How do I choose a cat that will get along with my old cat?
You've got a cat and you want to have a companion in your own house, and you're thinking how do I get these two cats to not have a feline feud. The first advice I give you is to be patient. Sometimes, just like people, the first impressions an existing cat gets of a new cat aren't always the greatest. And you need to make sure that both cats have safety areas to go to when they're being introduced. I always tell you to make sure, when you're bringing a new cat in for the first time, that you bring them into a nice comfortable safe room with all the possible kitty amenities. And don't even let your existing cat know that you have the cat in there. The goal of this is to be able have that cat feel safe in their little room and let the two cats maybe get to know each other by sniffing each other under the doorway, get to know their scent. The second thing to do is then to switch the cats' rooms. And have the resident cat spend a day or so in that room and your new cat kind of get to explore the house safely and on their own. The third thing which is very important is that you share cooties. I mean take a slightly damp cloth, rub it over your resident cat's back, then rub it over the new cat's back, then back on your resident cat's back. What you're doing, because cats have very superior senses of smell, they think, "you smell a little familiar...you smell like me a little bit". That goes a long way in introducing one cat to another.
