A friend of mine showed me pictures of her two cats cuddling and cleaning each other. What a cute sight! Her two cats are males and one is much younger than the other. My two cats on the other hand do not get along. I have two females. One is much younger than the other. I adopted my younger cat Millie about four years ago when my older cat was about six. There were problems right away. My older cat was very insulted by this new “intruder” and did every thing in her power to let me know it. She hissed at me, would not come over to be pet, she made my young cats life miserable by not letting her use her litter pan. She would actually sit in the pan when the younger cat had to go. She would not let the new cat come into the room where I was. I had to pick her up and carry her. She would even prevent the new cat from going in any of the cat beds.

What do you do in this situation. Here’s what I’ve learned.

1. Isolate the new cat for a few days. Have him checked by a vet to make sure that all is OK. This will also give the new cat a chance to calm down and get used to his new surroundings.

2. While the cats are separated, take a towel or other object, rub it on the older cat and then while the new cat is still separated, rub the object on him so that he becomes familiar with the older cats scent.

3.  Let the two cats see each other by opening the door a crack or putting a high screen between the two rooms. Make sure you are supervising to prevent the cats from jumping over the screen.

4. Switch places for a while. Have the older cat in the newer cats room and vice versa.

5. Feed each cat on opposites sides of the door but let them see each other. Again, make sure that you are supervising.

6. Put the two cats together with you supervising for a short period. Make sure that there are food and treats available.

7. Make the supervised visits longer.

8. If there is hostility between them, separate them again.

Keeping doing this everyday until you feel that your cats can get along together. My older cat does not like the younger one and probably never will but at least the fighting has subsided somewhat.  Two males seem to adjust better than two females.

Good luck!