# How do I get my cat to get along with the neighbours cats



## Jane1973 (Apr 30, 2015)

Moved into a 1st floor flat approximately 6 months ago, with my 13 year neutered male cat. My cat is quite an outdoorsy cat, he's was from a farm (proper one) and in our last home he pretty much had run of a big garden with woodland out the back. 

The trouble is the lady in the downstairs flat has 3 cats and she has lived in the flat for much longer than me, so I guess she and her cats reckon its their territory, she's generally ok, but that's what I'm picking up off her, but maybe its my paranoia  . Anyway, over the last few months I've let my cat have a wonder around the landing, so that he can get used to the different smells and her cats can get used to mine, and when I know she's out I'll let him have a wonder outside for a bit supervised. 

My question is how to introduce him to her cats - seeing how someone accidently let one of her cats in one night and he ended up scrapping with them on the landing and one of her other elderly cats, quite obviously doesn't like him, on the few occasions I've let him into the hallway, when she is there she hisses and growls at him and takes herself of to a corner to get away from him. 

I feel really sorry for the poor little thing as I feel like I've got him under lock and key in this flat and he's obviously just wants to get out, so could someone come back with some advice on how I can give him a bit of freedom without him getting into lots of fights or causing unnecessary misery to another elderly cat. I've looked at getting a cat ladder so that he can exit the building without navigating enemy camp, but its not really feasible. Should I just let him out and let them sort themselves out ? Help is much appreciated.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi Jane, welcome to Pet Forums.

Letting your cat out so he and your neighbour's cats sort out the territory between them would be one way, as long as both you and the neighbour are prepared for the fact there may be some nasty fights and injuries amongst the cats. 

If there are parts of the house (e.g. the landing or hall) to which all the cats will have access this could be more of a problem than a shared garden, as the neighbour's cats will see the house as being their territory. To them your cat will be a stranger who is intruding on their territory and needs chasing away. It could be very stressful indeed for your cat. 

I would be inclined, at least for the moment, to try and negotiate a rota system with your neighbour so that your cat goes out when her cats are safely shut indoors. I had this arrangement in the past because my cat fought with a neighbour's cat constantly, and it was costing us both a fortune in vet's fees getting the injuries treated. The cats each had 3 hours at a time when they could go out whilst the other stayed in. 

Not so easy in your case as your neighbour has 3 cats, but I'm sure you can find out from her when her cats are most likely to be indoors (e..g. afternoons perhaps?) and then work from that. Just as long as she agrees to keep them shut indoors whilst your cat is outside for his agreed allotted spell.. 

Also, if the neighbour is amenable you could both do some scent swapping. This would mean taking a soft cloth and gently rubbing around the cheeks and neck of your cat, whilst the neighbour does the same with her cats. Then you swap cloths with each other and you rub her cloth around the neck of your cat and she rubs your cloth around the necks of her cats. This will at least familiarise your cat and her cats with each others' scents, and perhaps lower the risk of nasty fights. But on its own the scent swapping won't be enough for the cats to get on with yours, or accept him. But that may come in time, once your cat has established his right to share the garden, by leaving his scent there.


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## Jane1973 (Apr 30, 2015)

Thanks chillminx for getting back to me.

I am kind of doing what you are saying at the moment - I'm letting him out on the communal landing/hallway so he and they can get used to each others smells (alone) and I'm letting him out into the garden when I know her cats are indoors. Its just such a long winded process and I wish they would all just get along.

I was looking into getting some kind of device that he could use (cat ladder, shelves  ) so that he could leave the building without having to go through the communal hallway, as I think like you have suggested that this could cause a problem. I guess i will have to just persist with the informal rota of letting him out when they can and hope they will all just get used to each other and possibly try to invent something that he can use to exit the 1st floor window with - http://catladder.blogspot.co.uk some of these are fab, but I wouldn't know where to begin.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

I'm afraid the cat ladder shown in your link is much too steep for a cat to use safely to exit the building, but it would be OK for a cat to climb back up into the house, which is what I imagine it is used for (i.e. the cat being carried down to the ground floor beforehand)

Unfortunately most cats climb down steep slopes (and trees!) head-first! :Arghh . It doesn't seem to occur to them to turn round and go tail first. For a cat to go head-first safely down an incline requires a slope of not more than 45 degrees. This is also borne out by my experience of installing sloping climbing poles for my cats on the wall next to my stairs.

Installing a _safe _exit ladder for him from a 1st Floor window will require a switch-back design with slopes of 45 degrees zigzagging back and forth across the outside of the house. It can be done if there is enough wall space without any windows getting in the way. However as you'd be attaching the lower slopes of the structure to your Ground Floor neighbour's outside wall you'd need her permission, and if your property is rented you'd need the landlord's permission to attach a structure to the outside of the building.

Cats being the territorial creatures that they are, rarely just get along with strange cats. Kittens may be the exception because they have not yet become as territorial as adult cats. Even when a new neighbour moves in to a house next door, with its own garden, it can take a while for the new cat to fit in with the neighbourhood cats. In your case things are more complicated because your cat is sharing the very same building and garden with the resident cats.

Yes, integration and acceptance is likely to be a long winded process, but taking things slowly really does maximise the chance of success. Cats hate to be rushed!  They need to do things at their own pace, and I would be inclined realistically to think in terms of months rather than weeks for the process.

I would encourage you to establish a good sociable relationship with your neighbour during the cat-introduction period, as it really will make it easier to resolve any awkward problems that may crop up between your cat and hers. .

Incidentally it's possible that letting your cat into the common hallway could result in one [or more] of the neighbour's cats scent-marking the hall area with urine. That is not an uncommon response from a cat who feels their home has been invaded by a strange cat, so it is worth being aware of. Hopefully it won't happen!

Scent-swapping using the method I suggested in my first reply, (exchanging cat-scented cloths with your neighbour and rubbing them around the neck and cheeks of the cats) is less likely to result in any urine scent marking in common areas.


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## Jane1973 (Apr 30, 2015)

Ok. Thanks chillminx, some good advice there. Will let you know how I got on.


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