Introducing Your New Cat to Other Pets is a pet-behavior handout from City and County of Denver Animal Services, published among the Behavior & Training resources of the Denver Animal Shelter. It is written for people who bring a new cat into a home that already has a resident pet. It covers confinement, scent swapping, supervised meetings, how to avoid fights and how to reduce tension. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the PDF; the original handout and the shelter's other resources are published by the City and County of Denver.
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What is Introducing Your New Cat to Other Pets – Denver, CO?
Introducing Your New Cat to Other Pets is an informational PDF from City and County of Denver Animal Services that explains how to introduce a newly adopted cat to the pets already living in your home, step by step and without rushing.
It is a guidance sheet, not an application or a permit, so completing it produces no registration, license or record. The handout is organized in short sections:
- The Nature of Cats: Realistic Expectations, which explains that cats are territorial and dislike change, and that you cannot force pets to like each other.
- Slow and Steady Wins the Race and Being Social, on gradual introductions and why age and temperament matter.
- Confinement, The Old Switcheroo, Avoiding Fights and Reducing Tension, which hold the practical steps.
The Denver Animal Shelter lists the handout under Behavior & Training on its Resources page. Next to it are a companion sheet, Introducing Your New Dog to Other Pets, and the Cat Acclimation Info Packet and Dog Acclimation Info Packet. This document is the one about cats meeting other pets. The footer prints the shelter's address, 1241 W Bayaud Ave Denver, CO 80223, DenverAnimalShelter.org, and two phone numbers.
Who needs to file Introducing Your New Cat to Other Pets – Denver, CO?
People who are bringing a new cat home to a household with a resident pet are the audience for this handout. It speaks to adopters and owners whose current pet may be another cat or another animal; it notes that if more than two animals live in the house, you repeat the scent exchange for each animal.
The handout also fits two situations it describes directly:
- Owners of a cat that has never been around other animals. It says an 8-year-old cat in that position might never learn to share her territory, while an 8-week-old kitten may welcome a cat or dog companion.
- Owners who see repeated fighting. The handout suggests starting the introduction over and considering advice from a vet or animal behaviorist.
Nothing in it is a requirement or a legal obligation, and no one has to file it. If you are introducing a new dog instead, the Denver Animal Shelter's Resources page lists a separate sheet, Introducing Your New Dog to Other Pets.
When to file Introducing Your New Cat to Other Pets – Denver, CO
Use this handout when you are planning to bring a new cat home, before the first face-to-face meeting with your other pets. It is a guide with no filing date, and nothing is submitted to the shelter.
The handout sets its own pace. It says to keep the newcomer in a small room for several days to a week, and it describes the later steps as a process repeated over days, always supervised. Once the cats meet face to face, it says kinks such as staring, sniffing or hissing may go on for a few days to a few weeks before the animals settle.
How to fill out Introducing Your New Cat to Other Pets – Denver, CO
Set realistic expectations
Read The Nature of Cats section first. Cats are territorial and dislike change, and you cannot force your pets to like each other.
Choose a cat with a similar temperament
The handout says the most important choice is a cat with a similar personality and activity level to your resident pet. Age and sociability matter as well.
Confine the newcomer to a small room
Keep the new cat in a small room for several days to a week, with her own litter box, food, water, scratching post, toys and a bed.
Feed pets on each side of the door
Feed your resident pets and the newcomer on either side of the door to that room, then move the dishes gradually closer. You can also tie a toy to each end of a string and place one toy on each side of the door.
Swap blankets and beds
Put the blankets or beds the animals use under each other's food dishes so they learn each other's scent. With more than two animals, do the same for each one.
Allow supervised free time
When the new cat uses her litter box and eats regularly, let her explore a room or two at a time while your other pets stay in her room. Do this only when you are home to supervise.
Prop the dividing door open
After returning the cats to their own parts of the house, use two doorstops to open the door just enough for them to see each other. Repeat the process over a period of days, supervised.
Watch for signs of aggression
If you see flattened ears, growling, spitting or crouching, clap your hands to distract the cats. If the standoff continues, carefully herd them into separate parts of the house.
Reduce tension at home
Keep your resident pets' routine close to what it was, provide one litter box per cat plus an extra, and make sure every cat has a safe place to escape to.
Download or print the guide
Review the sections you need, then download or print the PDF from FillingPDF to keep it handy during the introductions.
How to submit Introducing Your New Cat to Other Pets – Denver, CO
Nothing in this handout is filed or sent to the City and County of Denver. It is a guidance sheet, so you read it, use it at home and keep it for reference. The Denver Animal Shelter publishes it as a PDF among its Behavior & Training resources.
If you have questions, the footer of the handout gives these contacts:
- Address: 1241 W Bayaud Ave Denver, CO 80223.
- General Inquiries: 720-913-1311.
- Officer Dispatch: 720-913-2080.
- Website: DenverAnimalShelter.org.
The handout also suggests getting advice from a vet or animal behaviorist if the cats fight repeatedly. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; any contact with Denver Animal Services follows the agency's own channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Letting the new cat meet your other pets face to face right away; the handout says introductions should be gradual, with scent swapping first.
- Trying to break up a cat fight by picking up one of the cats; the handout warns that you are bound to get hurt.
- Giving the newcomer free time in the house when you are not home; the handout says to do this only under supervision.
- Ignoring your resident cat while you spend time with the new one; the handout says to spend plenty of time with the newcomer but not ignore the resident.
- Providing too few litter boxes; the handout recommends one per cat plus an extra one.
- Skipping the vet check; the handout says to have your cats examined before introductions to make sure they are healthy.
- Overlooking signs of rising aggression (flattened ears, growling, spitting, crouching) instead of clapping to distract the cats.
- Giving the cats no safe place to escape; the handout says every cat needs one, and suggests an elevated cat post or windowsill.
Frequently asked questions
How do I introduce a new cat to my other pets?
Go slowly. The Denver Animal Shelter handout says to confine the new cat to a small room for several days to a week, feed pets on each side of the door, swap their bedding for scent, then allow supervised meetings before any face-to-face contact.
How long should a new cat stay in a separate room?
Several days to a week. The handout says to keep the newcomer in a small room with her own litter box, food, water, scratching post, toys and a bed so she can adjust before meeting your other pets.
What should I do if my cats start to fight?
Clap your hands to distract them when you see flattened ears, growling, spitting or crouching. If the standoff continues, carefully herd them apart. Never pick up a fighting cat. If fights repeat, start the introductions over and consider advice from a vet or animal behaviorist.
How long does it take for cats to get along?
The handout says staring, sniffing and hissing may go on for a few days to a few weeks once the cats are face to face. It also says it cannot predict whether your pets will become friends.
How many litter boxes do I need with two cats?
The handout recommends one litter box per cat plus an extra one, so two cats need three. It lists this among the steps to reduce tension between cats living together.
Is there a separate guide for introducing a new dog?
Yes. The Denver Animal Shelter's Resources page lists Introducing Your New Dog to Other Pets as its own PDF, next to this cat handout, the Cat Acclimation Info Packet and the Dog Acclimation Info Packet.
Who do I contact at the Denver Animal Shelter?
The handout lists General Inquiries at 720-913-1311 and Officer Dispatch at 720-913-2080. The shelter is at 1241 W Bayaud Ave Denver, CO 80223, and its website is DenverAnimalShelter.org.
Can I fill out this PDF online on FillingPDF?
You can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the PDF, although the handout is guidance with no lines to complete. FillingPDF is an independent service, is not affiliated with Denver Animal Services, and does not file or send anything to the agency.
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