My older female cat rejects males. How do I introduce her to mine?

Do it gradually. First, allow them to hear and smell one another but not see each other. This is best accomplished by keeping her in a small, closed room. Once your male has accepted her presence, have them see one another form a distance for ever increasing periods of time. The next step would be to place her in a closed carrier in the same room as your male. The final step step would be a supervised physical introduction. Use leashes on both for safety. The entire process may take days to weeks. A pheromone product, such as Feliway Spray or plug in diffusers, may decrease any anxiety or aggression. Ideally, you will also need to provide a litterbox for each cat plus an additional box in a neutral area. Extra bowls, toys and beds should also be provided to prevent resource protection.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may actually work fine. I would encourage you to introduce them slowly and supervise them at all times at least for the first week to make sure they are getting along. I recommend you consider using a product called Feliway which may help tremendously in calming them in stressful situations like this could be. You may find that online or at your local pet store. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! I would be sure that the new and old cat are up to date on vaccines and deworming before coming in to contact. Then I would take the older cat and place her in a separate room or bathroom with a liter box and food and water for 7-14 days. Basically until she seems acclimated. I would purchase a Feliway diffuser, one for the room she is in and one in a location that the new cat can smell it. They can get used to each other by sniffing and hearing each other under the door. After the 7-14 days put the older cat in a cat carrier or use a baby gate at the door so they can see each other and hiss/growl if needed safely. Again for 7-14 days. Then let her out when you are home to supervise. Once that goes well they can be left together alone. You may be surprised out quickly she gets comfortable. I wish you the best! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=37242

Introducing a new cat to the household can be quite disruptive. You will likely have to go back to the beginning, and give them time apart for several weeks. This will mean keeping the new male cat in a separate part of the house, where he can't be around your female cat. You don't even want them to see each other at this point, but it is ok if they are able to smell each other under the door. After a few weeks of this, try letting them see each other, but not in the same room. Finally, you can let them be in the same room, but make sure they are supervised and make sure that each cat has a way to get away from the other. I would also suggest that there are more than enough cats in the world - too many, in fact - and I recommend you considering getting both of them altered, instead of trying to force them to breed.

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Congratulations on your new kitty! In these situations it is best to do introductions very slowly. Some suggestions I have for you are as follows: 1) Use a Feliway diffuser to reduce overall tension in household 2) Go back to the beginning and over the first week introduce by smell only (introducing cats to each others bedding or something that has their scent on it) 3) Then introduce by sight only but no direct interaction. Do this for a week 4) Finally introduce cats together but only with direct supervision and with plenty of escape routes for both cats. Only leave them together for a very short time at first 5) Have plenty of tall cat towers and other things for the cats so they can observe each other from a distance 6) Have at least 3 litter boxes in different locations and definitely continue to feed separately and have separate water bowls. I hope this is helpful! Good luck to you and Malish!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Animals have short memories and will not recognize family or cats they previously knew if they are separated for a length of time. Cats go by smell and behavior. I would recommend confining Fuzza in a room by herself for 2 weeks to allow the cats to get used to her smell from under a door. Get a few Feliway diffusers (multicat) to put around the house, be sure one is in the room with Fuzza. After 2 weeks use a baby gate at the door or put Fuzza in a cat carrier a few times per day so all the cats can see each other and smell each other. Do that for a week. Then let Fuzza out in the house for short periods of time when you are home. If things are going well then they all can be out together permanently. If it doesn't work out you may have to find her a new home. I wish you the best!

Adding a new cat to your home can be a lot of fun, but can be stressful both for you and for your current cat. Unfortunately, there is never a guarantee that both cats will become best buds or even tolerate one another very well. However, you can take some steps to slowly introduce a new cat to your home to ease the transition and make it as low-stress as possible for both cats. Prior to bringing home your new cat, consider using calming pheromones such as the [Comfort Zone® Calming Diffuser](). Also, be sure that both cats have been spayed or neutered to eliminate hormone-influenced aggression issues. Initially, keep the new cat isolated in a separate room (oftentimes a spare bedroom or the bathroom works well), allowing the cats to smell and paw at one another under the door. After a few days of this introduction, allow the cats to explore each other’s space for a few hours. In another day or so, allow them to see one another with an exposed barrier between them (i.e. a crate, screen door, etc.). If all seems to be going well introducing both cats, allow them to meet in an open room with plenty of supervision. Be sure that both cats have a way to leave the room should they feel stressed or threatened. Continue supervising all contact for at least a few days, possibly a few weeks, to assure that all goes well.