DU cat experts, advice needed please.

[Incitatus]

In my home I have had two dogs and a cat. The cat was the original animal in the home. I later introduced a dog and they got along well. I introduced a second dog and all three are getting along, for the most part. Occasionally a dog will chase the cat a little bit and it will respond with a hiss and sometimes scratch and the dog will retreat. I suspect the cat sometimes instigates the incident, but no serious altercations have occurred. Recently I brought in a second cat. The dogs for are getting along with it just like the first cat. But the first cat doesn't seem too happy about cat #2. There have been no fights yet, but I have had to separate them several times, because when they cross paths a staring and growling match begins and I am concerned about a nasty fight. Do you have any suggestions as far as making them both get along better?

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. we just added a kitten to a house with two dogs and two cats....

From what we've seen, they will work it out over a short period of time. We got the kitten last Friday - everyone is already well blended and peaceful (dogs are 8 and 10, choc labs, other two cats are 1 and 2 yr olds). There was some hissing at first....maybe just throw some rolled up balls of paper, get them playing, etc.

good luck!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Cats are highly territorial, especially with respect to other cats.

Sometimes it can take awhile for the incumbent cat to accept a new cat, whom he will perceive as "invading" his cat-centric territory. Hissing and growling and a bit of swatting is normal at first. If you're concerned about the cats getting into a serious fight, the best thing to do is keep them separated at first, and introduce them to each other by letting them hear and smell each other on either side of a door. When they seem a little more relaxed with that situation, let them spend more time together under supervision. They will get used to each other after awhile - how long depends on the individual cats.

[applegrove]

3. When I added a kitten to my cat Sam, I separated them by a door (they both

had kitty litter). That lasted about a day and the kitten was so intent on play that the older one could not resist pawing her back underneath the door. Then, when they were way curious about each other, I opened the door. Sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder.

[MissB]

4. My old kitty never liked the new kitty.

She ruled the roost. She died recently - she was about 5 lbs soaking wet at age 16 with a myriad of health issues. But the upstart - he's 6 now - was afraid of her forever. He weighs 18 lbs.

He's only recently begun to relax, and she's been dead about a month. He moved in as a kitten. She never took to him. They had their own spaces, and he didn't even try to sit on her chairs or our bed. That was her space. He got the bed in one of the kids' rooms.

[riderinthestorm]

6. Yup, barn cat #1 never has gotten along with barn cat #3. There's still squabbles 5 years later

some cats just don't get along. There's plenty of room for all of them to stay out of each other's way if they want to so its not a territorial thing, they simply don't like each other.

[NaturalHigh]

5. Do you have separate litter boxes for them?

If not, try it. It worked well for us.

[TrogL]

8. The rule is one litter box per cat plus one

Not that I'm doing that. I've got three cats, two boxes.

Mine did the territory thing, then they were all sleeping in a huddle with the occasional spat.

[Incitatus]

9. I set up a second box and cat #1 has been using it

as well as her other box. Cat #2 does not use the original box

[NaturalHigh]

10. Wow, you stumped me on that one.

I thought the two litter boxes would fix it.

When I had two cats in the house, Stoops (the original) and Oscar (the new guy), Stoops had a hard time adjusting. We set up two litter boxes and two feeding areas. When I came home from work, I always cleaned the boxes immediately and then fed them. Before long, Stoops had learned to at least like Oscar, and finally they were more or less buddies.

[amuse bouche]

7. Maybe you should consult with Cat Daddy aka Jackson Galaxy

He has a show on Animal Planet. He solves cat behavior problems and probably has a website with advice. He is a true cat genius