Cat Behavior Question - How Will a 5 Year Old Moggy Desexed Male Cat Get Along With a 3 Year Old Desexed Persian Male Cat?

by Margaret
(Kawana Island, Queensland, Australia)

I have a 5 year old desexed male, ginger medium length haired cat that only requires attention when it suits him. He is not a demanding cat, except for food. This cat is very placid and shy of other people - especially children.

I am going to adopt a 3 year old desexed male, ginger Persian cat (purebred), that loves attention and is very talkative. He has been around a lot of other cats and children.

What is our best approach to try and make them get along and be comfortable from the first day?


Reply from Liz (Editor): I'm really glad you've asked this cat behavior question at this stage. Introducing cats correctly is, I believe, 80% of the battle of getting them to accept each other more quickly - and with the least drama.

The two cats sound a good match. Thy aren't too different in age, the Persian cat is more demanding than your moggie (and the Persian will need more attention because of his long hair). The incoming cat is used to other cats, and both have been neutered, which reduces the risk of terretorial fighting.

The page below talks about how to introduce a new kitten to a cat, but the principles of introducing two adult cats are exactly the same.

Introducing a New Kitten to your Resident Cat

The instructions on the page above may seem OTT and a long drawn out hassle, but following these is, I promise you, less traumatic and will result in the cats accepting each other more quickly than just putting them together from the off.

When they do end up together properly, you'll probably get the occasional swipe, growl and hiss. This is normal and nothing to worry about - they need to establish a pecking order, and it's something they'll sort out between them. You only need to intervene if the fighting becomes excesive, and in this case, I'd recommend separating them and going through the steps suggested in the link above again.

Best of luck and thank you for your question.