5 Months On And Still Hissing (bootsie) And Bully Tactics (chloe)

Hey All,

So in January, after 30 days of trying to find it's owner, we decided to take in a cat that was around our home, as she wouldn't leave and even decided to try to keep warm under our umbrella cover out on the deck (talk about her trying to make us feel guilty leaving her out in the cold). She is a calico.

We already have Bootsie (male Tuxedo) and Bella (female White/Tiger Stripe) from kittens (same litter) they are now 4 (going on 5), Chloe, we are guessing is around 2 or 3, although the vets when we went to get her checked and chipped (and she was already neutered) couldn't tell us her age, they guess about the same.

We are using Comfort Zone With Feliway MultiCat which is supposed to help with aggression and tension, which, for the most part it appears to help, as when it's getting close to the bottom of the bottle, they start up again.

When we first took her in, we kept her in the office, with her own litter tray, food and water and of a night we closed the door. After about a month, I decided we needed to open the door and let them meet. For the most part, if Chloe is in the office, the other two are in the living room. If Chloe is in the living room, the other two are in the bedroom. Of a night time, Chloe usually spends the night in the spare room (close to our room) and Bootsie and Bella sleep with us (for the most part at the bottom of the bed, or on the bed side) but sometimes, one will decide to go to their water or food and Chloe may be awake and go after them, waking us up with a small fight (as they are still all nimble and run away). If we try to carry Bootsie around, he'll hiss and growl at Chloe, even in our arms. If Chloe is stopped from fighting, she sometimes hisses and swipes at us, as if to tell us off.

We are looking for other options to try, we've used compressed air to make a noise to stop stuff, we treat them all equal, they have separate cat litters and food and water bowls that are apart. We really, really want them to get along, as we don't want to give up on Chloe so soon, but with them all being young, we also don't want the next 10-15 years being the same as we are going through now? Are we expecting change too soon? will they eventually get one?

Can anybody help, we are open to suggestions. We can answer any questions put forward (that I may have overlooked in this novel of text)

Oh, and p.s, we have a dog also, but she's no concern to any of them, none of them are scared or bothered about the dog.

Also, pictures below

Regards
Paul.

Chloe



Bella



Bootsie



Bootsie and the dog (Coco)



Miracles Can Happen (once, that I was able to get a photo)

Calico Cats Guide (including A Quiz!)
Hi! I think it might take more time, don't give up!
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide

I know how stressful long cat integration can be, especially since we are on month 6 now. Situationsoubds similar, 3-year-old Olive was abandoned by a neighbor and we are integration with 7-year old Gohan and 11-year old Trin. Furballsmom is right, probably more time.

We kept Olive in the “basement” with all the necessities including a nice window. The normally hissing from Trin ensued but they are working it out with a few air-bats per day. Gohan is our trouble child as he is territorial and he chases. Each weekend has been getting better in teeny increments, and this weekend Olive was comfortable enough to lounge around and play with Trin. Trin was sometimes even into it and they play chased back and forth. Gohan let it happen which is good for him.

What works for us so far:
1. Feed them meals together. Our boys were free-fed dry food their whole life but we started feeding Gohan a wet food he likes with Olive’s dinner - this has really normalized them together.
2. Group play time followed by a tasty snack.
3. Don’t pick up a nervous or aggressive cat, or force her into an area by carrying. Often they feel helpless and defenseless when they are in your arms and can make them more upset and you could end up getting hurt. A large piece of cardboard makes an excellent shield to put between fighting cats, or to “herd” one gently into another room.
4. Treats and toys to distract buildings tension
5. Staying calm, cats pick up on our emotions and if we are scared and nervous it could cause more of a fight.

Keep at it, it won’t go on like this forever if they haven’t had fur-flying fights. Also I must say your new calico is georgous! And how wonderful that you are taking her in!

peejaygee : hello and welcome to TCS. Thank you for taking in poor little homeless Chloe. I really love her coloring. Your other cats (and dog) are beautiful too. Hopefully in time they'll be one big happy furry family.

I've never introduced cats myself, so I can't offer advice from personal experience. I can, however, post links to a few TCS articles that may be helpful.

How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction
The Multi-cat Household
How To Safely Break Up A Cat Fight

Thank you all for your replies, I've also had a scan over the links that have been provided and have absorbed were I can, myself and the wife will work on this, we both have two big of a heart to just give up.

Maybe it's 6 months from now, maybe it's longer, but as and when we get them loving each other, hopefully i'll get a picture of them all and upload it here.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend (posted this on a Friday, in-case someone reads it later )

I picked up two kittens in the woods in August, and already had two twelve year old boys at home. we introduced them in October, as the little guys had to be separated for awhile since they had UPIs. It is now June, and they still are not fully integrated. for the most part everything is ok, but one of the kittens just bugs one of my older cats for some reason all the time. he still groans and growls at that baby. I can say it keeps getting a little better each day, but I never in a million years thought it would take this long. Hang in there, its worth it. (I have been saying one more month, for the last six months lol). mine have now even been known to sleep all on the big bed at once, although the little guys are at one end of the bed and the big ones at the other.

Any more Tips?

It's now been a year, and Chloe is still trying to be dominant.

We've tried buying and using https://amzn.to/2FBfo2s [ThunderEase Multicat Calming Pheromone Diffuser Refill - Reduce Cat Conflict, Tension and Fighting]

There are days were Bootsie [the male, 6 yr old, same as Bella his sister] will get close to Chloe [the female, 4 yr old, roughly, being a stray we don't actually know and the vet can't really tell] he'll meow in a weird noise, then sometimes hiss. But he'll get about 3 ft away.

They generally will be ok when we are [myself and the wife] around them, but it's when Chloe thinks we are not looking or around, she'll go by the corner of the living room [see the pounce points in the picture below]



We are just looking for some other possible solutions, there are times it looks like things are going the right way, then all of a sudden Chloe turns back in to the 'bitch' as we call her, we are sure she's got a split personality.

We've tried dietary changes too, but we think the latest food has given Chloe too much energy, it's Purina Pro Plan Simple Fit and Bootsie and Bella are on Purina Pro Plan Indoor Cat/Sensitive Stomach.

Any other tips we could try, we really still don't want to rehome her, but the straw that broke the camels back today that caused me to attach back to this post, clearly Bootsie needed the loo, but instead of going the kitchen, he just decided to do it on the bed, online research says that is 'stress related', later on in the day though today, he used the liter robot like usual. There are times though, he not covering it as it appears that he's trying to get done and get out.

Help please.

Hi!
I remember thinking in those earlier pictures that Chloe looked tense, whereas your other two appear more relaxed. I of course don't know about now, but I was wondering, what if you obtain calming treats or a collar for Chloe?

Also, you might want to add another litter box. (Due to their high stress, you could consider running him into the vet, just to be sure there's no health issues).

When my boy doesn't cover his business, it's typically due to ferals too close by, ie, he's making a territorial statement.

Myself and the wife discussed another cat litter box, but we didn't want to 'technically' give Chloe her own way, i.e. she's causing them to spend that much time down that end of the home anyways, another cat litter will encourage them to stay down that end too, no?

We tried the collar, and didn't feel it was helping, so moved to the plug in items (on a timer, so they last a little longer) but we didn't know calming treats existed, we'll have to look into those.

And it makes sense of the 'leaving the scent visible' to mark his territory.

So sorry Chloe is being trouble! A year is a long time, we are still not at the friends stage for Gohan and Olive. But we see improvements every day, so progress is being made.

I am by no means a cat behaviorist, but I wonder what would happen if you move around some of there stuff? Put some of Chloe’s stuff in the Bootsie/Bella areas and some of Bootsie and Bella’s stuff in Chloe’s area? Essentially mingling the territories if it seems Chloe is “defending” her spots? The risk being that they are all extra stressed afterwords.

And I think added a new litterbox is better. I know you want them to be forced to intermingle, but bathroom issues are not where I would draw that line. I think it’s better that they all have a place to do their business where they feel safe.

Also I loved the diagram!

Thanks, I figured the diagram would be easier that trying to type/explain the layout.

I think we'll defo take him the vets, just for a once over (I'm sure he's due something soon, a needle or something, so that will tie in well) and we'll look into the extra cat box. In hindsight, it might also give them more 'territory' in the spare room, and maybe stopping Chloe having a 'pounce point'

We'll have to keep trying things, one day we'll look back at all this and laugh.

Take everyone to the vet when you take him. That way everyone will pick up the "vet smell" which means he won't be attacked for that when he returns home. "Vet smell" causes fights even when cats like each other.

The longer they are at the vet together, not in the same carrier, but out of their house the better. It will give them a chance to reaccess their turf when they get home. If nothing else works you might see if there is a nice place to board them over night. Again, don't put Chloe in a cage with the other two.

Sorry to necro an old post, but I have to put this, just to give anybody a glimmer of hope, if they are in the same situation as me.

So, long story short, they are better, it's now been 1 year and 7 months, and they are tolerable with each other. They still randomly pick on each other, and Bootsie who was the runner and not the hisser, is now the hisser (which we tell him off for, gently and only verbally, we are hoping he'll stop soon, I think he's just trying to establish his alpha status again now) but we you can see, from not even wanting to be in the same space, now at times they can be in the same room and chilling. (Chloe is at the front, Bootsie at the back)

People in the same situation, please be patient with the animals and do not give up on them, give them your unconditional support and everything should work in yours and your pets favor.

I’m so glad you updated! It’s great seeing that it’s working out!

It's best when updates are put on the original thread because the system let's us know there is one.

This si such a happy update. so glad everything is good.

That's great that things are better. Thanks for the update.

peejaygee said:

People in the same situation, please be patient with the animals and do not give up on them, give them your unconditional support and everything should work in yours and your pets favor.

Click to expand...

Bless you for hanging in there with them, and for taking the time to post for us

peejaygee said:

So, long story short, they are better, it's now been 1 year and 7 months, and they are tolerable with each other. They still randomly pick on each other, and Bootsie who was the runner and not the hisser, is now the hisser (which we tell him off for, gently and only verbally, we are hoping he'll stop soon, I think he's just trying to establish his alpha status again now) but we you can see, from not even wanting to be in the same space, now at times they can be in the same room and chilling. (Chloe is at the front, Bootsie at the back)

Click to expand...

I just want to say STOOOOOOOPPPP "telling him off" for hissing. That is how cats communicate and establish boundaries and everything. Why would you punish this??? Hissing is normal cat communication. You should be glad it is happening and they are expressing their opinions to each other so they can continue to grow and learn how to live together. Scold their communication and you end up with neurotic cats.

Good! We integrated two little cats with two older ones on about the same time line as you and I still see changes and progress takes a lot of patience. Good job!