Wanting To Do This Right. Re: Cat Introductions

amynurse

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Hello all
I am fostering (hoping to adopt) a young female stray that I rescued 4 days ago. I currently have my almost 7 year old cat, Penny, and no other pets. Penny was a feral kitten whose mother died when she was 4 weeks old. I got her one week later, when the other family's cat was being aggressive towards her. She fortunately took well to my son's 6 month old male cat, and they bonded quite well. Eventually my son and his cat moved out, and Penny was an only cat for a few years. She has always been shy around strangers and other cats. Never aggressive, she prefers to hide and avoid.
Enter new kitty. We call her Karen, bc her facial expression always looks like she wants to speak to a manager .
Karen is somewhere bt 6 months and 2 years, by my estimation. She was found on a college housing unit, and had a collar...but no microchip. There was no lost posting online in the last 5 months for her. She is super friendly, bold, playful....and possibly pregnant. I have a vet appointment for her on Tuesday, BUT we live in Central Florida....so the hurricane may prevent that appointment.

Ok, so it's been 4 days. Both cats are aware of each other's presence. They have been kept separately. Penny (resident cat) is fearful, but a tiny bit curious..and not hissing. Karen appears to not care AT ALL about Penny.
Thoughts on this? My main goal is to make sure Penny is not on the defensive at the time of first meeting.
We actually had the door between them open for an hour(with my son and I near each end...they were three rooms apart). They could see each other, but neither even budged. I have to say, I am hoping this trend continues.
Any tips??
 

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amynurse

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Oh...Penny is the orange tabby...Karen is the calico.
Aren't they beautiful? ♥
 

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Hi amynurse amynurse .:wave3:..Yes, both cats are truly beautiful.:biggrin:
Enter new kitty. We call her Karen, bc her facial expression always looks like she wants to speak to a manager .
lol.:lol:..you had me laughing at the above part, ...because I did work in retail for about 15 years...and "no and yes...sometimes I would see that expression, but sometimes...not.":blush: (I was just a salesclerk, though, while some managers would hide from people, and tell us to deal with it. Maybe it was the expression.)

***Check out this TCS Article...on cat introductions.:blackcat::caticon:..it has some very good tips:
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
 
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Oh one important thing. Before doing any new cat introductions...Please wait and take the new cat to the Vet...so that new cat gets a clean bill of health.
(I made the mistake once, of introducing a stray kitten to my resident cat, and he did have health issues, but thankfully it all worked out. He didn't transfer anything to my resident cat.) You can still work on the first part of the introductions, though.

This is just the second half of my reply...which I am just paraphrasing from the Articles,:read: and from another post.
(It's long, so don't feel like you have to read it all. The Article says pretty much the same thing.)

Take one week…or more…depending on how each cat reacts…to work on each step of the cat introductions.
You usually use the five senses as a guide to lessen a cat's 'fight or flight' response.

1. The cats have already heard each other (sound), so get them to eat behind close doors. Placing each food dish, closer and closer to the closed door, and watching each cat’s reaction. (You don’t have x-ray vision, so you’ll have to do the watching, one cat at a timeo_O)… (As long as both are eating, pooping and peeing as usual, then this is a good thing.)

2. Next is Scent Exchange...meaning 'scent swapping'... using each cats' toys, blankets, towels, etc...where each cat only gets to smell the scent of the other cat. In this way, they both get accustomed to each others smells, so when they do meet, face to face, they will seem like a familiar friend, and not any threat.

3. Watch closely how Penny reacts to the items from Karen, and see if her 'fight or flight' responses lessen.:eek:

4. Then move on to 'Seeing each other'...by using baby gates, pet crate, screen door, cracked doors, whatever. (I know that they have already done this, but still gauge how each cat reacts, now.)
Getting Penny to play around Karen’s area or near her, and giving treats after good interactions, will reinforce positive experiences.:caticon::blackcat:

5. Next, do an entire room swap,..Putting each cat into the other’s territory(room).
(This will give you a good idea on how accepting, and relaxed, each cat is about each other.)

6. Lastly, I think it's the meeting, face to face, but only when Penny and Karen are both calm...probably tired out after a play session.

PS. Take a lot of photos, videos, and enjoy the process.:)
It takes a lot of time and patience, but is really worth it to get both cats so relaxed, that when they do meet, they are so bored of each other, and so familiar, that they don't really go into full blown 'fight or flight'.

pps. Stay safe during Hurricane Dorian...wishing you just rain, and no actual hurricane. :vibes::vibes::daisy:
 
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amynurse

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Thank you SO much! I will work on these steps...and try not to get swept away
 

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Yes. "Swept away" is not allowed.:cloud9: Thanks for making me laugh tonight.
And post many photos of your gorgeous cats all over the Site. We love photos on TCS.

ps. You floridians are a tough bunch...dealing with all those hurricanes and such. Us Canadians complain about the weather all the time, and our meteorologists act like every weather issue is a shattering event.:confused: :eek2::cold::clover:
 
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amynurse

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Hello and update:
We are currently on step 4 of the process. Used a clear plastic tote in the doorway between kitties. Karen is curious and completely non-confrontational. Penny is also non-confrontational, and prefers to just hiss and walk away.

So should I go ahead and room swap? Or do I wait until Penny no longer hisses?
Do some cats just always hiss...more out of disdain than fear?

I really don't foresee a battle, bc when Penny hisses they both just walk away.
Advice??
 

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So should I go ahead and room swap? Or do I wait until Penny no longer hisses?
Do some cats just always hiss...more out of disdain than fear?
Hi amynurse amynurse . :wave3:Those are excellent questions.
I would wait an entire week, until Penny no longer hisses at Karen, and then do the room swap.
But I am just curious how you manage to prevent either cat from jumping over the clear tote container? Is it some sort of long container?:think:

I don't think that cats hiss out of disdain...atleast I hope not (since that would mean that my friend's cat, who I sometimes take care of, really doesn't find me worthy of respect. :nervous:Hey, I am feeding him and all.) (But I do know what you mean, since he does hiss a lot. In his case it's either his hearing or I move too fast, plus smell like my dog, maybe.)

You're still doing the scent exchanges so both cats are slowly getting more comfortable with each other.
There's another Article, on here, which has small section that talks about why cats hiss.
Why Do Cats...? The Ultimate Guide To Feline Behavior
It's #24.

There's nothing wrong with room swapping..since it gives Karen a chance to explore more space, but it does sound like Penny is still feeling like this newcomer is invading her territory . I'd give it more time, until the cats seem bored.:tabbycat::gingercat:

Thanks so much for your update. I find it exciting and suspenseful.:popcorn:
 
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amynurse

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Thanks for the reply! I will wait a bit longer before the room swap.
The tote I use is a clear plastic, and it is so large that it fits in the doorway, width-wise. I keep the lid off, so they know they can't clear the whole thing in one jump. I also stay right there when it is dividing rooms.
I will keep you posted! Karen is most definitely pregnant, so I will be posting in the pregnancy forum soon
 

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Oh, wow. Thanks for that info.
Karen is so lucky to have found you, like a 'super pet-guardian'.

I'm not sure if the cat-to-cat introductions may change, slightly, since Karen is pregnant. Only because, now I'm wondering if Penny is scenting the pregnancy and hormones, off of Karen. Perhaps that is why she is hissing.
Though Karen sounds super mellow, and chilled, which is good.
I would just continue with the cat introductions, as you are now doing.

(and here was me just thinking that Penny reminded Karen of a mean manager..due to that look and all. Plus some of my human managers 'did seem to hiss' at us employees.:hmmm: ;))

Yes, you'll get a lot of info in the pregnancy forum. I think that the two advisors, there, are super experienced in all things with pregnant cats. Plus, I'm sure that other experienced members are there to help.
Just remember to take it day by day. :)
 

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On another note. I noticed that both your photos of Penny and Karen showed that they had one claw out. I found that adorable. Kind of reminds me of this British commercial for milk...Cravendale...containing a group of cats with opposable thumbs. :greenpaw::bluepaw:
 
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amynurse

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Update: the girls had a semi-meeting today, while I was in the process of cleaning litter boxes. Penny, who usually does not leave my bedroom, decided to come out and visit. Both girls sat about 5 feet apart....Karen was sitting and Penny was lying down with her tail curled around her. The only time Penny hissed was when Karen walked away to get treats.
I believe they have agreed to coexist...at least that's what I got from the interaction. I will continue to keep them separated when I am not home, until Karen's vet appointment on the 23rd.
So far, so good♥
 
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