Socializing Cats

A cat is one thing, but when you start adding more to the family you can run into problems if they are not porperly socialized. And proper socialization is the job of the owner. Cats will not take the job over from you.

When you bring another cat into the home you are basically adding an intruder into your cat's territory. If you do not have a cat and want to get one, and possibly two it is wrth considering getting two from the same litter as they won't need to adjust to each other.

And while this isn't always possible, getting two cats with compatible personalities is the next step. In theory there isn't a reason why they couldn't get along.

Some people suggest bringing the exisiting cat to the cattery. But here is the thing; your cat won't act at all like normal and it will be very stressed if not agressive. Neither you nor the breeder will be very pleased about the situation so it is better to communicate with the breeder, tell them about your first cat's personality, then ask their opinion on an appropriate companion.

Then once things move forward you will be expected to introduce the two cats. This is means that you will need to introduce your cats. And this can be a hair raising experience if you do not handle it properly. Make sure you research how to introduce two cats. As you know, first impressions are important, and in the cat world they will impact how they get along.

I will be honest, a lot of people get it wrong. Either because they simply do not care, or they rush things. Yes, It's a long process.

It can take anywhere from several weeks to a month to go successfully and you will be walking a thin line between success and failure.

And I say failure like it is final, because for many cats it is.

No matter what you try, once they decide they do not like the other cat it will be over.

I have always found that kittens are more forgiving in this context. They are not used to being alone. They haven't gotten the single life down. I think that this is because kittens adjust better, they are still in the process of learning new things and not set in their ways. I guess you could say that they are flexible.

And if you want things to go well you will need to be as well.