by Virginia
(Canada)
Question: Hello, I have a breeder couple male and female.
I have my other unneutered male separated in another home but this person is moving and won't be able to care for this male anymore.
I've looked at rehoming but it's really hard to find someone else I could rely on.
The date limit has arrived and it looks like he might have to come back home here but my Queen is pregnant.
I'm afraid it will stress her in her pregnancy.
Can you help me, is there a way I can introduce him back in the house without creating too much stress on the others? Thank you!
Answer: Hi Virginia, it does sound a bit risky to bring in another adult cat at this time, but it may work.
You mentioned he will "come back home" so does this mean your other cats have met with or lived with him before?
If so, it may be easier to re-acclimate them all again, since his presence will be familiar.
If he is a stranger, it could be more difficult and stressful.
In either case, my advice is be conservative with the introductions by doing the following:
Don't let the new arrival into the same room
as the others right away.
Instead, if possible, confine him to a separate room with his own food, water, and litter box.
Let your other unneutered male and pregnant queen smell him under the crack of the door first.
It is likely that there will be hissing. Don't get angry or punish them for this, they will be even more stressed. Instead, let them go off to their "happy places" as they wish until they "cool off."
Over the next few days, offer treats or petting near the closed door, so they begin to associate the presence of the newcomer with good things and experiences. Do the same thing on the other side of the door for the new male.
You can also attach a toy to either side of a string, one toy on each side of the door. This can help them let their guards down and spend time enjoying playing "together" but separate.
Once they get comfortable with this step, keep the door cracked but with a screen or something similar to separate them, so they can see each other but still not have direct contact.
Once this step is successful, you can try introducing them face to face, but I suggest only one of your resident cats at a time do this, and only if they have been cordial until this point.
Hopefully, they can all reach a level of at least tolerance before the kittens arrive, but as I said earlier this could be risky. If your female feels at all threatened, she could continually move her kittens out of her nesting box to a less desirable location.
The kittens may also sense the unease in the household, and it could affect their confidence and demeanor, which could make finding willing buyers/adopters more difficult.
There is also another issue of having two intact males in the same house--spraying! This could start a smelly territory war, especially if you don't intend to have either one neutered.
I think it's definitely worth a try before you consider rehoming. If things don't seem to progress after a period of time, then maybe consider another alternative.
Whatever happens, I wish you luck and home that peace will win out in your household.
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