Sorry to start another introduction thread, I just want to be sure people see it so I can get some input.
It's been about a week since Holland and Daymon have been personally introduced. I still separate them when I am not home. Short version of my personalities:
Holland - only cat for a little over 3 years (since she was about 5 months old). No interactions with cats since I've adopted her. Very much a spoiled princess. Never much of an interactive player... I can sometimes get her going pretty good with Da Bird, otherwise it's small bursts of playtime. I'm hoping that she and Daymon will eventually play together.
Daymon - 4 years old, brought to the shelter as a lost and found, but has clearly been around people and cats. Total cool dude. When Holland hisses at him, he either ignores her or goes and sits under my bed. Just started playing interactively with me last night. So far loves Da Bird and the fleece wand.
They are both lap cats when they want to be, but Holland will give me quite a look when Daymon is sitting on my lap. It's probably me interpreting cat behavior as human behavior, but it seems like Holland gets especially hissy when Daymon is playing with something of "hers" or using "her" scratching post or condo, etc. Right now, other than his bed, his fleece blanket, and his litter pan, Daymon doesn't have anything new that didn't "belong" to Holland at some point.
Holland has gotten progressively more... something with Daymon. I don't want to say aggressive, because it's not that. Not really confrontational... maybe interactive? She used to stay as far away from him as possible and would only hiss when he got too close. Now she is following him around, and occasionally hissing at him. She isn't chasing him, exactly, and she isn't making moves to try to wrestle or bite him or anything. And it's not stalking, just... following. Daymon, bless him, is unaffected by her bossiness most of the time. He seems to understand that she is the alpha of the house, and has not shown ANY aggressiveness to her, whatsoever.
I've never introduced cats before, and I'm just curious - are they eventually going to have to have a physical interaction to cement the pecking order? At what point can I feel comfortable leaving them alone together? Oh - maybe I should mention that they both have all their claws, and while Daymon has teeth, Holland has had all of hers pulled. Right now when she hisses at him, I speak to her in a soothing voice, telling her it's OK... maybe I just want to ignore them when they're interacting and let them work it out? Since they first met face to face I've had a spray bottle at the ready for an emergency, but I haven't had to use it.
I'm just not sure what's "normal"...
TIA for any advice!
ETA: OK, now she IS chasing him... sorry for the poor light, I just took this a few minutes ago.
Part of me is happy that she's not being timid about this whole thing (she is a timid girl), but poor Daymon isn't doing anything...
And now:
I just feel like I have NO idea what I'm doing!!
It's been about a week since Holland and Daymon have been personally introduced. I still separate them when I am not home. Short version of my personalities:
Holland - only cat for a little over 3 years (since she was about 5 months old). No interactions with cats since I've adopted her. Very much a spoiled princess. Never much of an interactive player... I can sometimes get her going pretty good with Da Bird, otherwise it's small bursts of playtime. I'm hoping that she and Daymon will eventually play together.
Daymon - 4 years old, brought to the shelter as a lost and found, but has clearly been around people and cats. Total cool dude. When Holland hisses at him, he either ignores her or goes and sits under my bed. Just started playing interactively with me last night. So far loves Da Bird and the fleece wand.
They are both lap cats when they want to be, but Holland will give me quite a look when Daymon is sitting on my lap. It's probably me interpreting cat behavior as human behavior, but it seems like Holland gets especially hissy when Daymon is playing with something of "hers" or using "her" scratching post or condo, etc. Right now, other than his bed, his fleece blanket, and his litter pan, Daymon doesn't have anything new that didn't "belong" to Holland at some point.
Holland has gotten progressively more... something with Daymon. I don't want to say aggressive, because it's not that. Not really confrontational... maybe interactive? She used to stay as far away from him as possible and would only hiss when he got too close. Now she is following him around, and occasionally hissing at him. She isn't chasing him, exactly, and she isn't making moves to try to wrestle or bite him or anything. And it's not stalking, just... following. Daymon, bless him, is unaffected by her bossiness most of the time. He seems to understand that she is the alpha of the house, and has not shown ANY aggressiveness to her, whatsoever.
I've never introduced cats before, and I'm just curious - are they eventually going to have to have a physical interaction to cement the pecking order? At what point can I feel comfortable leaving them alone together? Oh - maybe I should mention that they both have all their claws, and while Daymon has teeth, Holland has had all of hers pulled. Right now when she hisses at him, I speak to her in a soothing voice, telling her it's OK... maybe I just want to ignore them when they're interacting and let them work it out? Since they first met face to face I've had a spray bottle at the ready for an emergency, but I haven't had to use it.
I'm just not sure what's "normal"...
ETA: OK, now she IS chasing him... sorry for the poor light, I just took this a few minutes ago.
Part of me is happy that she's not being timid about this whole thing (she is a timid girl), but poor Daymon isn't doing anything...
And now:
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