Portia Meets Biwa

For this week’s #WiseWednesday, I wanted to share what I’ve been learning — how to slowly introduce two cats!

I recently adopted Biwa (small grey tabby with white) and am fostering Portia (calico) in hopes to adopt Portia too if both cats can thrive in a home together. Both are ex-mommas, so I was a little unsure of how they would get along, but I’ve been hard at work with the slow introduction!

For over a week, I kept them completely separated, having them eat at opposite sides of a closed door (gradually getting closer to the door) and swapping toys/blankets with the other’s scent. Biwa is very food motivated and was fostered in a multi-cat home, so she did great, whereas it took days for Portia to stop puffing up and to eat her food when Biwa was there.

Once that was consistent, we started letting them see each other, but Biwa likes to run right into Portia’s face, and we need it slow! She’s so fast that leaving the door open a crack while they ate was risking the whole slow intro, and since I didn’t have a baby gate, I had to improvise! I cut slits on each side of a large cardboard box and let them see each other as much as possible, using only positive reinforcement (food and treats!) knowing that negative interactions would make them associate a negative consequence with seeing the other cat.

Exposure was key! In just two days, Portia no longer puffs up and will eat right in front of Biwa! Next, I cut the box into one layer so they are closer, and then in-person is the last step! Other strategies I have used are feeding a Churu tube back and forth through the cardboard gate (for a double bonus of scent transfer + positive reinforcement,) using pheromone spray, and never forcing them to stay where they aren’t comfortable.

This is the timeline for these two cats, but all cats adjust differently, and reaching each milestone can take as long as weeks at a time, so if you’re going to introduce two cats, go at their pace!