Getting a new cat can be really exciting. If you have resident cats already, your top priority when looking for a new companion should be if the cat will fit in with your resident cat or cats. If they don’t get along, you’re going to end up with stressed out humans and cats.
Much like trying to play matchmaker for two humans, it is tough to predict how well two cats can get along. Introducing cats slowly is important to increasing the chances of them getting along, but it’s not a guarantee. You can increase the chances of success by taking a few factors into account before falling in love with a new feline friend your current feline friends will probably hate. Here are few things to consider.
Age Match Your Cat
While there are plenty of heartwarming stories of older cats adopting a younger kitten (and I’m genuinely happy for the people who this dynamic works out), the majority of my business is trying to fix conflict between a senior cat and kittens. Kittens are delightful, but even normal kitten behavior can be a lot for a senior cat to handle.
Finding another cat that’s similar in age is more likely to result in success than one with a large age gap. That doesn’t mean the cats need to be exactly the same age, but if they’re pretty close they’re more likely to get along.
Use Caution With Kittens
A small caveat based on experience (and a bit of a segue into the next factor) involves kittens: be careful with a younger kitten and a young adult cat. Kittens can be very energetic which may annoy older cats. That said, while not a guarantee they’d get along, a kitten matched with another kitten may be easier to introduce so there may be times where another kitten makes sense.
That said, your best plan? Planning to adopt two kittens at once. Save yourself from needing to do an introduction!
Personality Matters
Even if you get cats that are pretty close in age, that’s not a guarantee that they’d get along with another cat. It would be like me picking a random person off the street who is the same age as you and expecting you to be their best friend. If you don’t have any common interests chances are you won’t enjoy each other’s company.
Likewise, if cats don’t have compatible personalities, they’ll probably end up tolerating each other at best. That doesn’t mean they need to have the same personality, but it does mean they need to match up enough in a few key areas in order to avoid fireworks. This gets really complicated, but generally ask yourself if the new cat’s personality will result in being a good match with your resident cat. If you have concerns, keep searching.
Don’t Make One Cat Miserable
Of course, you might see cats that appear to be compatible if, for example, one cat is really bold and the other cat is really timid. They may not fight, but is this a good life for the more timid cat? If the timid cat is constantly being chased by the other cat, it may lead to chronic stress, behavior concerns, and overall a less than happy life for them.
A cat not fighting back or tolerating the other cat doesn’t mean it’s a good match. Make sure all cats in your home will thrive as there may be a better cat for your home.
Play Style Compatibility
While you could think of play style as being a subset of personality, I’m intentionally separating it out because cats playing can quickly turn into fighting if you’re not careful. You want cats that enjoy playing with each other. That may not be all the time, but it should be most of the time.
Considerations include:
- What does each cat like doing for play? If you can observe the cat playing with another cat, see if they seem to play similarly to your own cat.
- How playful is each cat? A cat that is higher energy and wants to play all the time is going to annoy a cat that needs to play less frequently.
- Does the cat listen when other cats say no? If your potential new cat doesn’t back away when another cat indicates they’re uncomfortable, that may signal trouble.
- How intensely do the cats play? If one cat enjoys gentle playing and the other one is pretty rough, even if they both want to play, chances are the less intense cat will quickly change their mind. This can lead to fights!
Does Sex Of The Cats Influence If They Get Along?
Despite people colloquially suggesting to adopt a male cat if you have a female cat and visa versa, there isn’t conclusive evidence that sex of the cats influences whether the cats will be compatible as long as both cats are spayed or neutered.
There is at least one study that suggests that people with two spayed female cats may perceive them as having a worse relationship, but the study focused on how humans perceived their relationship rather than objective relationships.
Other research suggests that male cats are more likely to initiate aggressive interactions, but there aren’t large differences based on the victim’s sex. In other words, sex of the cats may not make a huge difference in if they get along as long as both cats get neutered or spayed. Even if does somewhat influence how well the cats get along, it probably isn’t as important as other factors.
Does Experience With Other Cats Matter?
You may see a cat at shelter labeled as “good with other cats.” Does this mean they’ll get along with your resident cat?
Let’s think about humans for a second again to help you understand this concept: Think of someone who know who is really outgoing and extroverted. It’s okay if you think of yourself! That person may get along with a lot of other people, but do they get along with absolutely everyone? Chances are there are at least some people they don’t like very much.
This applies to cats, too: a cat may be more likely to get along with other cats, but it’s far from a guarantee. Cat social structure involves forming individual relationships with other cats. They may get along with many cats, but probably not every cat.
Even a cat that has previously gotten along well with other cats still should be introduced cautiously and they may still not get along with your other cats.
Cats That Don’t Like Other Cats: Hopeless?
What about cats that don’t get along with other cats? Once again, it’s not that simple. They may be able to get along with some other cats or an individual other cat under the right circumstances. A lot of it depends on why they haven’t gotten along with other cats in the past so find out specifics if you are able.
That said, if the cat has a tendency to become aggressive with other cats, you’re going to be taking a big risk trying to introduce them to your resident cats. You risk not only aggression toward the other cats, but they may redirect their aggression toward you. It’s a really big risk to adopt a cat with a history of serious aggressive behavior toward other cats. While they may make an excellent companion for you, the risk is too big with another cat. They’d probably be happier as a single cat.
Will A Cat Get Along With Another Cat If They’re Okay With Humans Or Dogs?
Finally, what about cats that get along well with dogs or humans? Is that that cat that’s very sweet toward you going to get along with another feline?
Unfortunately, cats may get along great with people or even dogs, but another cat may still be threatening to them. You aren’t a cat and your dog isn’t a cat so don’t read too much into how well a cat gets along with people or other non-feline animals. It’s less likely to predict how well they’ll get along with your resident cat than their past experience with other cats.
What If You Get It Wrong?
Even with careful planning, you may not find a perfect match for your resident cat. Cat fights happen and cats don’t like all other cats. If you properly introduce your cats (and don’t feed them near each other during the introduction process), make sure you have plenty of stuff for your cats (go order another cat tree and a few more scratchers before your new cat arrives), and do your best to find a good match, you’ll be more likely to have feline harmony.
You should still approach adopting a new cat knowing that it may not work out, though. Rehoming a cat in these cases may be the kindest thing to do and doesn’t mean you’re giving up on them. You shouldn’t go into adopting a cat expecting to or planning on rehoming them, but it shouldn’t be completely off the table.
If you get really stuck and your cats aren’t getting along, you may need to back up a few steps or consider help from a professional. They can help you determine how likely things are to work out while also giving you some steps to improve their relationship.
