Home
Behavior

How to Introduce a New Cat to Your Home: A Step-by-Step Guide

Photo of a gray resident cat meeting a new orange kitten at the door of a cat carrier

Short answer: go slowly. Give the new cat its own room first, swap scents before the cats ever see each other, then move through short, calm, supervised meetings. Settling in can take from several days to a week or two, and introductions between cats often take longer. Let the cats set the pace.

Bringing a new cat home is exciting for you and stressful for the cat. If you already share your home with another cat, it can be stressful for both of them. The good news is that a careful, step-by-step introduction gives cats the best chance of accepting each other. This guide covers how to prepare a safe room, what the first days look like, how to introduce a new cat to a resident cat, what trouble looks like, and when to ask for help. Everything below comes from International Cat Care and PDSA guidance, listed at the end.

Why slow introductions matter

International Cat Care points out that cats are naturally solitary animals, so some will never accept another cat, even with careful handling. Recognising this matters for both cats' physical and mental welfare. Slow, careful introductions give cats the best chance, and rushing is discouraged, because a slower process is less stressful for you and your cats over time.

In practice, that means you should be ready to go back a step whenever either cat looks worried, and you should be realistic: the goal is cats that are comfortable in each other's presence, not necessarily best friends.

Before the new cat arrives: set up a safe room

International Cat Care recommends starting with one room. Kittens should be confined to one room at first. Adult cats may also start in one room, and this is required if you already have a cat. Choose a room that your resident cat does not use or need constant access to.

Stock the room with:

  • food and water bowls
  • a comfortable bed and other resting areas
  • hiding places, such as a cardboard box on its side with a thick, fleecy blanket
  • a litter tray
  • toys, and a scratching post
  • the carrier, left in the room as a retreat

If you can, bring home bedding the new cat already knows. When there is a resident cat, use only new items or the new cat's own belongings, because items belonging to the resident cat can cause stress. Synthetic feline pheromone diffusers may help both cats feel more secure; International Cat Care suggests using them in the new cat's room and in the place where the resident cat spends most of its time.

Placing the essentials

For kittens, International Cat Care suggests putting the litter tray in a discreet corner, the food bowl on the opposite side of the room, and the water bowl a few feet from the food but away from the litter tray. Put a padded, washable bed in a quiet spot away from food, water, and litter.

Make the room safe

Remove hazards before the cat arrives: fireplaces, exposed cables, poisonous plants, and human medicines or cleaning products. Block access to cupboards that hold them, secure cupboard doors, keep windows closed, and move breakable items off shelves and windowsills. For kittens, avoid full-length curtains, which they climb. Give them a scratching post, and replace it with a taller one as they grow so they can stretch their full body length. Only give string toys under supervision.

The first 24 hours and the first days

Keep the first 24 hours calm and quiet, and avoid meeting lots of new people or children too soon.

  • Kittens: place the carrier in the safe room, open the door, and let the kitten come out in its own time. Never force it out. Once it has found food, water, and the litter tray, leave the room for a while. Not eating much at first is not unusual.
  • Adult cats: some will retreat to hiding places, which is fine, so offer elevated and hidden spots. Some eat and use the litter tray only at night, and very anxious cats may not do either during the first 24 hours. Keep providing fresh food and check the litter tray regularly. Contact your vet team if this continues.

International Cat Care says settling-in time varies from several days to a week or two. A cat that is comfortable may greet you by rubbing against your legs, chirruping, or purring, rest on its side with its belly exposed, play, rub its face on objects, and eat, drink, use the litter tray, scratch, and groom normally.

A cat that is frustrated may scratch or paw at doors and windows, meow for several minutes at a time, pace, or swipe when you leave. If that happens, give the cat access to another room or corridor that the resident cat does not use, or begin introductions sooner.

Bonding with a shy cat

  • Interact when the cat starts it. Play when it is naturally active, and never wake it for affection or play.
  • If it is hiding, do not coax it out. Spend time in the same room reading or watching TV, and sit on the floor at its level.
  • Offer an outstretched hand to sniff and rub against.
  • If the cat is anxious or uninterested, leave it alone.

Adult cats may take several weeks to feel safe. If a cat lashes out when touched, that signals fear, frustration, or confusion. If the reactivity continues, contact your vet team, because illness or pain can cause it.

Feeding in the first weeks

Feed the food the cat is used to. International Cat Care warns that changing food suddenly can cause an upset stomach and diarrhea. For kittens, it suggests using the same litter and diet as the previous home for the first 1 to 2 weeks. To change food later, mix old and new over 7 to 14 days, gradually increasing the new food. If you want more detail on switching diets, see our guide to wet food versus dry food, and read what we wrote about cat vomiting and when to call the vet if a stressed cat's stomach is upset.

Introducing a new cat to a resident cat: five steps

This is the method International Cat Care describes. Move to the next step only when both cats look relaxed at the current one.

Step 1: swap scents

Swap one piece of bedding per cat, such as a single blanket, into the other cat's bed, making sure neither cat is left without resting places. Return the items to the original rooms to mix scents further, and repeat with other items as needed. If a cat avoids or hisses at the swapped bedding, slow the process down considerably.

Step 2: let them explore each other's areas

Once scent swapping goes well, briefly confine the resident cat to one area, but only if this does not distress it, and let the new cat explore the resident cat's territory. Then let the resident cat explore the new cat's room, but only once the new cat is fully settled.

Step 3: visual contact through a barrier

Use a physical barrier such as a glass or screen door, a stair gate, or a purpose-built mesh barrier. Cats may sniff through it. Aim for relaxed, occasional glances rather than staring. If you hear hissing or growling, or see tense posture with ears rotating, distract the cat by calling its name, and never punish.

International Cat Care advises not to use food or play to distract or reward cats during introductions, because this can cause stress. If a break is needed, calmly lead the cat to a quiet room and offer a toy or puzzle feeder there. With several resident cats, introduce them one at a time, keep sessions short, and end on a positive note. If distress appears, separate the cats and try another day.

Step 4: supervised physical access

When both cats are comfortable through the barrier, quietly remove or open it while the cats are preoccupied. Do not force interaction: cats only need to be comfortable in each other's presence. If distress appears, replace the barrier and return to the previous step.

Step 5: short unsupervised access

Once step 4 goes smoothly, allow free access for just a few minutes to begin with, repeating as often as possible. The new cat stays separated between sessions. Gradually increase the time together if both cats are relaxed, making sure retreat options remain available. Eventually the separation room can be left open. If conflict arises later, make one area accessible to only one cat, and keep monitoring, as relationships can change.

Give every cat its own resources

International Cat Care recommends giving each cat its own food and water bowls, beds, litter trays, and scratching areas, plus one extra of each, spread around the home. Hiding places and vertical space, such as shelves and perches, help cats feel they have their own territory. Fewer shared resources generally means cats are more likely to get along.

The same organization suggests splitting part of the daily food ration across several feeding stations placed apart and out of sight of each other, so cats do not have to turn their back on another cat while eating, and offering several water bowls in different locations, away from food. If you want ideas for building a stimulating indoor space, see our guides to an indoor sanctuary for a Chartreux, a stimulating home for a Bombay, and enrichment activities for a Turkish Van.

How to tell play from conflict

Not every chase is a fight. According to International Cat Care, play is often silent with pauses, gentle biting, and retracted claws, and the cats quickly return to normal afterward. Signs of conflict can be subtle or obvious:

  • Subtle: staring, which cats may perceive as threatening; blocking access to litter trays, cat flaps, or resting spots by sitting between another cat and the resource; following, ambushing, or pouncing to push a cat out of an area; pushing a cat off a resting spot or your lap.
  • Obvious: hissing, growling, biting, scratching, chasing, and wrestling.
  • Body language: one cat stands tall, often side-on and over the other, while the other crouches small or rolls onto its side, with wide eyes and a fixed stare.

If things go wrong

  • Separate the cats and try again another day. If distress appears during visual or physical contact, replace the barrier and go back a step.
  • Distract, do not punish.
  • After sudden, intense fighting, International Cat Care advises separating the cats into different rooms for 24 to 48 hours and contacting your vet immediately. Do not pick up or interact with either cat during or right after a fight.
  • Watch for bite wounds. Contact your vet if a cat hides, seems listless or withdrawn, is lame, or stops eating after a fight, as this may indicate a bite abscess.
  • Seek medical advice promptly if you are bitten or scratched.
  • If the relationship breaks down after a good start, contact your veterinary team. They may advise you themselves or recommend a qualified clinical animal behaviourist.

Ongoing conflict can also have a medical cause, so a vet check is a sensible first step if cats who used to get along begin to clash.

Introducing a cat to a dog

PDSA notes that cats are naturally solitary, and advises against adding a dog just to keep a resident cat company. Where it is unavoidable, it recommends checking how your cat reacts to dogs, and whether your dog chases cats or other small animals, before you begin. A dog with a high prey drive may not be suited to living with a cat.

  1. Prepare the home. Set up separate safe spaces, use baby gates to keep the dog out of the cat's area, keep food, water, and litter trays apart, and give the cat high places such as tiered cat trees or wall shelves as escape routes.
  2. Swap scents for a few days. Rub a clean cloth on the cat's cheek and the dog's armpit, then place each cloth in the other pet's bed.
  3. First meeting. Keep the house calm. Let the pets sense each other through a barrier such as a baby gate, with the dog on its lead, and give food rewards to each pet at a distance from the other. Expect to need a few meetings like this.
  4. Remove the barrier only when both are calm. Put the dog on its lead first, keep the cat's escape routes clear, and let the dog off the lead only once you are sure it will not chase the cat.

Note that PDSA's cat-and-dog method uses food rewards at a distance, while International Cat Care's cat-to-cat method advises against food as a distraction. Follow the advice that matches the animals you are introducing, and ask your vet about a referral to a veterinary behaviourist if they really do not get along.

Children and the new cat

International Cat Care recommends limited, supervised contact with children at first, to avoid over-handling. Kittens in particular need plenty of uninterrupted sleep.

When can the new cat go outside?

If your adult cat will have outdoor access, International Cat Care advises keeping it indoors for at least two to three weeks first. For kittens, it advises waiting at least one week after the primary vaccination course, which finishes around 13 to 14 weeks depending on the vaccine, and until the kitten has been neutered (around 4 months), is fully healed, and is settled indoors. Outdoor time should be supervised until about 6 months.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take for two cats to get along?

There is no fixed timeline in the guidance we used. International Cat Care says the new cat's settling-in time varies from several days to a week or two, and that the introduction itself should go at the cats' pace. Some cats will never accept another cat.

Should I let the cats meet right away and let them sort it out?

No. International Cat Care discourages rushing and recommends a gradual process with scent swapping and a barrier first.

Is hissing normal?

Hissing or growling is a sign of stress or conflict. If it happens, distract the cat calmly, never punish, separate the cats if needed, and go back a step.

How many litter trays do I need?

International Cat Care recommends one per cat plus one extra, in different locations. If cats have paired up and space is limited, one per social group plus one extra may be enough.

My new cat is hiding. Is that a problem?

Not at first. Some adult cats retreat to hiding places, and that is fine. Offer elevated and hidden spots and do not coax the cat out. Contact your vet team if the cat keeps refusing food or avoiding the litter tray beyond the early period.

Quick checklist

  • Prepare a safe room with food, water, litter, a bed, hiding places, toys, and a scratching post.
  • Use new items for the new cat, and add a pheromone diffuser if you wish.
  • Keep the first 24 hours calm and let the cat explore in its own time.
  • Swap scents, then visual contact through a barrier, then short supervised meetings.
  • Provide one of each resource per cat, plus one extra.
  • Step back when you see hissing, growling, or tense body language.
  • After a serious fight, separate the cats for 24 to 48 hours and call your vet.

Keep reading

Sources

Further reading

Reminder: Kittyslovers (The Best Kitty Corner) is an independent blog. Our authors are not veterinarians and this article has not been reviewed by a veterinary professional. Always consult a licensed veterinarian about your cat's health, diet, supplements and medication. Found an error? Let us know.