen in the cat's presence, your dog may redirect aggression toward the cat.

5. Provide direct supervision. You may want to keep your dog at your side and on-leash whenever your cat is free in the house during the introduction process. Be sure that your cat has an escape route and a place to hide. And until you're certain your cat will be safe, be sure to keep the two separated when you aren't home.


There are different steps for kittens and puppies and for other types of animals. There are also exceptions for animals that are injured, older, that have never been socialized with other animals, or that exhibit aggressive or other troubling behavior. For more tips, visit the Humane Society’s website at http://www.hsus.org -- or talk with your veterinarian.

In my case, I always checked to make sure that my adult adoptees had previously accepted other fur people and in a few cases even brought along one or two fur family members to the adoption to see how the potential new pet and my old pet reacted to each other in a controlled situation.

While Fifi is still in the confinement stage, she has started napping next to Lenny after a crate introduction and has stopped growling at the dogs, both signs that we’re on our way to a few beautiful friendships (or at least a blissful state of prolonged tolerance).