Does puppy gender matter when introducing to an existing male cat?

Hi. The gender of the kitten probably doesn't matter but many think male cats are sometimes friendlier. Be sure the kitten has been tested negative for Felv and FIV before coming home as you don't want to expose your older kitty. I would also make sure she has been treated for internal and external parasites for the same reasons. When you bring the kitten home I would recommend giving the kitten its own room for a bit to allow the other pets time to get used to it through a door. Make sure that it's not someplace your older cat loves to be though! Adult cats can take a while to get used to a new kitten. So be prepared to weeks to months of her not getting along. If it happens more quickly, GREAT! Also- to prevent future litter box issues. A good rule of thumb is one litter box for each cat plus 1. So if there is room in your house for 3 litter boxes that is ideal. Here are some articles that may help on introductions. Good luck. Hope this helps! http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1384 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=46&S=1&SourceID=18

There is never a guarantee that your cat will accept a new puppy, but the fact that he tolerates your neighbor's dog makes me optimistic that it would work out. Introducing a new pet into the household can be tricky and be sure that your cat still has a safe and quiet space away from the puppy. For example, give your cat the roam of he whole house, but prevent the puppy from going upstairs with a low baby gate. Try to keep your cat's routine as normal as possible and do not leave the two pets together without supervision for several weeks to months depending on how they interact. Better to get a puppy now when your cat is middle aged than when he is older and less amenable to change! :-)

Hi Ollie! There isn't really one specific breed that's best with cats, although I'm very partial to Golden Retrievers. It's more how you introduce them, allow them to get to know each other slowly, and not let the puppy chase the cat. I can give you a method for introducing to cause the least stress to your cat. Best of luck. Introducing them should be done slowly. When you first bring your puppy home, I would keep them in rooms separated by a door. This way, they can get used to the smells and sounds of each other without contact. Make sure your cat has a litter box, food, and water in their room. You can also place a blanket with the puppy's smell in the cat's room, and a blanket with the cat's smell in the puppy's room. I would also consider get a Feliway for your cat and a DAP for your puppy. These are pheromone diffusers that help with anxiety and should also help ease the transition. Once both pets seem relaxed with the current situation, swap rooms placing the cat in the puppy's room and vice versa. You can do this switch several times over the course of the introductions. Once they are both comfortable with the smells of each other, it's time for them to meet face to face. I would introduce the puppy on a leash to the cat while she is in a cat carrier or on the other side of a baby gate. Reward the puppy for being calm and quiet near the cat. Once they seem comfortable with each other, the baby gate can be taken away. Make sure your cat has a cat tree where he can escape from the puppy as needed, and don't allow the puppy to chase the cat.

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.

It's kind of you to think about getting Josie a kitty friend for company, since you'll be starting work soon - I'm sure she would appreciate it, if you can find her a good match :) You're right that it can sometimes be difficult to successfully introduce adult cats to each other, so a kitten may be easier. And generally speaking, male/female pairs tend to do better - so I think a male kitten is a great option. To help make the introduction go as smoothly as possible, I would recommend setting up a separate room for the kitten when you first bring him home - he should have his own food and water bowls, litter box, toys, and a scratching post or cat tree. Keep him in this room with the door closed for the first week or two, so that Josie can get used to smelling him and hearing him through the door. You can also help her to associate good things with the kitten by feeding her treats outside his door a few times a day. Once she is no longer reacting at all when she hears him or smells him under the door, you can start to leave the door open for short periods so that he can venture out into the house. This way, Josie will already be used to his presence before they actually meet face to face. Feliway pheromone diffusers placed around the house can also help to reduce Josie's stress and encourage more social behavior during the adjustment period.

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.

Great question! Introducing them should be done slowly. When you first bring Mousewhisker (I love his name!) home, I would keep them in rooms separated by a door. This way, they can get used to the smells and sounds of each other without contact. Make sure your cat has a litter box, food, and water in their room. You can also place a blanket with the dogs's smell in the cat's room, and a blanket with the cat's smell in the dogs's room. I would also consider get a Feliway for your cat and a DAP for your dogs. These are pheromone diffusers that help with anxiety and should also help ease the transition. Once all the pets seem relaxed with the current situation, swap rooms placing the cat in the dogs's room and vice versa. You can do this switch several times over the course of the introductions. Once they are all comfortable with the smells of each other, it's time for them to meet face to face. I would introduce the dogs on a leash to the cat while he is in a cat carrier or on the other side of a baby gate. Reward the puppy for being calm and quiet near the cat. Once they seem comfortable with each other, the baby gate can be taken away. Make sure your cat has a cat tree where he can escape from the dogs as needed, and don't allow the dogs to chase the cat. I hope this helps!