Merging cats

Question
My boyfriend and I will be moving in together in a few months.  I have 2 male cats both 7 years old(Declawed) He has 2 female cats both 7 years old(with claws) We are moving into a new apartment.  We are very concerned about them all getting along and making the merge as smooth as possible.  We will do whatever it takes!  Please let me know what we should do ...thanks, Chris  

Answer
Hey !

Sorry to say this but the first mistake you made is when you got your cats declawed as this is very inhumane and it takes away your cats natural defense. Here's an example, you introduce the cats but all of a sudden they began fighting, and you're wondering why your male cats are losing against females the answer is the claws, the female cats are capable of doing some serious damage to the male cats with their claws, but when your cat goes to scratch the females nothing happens, so that was the first mistake NEVER DECLAW A CAT ITS INHUMANE.

Also because your male cats do not have claws DO NOT declaw the females instead purchase Soft Paws nail caps for the females and before you move in tell your boyfriend to put them on, or have a vet put them on. That way theirs no risk of any cats getting scratched because with Soft Paws nail caps on if the females scratch you or the males it wont hurt it would feel like cotton.  

After you've purchased Soft Paws nail caps go to www.drsfostersmith.com and purchase FeliWay since your going to need a lot of it, purchase the plug in and the spray bottle. FeliWay calms cats in the time of stress, and introducing two new cats into another's territory will stress it, but female cats aren't as "territorial egotistic" as males are.

After you purchase FeliWay, another good thing to do is get a litter box for each cat separately or you could use two litter boxes one for the males and one for the females. You need to have separate bowels that is a must.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO

Unless you and your boyfriend plan on keeping newborn baby kittens, SPAY & NEUTER THEM ASAP. Spaying the females will make them less grumpy and angry and wont come into heat. Neutering the males will cut down on urine spraying (which your cats may do once their there to tell "everyone" its their territory), it also cuts down on territorial fights between the cats, and of course you wont have to worry about finding new homes for all of the kittens YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY ! LOL Trust me I've made that mistake and whewww when you cant find the kittens a home let me tell you thats how I got stuck with all of my cats lol.

Before you introduce the cats do a scent transfer. Take a damp warm (not hot, not wet) cloth and begin rubbing the males faces starting underneath the eyes, and all over the mouth areas and especially the cheeks and nose, after you've done this with each male give your boyfriend the cloth and he can rub his females with the name cloth all over their body including the back area, the tail, underneath the belly, on the legs, and paws (not on the face) then switch up the roles and your boyfriend takes a separate cloth and does the same process with his females to get their scent on the cloth by getting a warm damp cloth and begin rubbing it starting around the eyes and around the mouth, and all over the cheeks of each female and then when he's done you take the cloth and you rub it all over your males body their fur, their legs, their belly, their tail everywhere (except the face) you can do this numerous times the more you do it the greater your chance of success. The only thing is the cats cannot be seen by each other when doing this I suggest having the male cats on the porch in a carrier and the females inside and then after you've done the scent transfer many times proceed to the introduction which I've typed below.

THE INTRODUCTION PROCESS TO INTRODUCING THE CATS MAKE SURE THAT THE FELIWAY PLUG IN IS IN THIS ROOM AND ALSO MAKE SURE YOU'VE SPRAYED THE HOUSE THROUGHLY WITH FELIWAY SPRAY TO ENSURE A SAFE PROCESS.

Prepare a room for your new male cats, with food and water bowls, toys and a litter box and scratching post that needn't be shared. This separate room will be your new pet's home turf while the four cats get used to each other's existence.

Then, start the introductions by pushing no introduction at all.

Bring the male cats home in separate carriers and set it in the room you've prepared. Let the two female cats discover the caged males on their own, and don't be discouraged by initial hisses. Let the female cats explore awhile and then after a while put the female cats out of the room and shut the door. When the male cats are alone with you in the room, open the carrier doors. Once the door is open let them come out on their own and explore the new room after they've come out you leave the room also and close the door.

Maintain each pair separately for a week or so, with lots of love and play for all, and then on a day when you're around to observe, leave the door to the male cats room open. Don't force them together. Territory negotiations between cats can be drawn-out and delicate, and you must let them work it out on their own, ignoring the hisses and glares.

As the days go by, you can encourage them both to play with you, using a cat "fishing pole" or a toy on a string. If they're willing, feed them in ever-closer proximity, taking your cue from the cats as to how quickly to go.

I hope I've helped, and I hope all goes well, remember NEVER DECLAW A CAT ITS WRONG, USE SOFT PAWS INSTEAD AND DON'T FORGET TO SPAY/NEUTER THE CATS TO CUT DOWN ON FIGHTING AND HISSING. If you need any more help feel free to contact me.