Problem Solving & Advice by Pam Johnson-Bennett Cat Behavior Expert & Best-selling Author
When you have cats who aren’t getting along and all your attempts at behavior work have been unsuccessful, it may be time to do a reintroduction. If the aggression between your cats is severe or if they can’t even be within sight of each other without an immediate brawl taking place, then a reintroduction is your best bet.
As hard as you may have tried to get the cats to reach a peace agreement, the ongoing tension of always being in sight of each other may keep triggering their negative associations. It’s at that point the best thing to do is wipe the slate clean, give each cat a breather in their own space so they can de-stress, and then you can start to do a gradual reintroduction.
What is a Cat Reintroduction?
With a reintroduction you’ll separate the cats and introduce them in the same way you would as if they had never met. The reintroduction gives each cat time to get back to normal and not be so stressed so you can help them gradually get comfortable with each other again. It’s a way to take things in baby steps so no one gets overwhelmed.
Attempting to keep a lid on serious intercat aggression when the cats are constantly in each other’s sight can be very counterproductive because both cats remain at such a high level of reactivity. There’s also a good chance that one or both of the cats could get injured (perhaps severely). The reintroduction method gives you more control to avoid potential injury. It also allows you to keep the interaction between the cats at a level that doesn’t spark extreme reactions.
Photo: Pam Johnson-Bennett
How Long Does a Cat Reintroduction Take?
This will be determined by how serious the aggression has been, how much time you can dedicate to doing the behavior work, and how receptive the cats are. In other words, I wish I could give you a set timeline but you have to go at the cats’ pace. Every situation is unique. I will tell you though, it’s better to go slower than you think is needed. Don’t be determined to get this done in a set amount of time to fit your schedule, or think you can do this in a weekend because that’s what worked for your friend’s situation with their cats.
The Think Like a Cat Reintroduction Method
Separate the cats by creating a sanctuary room for one of them. If your house is set up in such a way that you can divide it up so each cat has their own territory, then that will do as well. If you’re setting up a sanctuary room, you just need a separate room that can be closed off. The room needs to be equipped with a food bowl, water, litter box, scratching post, toys and some cozy napping places. A sanctuary room isn’t a prison cell. A sanctuary room should be a place where a cat can feel comfortable and can de-stress. Don’t view it as it you’re locking a cat away or punishing.
If you’re wondering which cat to put in the sanctuary room and which cat to let have the run of the rest of the house, here’s how I typically make the decision. If one cat is clearly displaying ongoing offensive aggression then that’s the cat I usually put in the sanctuary room. That way, the cat who is being so overt in their aggressive display isn’t able to think that they ran the other cat off and is the mighty winner. However, if the cat who is the “victim” is too stressed or nervous about having the run the house then putting them in the sanctuary room may provide more security. You have to make the decision based on the dynamics between the cats and also the individual personalities. The most important aspect of this is that the cats get separated.
During the Time the Cats are Separated
The separation is mainly to allow the cats to relax again and also to prevent further injury or aggressive displays. It’s important though that this time of separation not be viewed as punishment. Play with each cat, spend time with the cat in the sanctuary room and make this experience as enjoyable as possible. It may be inconvenient for a while as you make sure each cat gets adequate attention, affection, and enrichment, but it’s crucial to maintain the bond you have with your cats and help them feel confident, relaxed, and safe.
Use Mealtime in Your Behavior Plan
Just as with a new cat introduction, the main purpose of the reintroduction is to give the cats a reason to like each other. That means it’s the behavior work you do when the cats are once again exposed to each other that makes the difference. You can’t just separate the cats for an extended period of time and then open the door expecting them to have forgotten that they have been arch enemies for the last four years. They’ll need to see that good things happen when they’re in the presence of each other, and later, within sight of each other. If you do this gradually enough and allow each cat to stay within their comfort zones, your chances of keeping their aggression from boiling over again will be greatly increased. During the exposure time you’ll use a very valuable behavior tool: food. Remember the old adage that said the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? Well, that really applies when you’re talking about cats! Food can help accelerate the acceptance process.
Feed the cats by placing food bowls on either side of the closed sanctuary door. How far from the door itself will be determined based on how reactive the cats appear. In subsequent sessions you’ll gradually move the bowls closer. I usually start with the bowls on opposite sides of the rooms and gradually work closer in each session. I always feel it’s better to take baby steps so I have more control.
If one cat eats faster than the other use a dish with some obstacles in it (such as a slow-feeder bowl used for dogs who eat too quickly). If you’re feeding wet food you can also push the food against the bottom and sides of the bowl so the cat has to work a bit harder to get it. Another product I frequently use with both introductions and reintroductions is the Lickimat. This is a rubber mat with little nubs sticking up where food can be embedded. The cat has to spend more time licking the mat to get the food. You can use wet food, or wet treat products such as Churu. Both of these products can be found at pet supply stores or online.
Cat Scent Swapping
Scent is a very important communication tool between cats. With your cats separated, it’ll be important to make sure their scents stay distributed around the house. You want the scents to stay fresh so doing a room swap will help there. The cat who had the run of the house has been freely distributing their scent around but we have to make sure the cat who is in the sanctuary can have that opportunity as well. Periodically do a scent swap by letting the cat in the sanctuary room out into the house to distribute their scent. Before doing this, place the other cat in a separate room temporarily.
During the scent swap, keep a casual eye on each cat (don’t hover or else you risk making them nervous) so you can distract a cat with an interactive toy should tension start to rise. You don’t want the scent swap experience to create anxiety; the point of the exercise is to remind each cat that the other kitty is still around. Facial pheromones are considered the friendly ones because cats typically cheek-rub on objects in an environment where they feel comfortable or familiar.
You may not have to do the scent swap phase for very long at all. It will depend on how reactive your cats are and how serious the aggression between them has been in the past.
Photo: Pam Johnson-Bennett
The Next Step with Mealtime
Now it’s time to open the sanctuary room door a bit when feeding the cats. Have the cats eat within sight of each other but far enough apart so nobody feels threatened. Keep these feeding sessions brief by offering a small amount of food. It’ll be more productive to do brief sessions that ends on a positive note rather than attempting a lengthy training session where you risk pushing one or both cats’ tolerance limits. If one cat routinely attempts to charge the other, use a door stop to prevent the door from fully opening. You can also place a hook-and-eye closure on the door temporarily.
Wide Open Door
Move to this phase when you feel the cats are comfortable with the previous one. Don’t rush the reintroduction process. If you’re in doubt about whether it’s time to move on, stay at the current stage a bit longer. There’s no time schedule here. What matters most is that you want the end result to be that the cats return to a friendly (or at least neutral) relationship.
If the thought of the fully opened sanctuary room door is scaring you because you’re afraid one cat is going to charge, try an interim step of stacking two or three baby gates across the entrance. Another option is to install a temporary screen door (with secure pet screening). The cats will be able to see each other but won’t be able to engage in a physical fight. If you choose the interim step, make sure you close the actual sanctuary room door again when the feeding session is done. You can even use just one baby gate during the feeding sessions as long as you’re standing by the door in case the worst happens. Even though the cats could easily jump the baby gate if you’re using just one, it may serve as enough of a comfort zone to relax the cats so they’ll be at ease enough to eat. Often, I’m able to use one extra tall baby gate.
As you progress with the feeding sessions, gradually increase the exposure time and start to let them wander around more.
Clicker Training the Cat
As you increase the time the cats are exposed to each other, use clicker training to click and reward any positive move, however small it may be. Click for any absence of an unwanted behavior. For example, if one cat breaks a stare or walks by the other cat without hissing or swatting – that deserves a reward. If you choose not to clicker train, offer a food treat or verbal praise for any positive sign. Clicker training is a very powerful training tool though and one I would urge you to try. You may be familiar with clicker training for dogs but it works just as well with cats.
Use Playtime During Cat Reintroductions
Use interactive playtime as a way to help the cats associate positive experiences with being together. Do parallel play by having a fishing pole-type toy in each hand or, if you can, enlist the assistance of another family member. The cats shouldn’t compete for one toy to avoid the risk of having a cat feeling intimidated by the other. When you use two toys they get to enjoy the game while seeing the other cat in their peripheral vision.
You can also use the Lickimats again, by placing one for each cat at a safe distance. I often use the Lickimats after the play sessions as a reward for a job well done.
Tweak the Cats’ Environment
Take a closer look at how your environment has been set up to see if there’s anything you can do to improve enrichment and a sense of security. The more interior territory you can create, the easier it’ll be for each cat to find enough personal space. With an indoor environment cats have to overlap some of their personal territory so the more you can assist them with this, the better. Use cat trees, perches, cat shelving, and hideaways to create low, medium and high levels. If you increase the elevated territory in the environment you’ll greatly increase the cats’ perception of the amount of territory they have. Vertical territory also helps a cat’s sense of safety and security because they know it’ll be more difficult for an opponent to ambush from behind. The vertical territory also increases a cat’s visual advantage in order to see if an opponent is approaching. The ability to scope out the territory is a big plus from a cat’s perspective. Some cats also use vertical territory as way to display status and it can often avert an actual physical confrontation.
Increase environmental enrichment to give the cats ways to divert their attention, release energy and have fun! Set up food-dispensing toys, puzzle toys, and other opportunities for solo playtime. A bird feeder outside the window or some cat shelves for climbing and playing may divert attention and ease tension. You can also play some YouTube videos that showcase small wildlife. Increased enrichment will give the cats something to focus on other than each other.
If the previous set-up in the environment included having your cats share one litter box and one scratching post, you should increase those numbers. During the time the cats were separated you already had to increase the number of resources so keep that up once the cats are together again. The less the cats have to share and/or complete, the less likely they’ll fight. Provide multiple litter boxes in various locations around the house so a cat doesn’t have to cross the path of the other cat. The same goes for scratching posts and any other valued resources.
When it comes to meals, provide separate bowls for the cats. This will help lessen the chance of competition and concern for resources. In some cases, depending on your specific situation, you may find that the best way to create a peaceful co-existence during mealtime is to feed the cats in separate locations.
Remember the Importance of Choice When it Comes to Cats
A cat who doesn’t feel they have a choice is the cat who feels threatened. The cat who feels backed in a corner is the one who will lash out or display unwanted behavior. As you go through the reintroduction process, keep in mind how important choice is to a cat so you can tweak and adjust your process to provide that crucial necessity.
Need More Information?
For more information on cat behavior and training, refer to the books by Pam Johnson-Bennett. Pam’s books are available at bookstores and online. We’ve included links to Amazon here on our website.
If you have a question regarding your cat’s health, please contact your veterinarian. This article is not intended as a replacement for your cat’s veterinary care.
