Rescued a "semi feral", have a resident cat, 1 bedroom but I want to make it work so badly!

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noani

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Well, the video wouldn't load, but from what you are describing, I'd say that once Yoda is over his medical issues, you aren't going to have any trouble at all with these two!
It's basically just a 15 second video of two cats eating wet food with some bars in between them :D

Yesterday Charly hissed at him once when he got a bit too boisterous behind those bars(I didn't close the door immediately after treats) but I gave both another treat and he just went back into snack mode right away. I'm curious to see what will happen without the gate.. I'm pretty sure Charly will be a bit freaked out at the start when Yoda isn't held back by the gate. Yoda is the kind of "hey look at me (paw paw), hey let me rub against you, hey I want to interact with you" part in this pair. Charly is more like "I need my personal space unless I decide otherwise".
Yoda has been a very quick learner as far as limiting his love bites, not trying to hunt my arm, etc (I mean how would he know the difference, he'd never lived with humans) so I'm hoping he'll learn to respect Charlys space as well as he has everything else.
 
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noani

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Still eating together. In the pics, I am closer to Yoda in his room and Charly outside the door.

They ate for a few minutes with the gate open. They'd look at each other, then go back to eating a few times. After that I closed the baby gate and tried some toys. They weren't really into it.. maybe I need to try different toys for both to be engaged.

At some point Yoda reached for the toy and got Charlys head (I think no claws), and Charly hissed. Then a couple minutes later he hissed again while I was petting Yoda who was purring but looking at him close to the gate. Charly the jumped on the bed (right next to the door) and started growling (he hasn't done that so far). So I closed the door and five minutes later came back and did treats at the door, which went without incident.

I'm a bit worried about the growl and the continuing hisses. Although they are fewer and farther between and tonight was the longest total interaction they've had. Maybe I'm letting it go for too long and should end the interaction before?

I'm worried. The place is so small and now so crowded with furniture rearranged, it would be too easy for one to feel cornered and a fight to break out if the baby gate were to be removed. Although they did eat with the gate open... I don't know. Maybe it's just a bit of Charly saying hey don't come too close but I'm not sure Yoda is getting it. Hes very... Insistent. Also with cuddles. He'll become a bit nibble bitey if I stop when he doesn't want me to..

I'm so worried they won't get along or Charly won't tolerate him, or they'll get into bad fights and all the good progress will be reversed and it'll be worse than square one..
 

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noani

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Lots of hissing and growling from Charly today. They will eat and have treats just fine but as soon as that's not there, if Yoda gets close to the gate Charly will hiss, growl (increasingly) and swat at him. It seems to be getting worse, not better.

What do I do? Leave the door open with gate up so they can figure some stuff out? Or will that make it worse and I need to step it back?
 
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noani

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If anyone has any insight please help :ohwell:
 

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Sorry, sweetie, I could not get here yesterday. There's going to be a certain amount of hissing, and growling, and some swatting. This comes under the heading of "heated discussion," and it happens occasionally even with cats who are good friends. Charlie is letting Yoda know his place in the scheme of things, backing him down from trying to assume "Top Cat" position. In some ways, that's even good. You'd feel terrible if Yoda cowed Charlie, and poor Charlie ended up having to take second place in your home. Don't rush thngs, but do allow them to "talk" this out.
 
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noani

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Sorry, sweetie, I could not get here yesterday. There's going to be a certain amount of hissing, and growling, and some swatting. This comes under the heading of "heated discussion," and it happens occasionally even with cats who are good friends. Charlie is letting Yoda know his place in the scheme of things, backing him down from trying to assume "Top Cat" position. In some ways, that's even good. You'd feel terrible if Yoda cowed Charlie, and poor Charlie ended up having to take second place in your home. Don't rush thngs, but do allow them to "talk" this out.
Thank you for the reply :)
I've decided to back up a bit and go back to shorter visual sessions. So just some treats and food together for now so they see each other while having something to do and then door closes.

Everything else I'll wait a bit until Yoda is cleared of ringworm. It'll be easier to see if they just need to talk it out when I don't have to worry about them touching or someone maybe taking a swipe because of RW. It adds another layer of stress and my interrupting them because I'm worried about contagion is probably not helping.

In general, Charly seems to be getting increasingly stressed about it, and his territory in general. He's been aggressive towards me a couple of times recently in situations that I read to be either redirected aggression after playing (hope it's okay) under the door with Yoda, and territorial (I think, because he basically now runs into the bathroom ahead of me and will not allow me in. He will go for blood if I try.

I'm trying to modify this behaviour but I was wondering if, when Yoda isn't contagious, we should do site swapping for a while before attempting to proceed.
 

Mamanyt1953

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By all means, when it is medically safe, do site swapping. You want both sets of scents ALL OVER the apartment!
 
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noani

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Yes, that's what my gut is telling me too. I thought maybe, with the long isolation... and someone suggested we could forego site swapping, but I've decided to go back and do that when he's cleared.
Yoda is still contagious (checkup in a week, he's on his third week, so second cycle of itrafungol), and I'm sure they could also feel my tension during their interactions (about spores spreading when they touched). So for now it's just meals at the gate and short treat sessions. Charly is getting less focused on Yoda and more focused on eating which I reckon is good.
No more hissing, growling or anything, but the sessions are very short. They eat a few inches apart with the gate open now though! But that's it. When one is done, the door gets closed before the focus solely on each other without the distraction of food. And I don't get stressed about them touching, which I'm sure they sense.
So still playing the waiting game and trying to clean and divide my time and attention between to the best of my abilities.
 

Mamanyt1953

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Considering all that you are having to juggle, you're doing well. And Charlie is coming along nicely. Hang in there! Yoda can't be "wormy" forever. You'll kick that fungus' fanny in no time now!
 
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Charly escaped tonight, as in he got into yoda's room. Yoda was eating and Charly just walked right past him (baby gate was open) into the room. Walked around and sniffed (haven't done site swap still). He paid no mind to yoda, and Yoda didn't care either, he just kept eating at the door.

Yoda when done eating jumped onto couch where Charly was by now (a couple minutes after entering). Smelled each others noses and after a bit Charly hissed and mock swatted the air a bit, Yoda backed down and Charly jumped off the couch to keep looking around the room. Yoda stayed on couch looking at me.

I have a bad case of otitis and my balance is basically "fall over randomly" level. I wasn't confident enough to pick up Charly at first and tried to get him out with treats but he didn't care. I managed to steady myself enough, went in to pick him up and carried him out. Yoda was pawing at him from floor. Yoda is quiet inside now, Charly a bit agitated but not aggressive ( he has had redirected aggression towards me in past but not now)

I'm conflicted. I'm beating myself up over letting this happen in such an uncontrolled manner but at the same time I kinda think that wasn't bad at all. They smelled each others noses and Charly hissed and swatted a bit to which Yoda backed down a bit and Charly went about his business.

I mean maybe I should be happy I'm not cleaning up after a cat fight right now and this actually went pretty good?

Any advice on how to proceed from here?
 
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noani

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Just wanted to post something here in case anyone still had this on follow and wanted an update:

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Yoda is the one on the left where we're all lying down together and the one closer to camera in the others. Both healthy now. 3 months yesterday since I picked him up from the clinic after surgeries and all that. Charly still hisses sometimes and gives him a few whacks on the head but overall they are going great. They are now out full time when supervised (i.e. when I'm home, the place is so small that me being home counts as supervising basically).

Can't believe how far they've come and can't express my gratitude enough! 💓
All the times i felt a bit hopeless and overwhelmed and pessimistic, your encouragement has made all the difference throughout these months!
 
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