Introducing yourself–the easiest one. It is a good idea to install the shelf and get your cat used to it before [\/fusion_text][\/fusion_builder_column][\/fusion_builder_row][\/fusion_builder_container]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” hundred_percent_height=”no” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ spacing=”” center_content=”no” link=”” target=”_self” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” hover_type=”none” border_size=”0″ border_color=”” border_style=”solid” […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"dsm_author":{"name":"Dr. Kim Kendall","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","archive_link":"https:\/\/thecatpalace.com.au\/zh\/author\/dr-kim-kendall\/","biodata":""},"dsm_categories":[{"term_name":"Blog","term_id":10,"term_link":"https:\/\/thecatpalace.com.au\/zh\/blog\/"}],"dsm_attachment_categories":[],"dsm_featured_image":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecatpalace.com.au\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecatpalace.com.au\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecatpalace.com.au\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecatpalace.com.au\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecatpalace.com.au\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1150"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thecatpalace.com.au\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1150\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecatpalace.com.au\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecatpalace.com.au\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecatpalace.com.au\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"\/\/thecatpalace.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Introductions.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nCats really prefer things to stay the same, and they are usually very unsubtle about indicating
\ntheir displeasure. Introducing a new anything–from another pet, to another human to even new
\nfurniture–is a source of anxiety for the cat and the owner, so these are some strategies to help
\nreduce the disruptions.<\/h2>\n
\nThis is achieved when your cat selects you, and you can
\nbe pretty sure it will be love at first sight. Your new feline
\nfriend will quickly train you to their unique requirements,
\nand most owners do not present any obstacles. (In fact,
\nit amazes me what owners will put up with from their
\ncats–their feline dictator\u2019s training methods are obviously
\nvery effective!) Remember, no cat ever changes–all
\nyou can do is change the environment so the
\ncat no longer shows the undesirable
\nbehaviour (this goes for spraying,
\nscratching–posts and people,
\nroaming, food fetishists, etc.)
\nMake your rules at the start,
\nand be consistent. Cats
\nare smart (smart enough
\nto need antidepressants!),
\nbut they have no way of
\nassociating something
\nthey did more than HALF
\nA SECOND AGO with any
\nkind of punishment. In
\nfact, PUNISHMENT NEVER
\nWORKS WITH CATS, all the
\nFeline Stars of T.V. perform
\nof their own free will, and it is
\nthe cameramen who make it look
\neasy and directed!
\nIntroducing another person
\nThe main concept here is to let the cat make
\nthe first approach. This is important when bringing a cat
\ninto a new home or bringing a new person into the cat\u2019s
\nhome. They have to get the measure of the person, and
\nthey do that by smell, watching and listening. Remember
\nthat when a cat walks into a room, it knows (by smell
\nespecially) who is already there, who was there half an
\nhour ago, and who is coming down the hall now. It is
\na lot of information to process, and if you rush it, you
\ncan unnerve the cat. Give the cat a chance to \u2018take it or
\nleave it\u2019 and never look straight into a cat\u2019s eyes–it is a
\nvery confrontational thing to do in cat language. Wait,
\nwith your head to the side and and look past the cat with
\nhalf closed eyes. They will come just out of curiosity
\nthen!
\nIntroducing a baby (or toddler)
\nCats view babies and toddlers as different species to adult
\nhumans.Remarkable perception really, though a bit confusing
\nnow that cats are living longer and can see them
\ngrow up! Cats will usually tolerate significantly
\nmore in the way of sticky fingers and
\nuncoordinated proddings from a young
\nhuman, and as long as they have an
\nescape route they will use that in
\npreference!
\nThe key to managing the return
\nof a new baby to the household,
\nis to understand that the biggest
\nconcern for your cat is the
\nchanges in routine and smells. It
\nis essential to manage the cat\u2019s
\nnatural curiosity, while protecting
\nthe baby and the cat from each other\u2019s
\nunexpected actions. Cats don\u2019t
\nsmother babies (that was the traditional
\nexplanation for SIDS deaths), and they
\nget into the cots because it is SOFT, WARM
\nAND HIGH UP!
\nYou have to decide BEFORE the baby comes home
\nwhether or not your feline friend will be allowed into the baby\u2019s
\nbedroom. If not, then the time to install the screen door and start
\npreventing access is NOW. Cats will learn not to go into rooms
\nif they are NEVER allowed in there – they do not understand
\n\u2018sometimes you can and sometimes you can\u2019t\u2019. If you are going
\nto allow access to the nursery, then if you can provide a shelf
\nwith a view of what is going on nearby, your cat will probably be
\nhappier to sit there, as they are not big on the way babies move
\naround in bed anyway, and they can take on a supervisory role!<\/p>\nMaking feline friendships as painless as possible<\/h2>\n
\nthe baby arrives and everyone is pushed for time and energy.
\nMany cats will keep their distance from babies and toddlers, but
\nsome cats really blossom with the arrival of the new baby, especially
\nas it means someone is at home with them more! However, try
\nto establish a routine that the cat can count on with feeding and
\nplaytimes for them as well, and always ensure they have an escape
\nroute to lessen their anxiety should the small human become too
\nboisterous.
\nIntroducing another cat
\nCats really don\u2019t like other cats most of the time, so THIS
\nCAN BE HARD! A great deal
\ndepends on whether the
\nresident cat\/s have ever had
\na friendship with another cat,
\nand depends on the age of
\nboth the resident and the new
\narrival. If the newcomer is a
\nKITTEN, then isolating it in one
\nroom with its food, litter tray
\nand toys for a few days (till the
\nresident cat becomes Curious
\nrather than Furious) works well.
\n\u2018Toweling\u2019 the resident, then
\nthe newcomer, then the resident
\nagain mingles the smells
\nand makes the new cat less
\n\u2018strange\u2019. Once you open the
\ndoor between them, DO NOT
\nINTERRUPT THE HISSING AND
\nSPITTING THAT IS BOUND TO
\nHAPPEN. You can cause confusion,
\nand cats can\u2019t apologise, so it will then take much
\nlonger for them to figure out an amicable arrangement.
\nYoung cats (less than 6 months) will usually bond quickly
\nand permanently, older cats take longer and may take up
\nto six months to sort out their \u2018timeshare\u2019 arrangements
\naround the cozy spots of the house. It is rare for these
\nconfrontations to become lethal, or even lead to a severe
\nenough fight to cause damage. You can use the Feliway
\nDiffuser here to make the room where they meet more
\n\u2018emotionally cozy\u2019 and reduce anxiety, but the cats will have
\nto have a \u2018discussion\u2019 and speak their mind as well.
\nIntroducing a dog
\nDogs are really no challenge to a cat – as long as they can
\nescape if they have to. The cat will always just \u2018go high\u2019
\nand then view the dog with disdain if it prefers not to
\nbe in canine company. The trick about the introduction
\nis to prevent the DOG\u2019s hunting instinct from creating a
\nCATastrophy by chasing the cat
\n– sometimes out onto the road
\nor other dangerous places. So,
\nput the dog on a lead and let
\nthe cat investigate. You are in
\ncontrol then and can disrupt
\nany problems. Once the cat is
\naware of the fact that the dog
\nis allowed to live in the same
\nhouse or yard, then in general,
\nit will control the meetings.
\nThe dog may get a few biffs on
\nthe nose, but rarely any major
\ndamage unless it manages to
\nbail the cat into a corner. Then
\nit will have to learn the cat rules
\npainfully. Many cats learn to
\nadore dogs (they are, after all,
\nmobile warm cushions!), especially
\nthey are introduced when
\nthe kitten is young enough to
\naccept it as a friend!
\nSome cats, like some people, love everybody they meet,
\nand will tolerate all kinds of change. However, as it is for
\nmost of us, First Impressions Do Count, and done thoughtfully
\nand respectfully, can reduce conflict. How closely
\nfeline lives reflect our own!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n