Hello! 3years ago I adopted a (3? yr old) black domestic shorthair named Slinky from a local humane society. She is sweet and cuddly and I love her very much. On April 29th of this year I adopted two 3? yr old females from the Last Hope Animal Rescue. I was initially interested in just one cat but it turned out that the cat I was interested in had a sibling to whom she was bonded. Now what kind of cold blooded monster would break up a bonded pair? So I brought both of these gray and white domestic shorthairs home.I
I have read a lot of info regarding the process of introducing new cats to a home with established cats and I have watched the videos on YouTube. When I brought Zelda and Maggie home, they were placed in the smallish 2nd bedroom on the upper level of my condo. They stayed there for 2 days. While I am positive that this room (with a very nice cat condo placed right in front of a window with a view) was much nicer than the PetSmart where they had been living for a YEAR, it still seemed like a prison to me. Consequently, I expanded their space to include a bit of the hallway, the master bathroom, and the master bedroom (also with a large window with a view).
I set up a blow-up bed in the living room on the main level so that Slinky and I could sleep there.I also have a garden level finished basement with two windows that face the backyard woods. There is a bed down there and Slinky’s litter box is located there as well. (This info will be pertinent later in this tale.)
The one step of the introduction process that I was unable to do was getting Slinky’s food dish closer and closer to the girls upstairs. Her food remains on the main level andI she refused to even agree to move it to the stairs.
Anyway, after a few more days, I cannot recall now how many, I let the very curious and eager cats come down to the main level. The basement remained out of bounds. The girls explored and Slinky watched with a wary eye from the kitchen counter, partially hidden from sight. She was on high alert and not at all amused, but she was not aggressive. After about 10 minutes I shooed the girls back upstairs. This scenario played out 4 or 5 more times, during which time I learned a bit more about the girls. Zelda is far more social than Maggie. She will come out from under my bed (which is their preferred location when not engaged in some other pursuit) and rub her head against my arms, legs, head, whatever she can get and she lets me pet her. Maggie, on the other hand, is very timid and shy and does not want to be handled. She spends much less time on the main floor and very cautiously descends the stairs, often running back upstairs and just looking through the banisters to see what is happening down there. !
Now is when things begin to get more tricky. Three days ago Z and M were down on the main level when suddenly #%&# crash!# Hiss%# screech and a blur of gray and black running ...some fur went flying! Maggie was up the stairs in a flash! I managed to get between Slinky and Zelda. Zelda went upstairs and Slinky remained on the main level. Play time was over.
The next morning Z came down and S sat on a dining room chair and glared but did not move. I gave Z 5 minutes and then shooed her back upstairs.
Now we come to yesterday: Slinky went down to the basement. As noted previously, that is where her litter box is. She also often goes down there to perch on the ledge in front of one of the windows where she has a great view of the birds that come to my bird feeders as well as some very fat squirrels, rabbits, and a plethora of other woodsy denizens of the woods out back of my condo.
Zelda came down to the main floor and went straight to the open basement door. I was nearby and warned her not to go there but she was fast and down she went. The inevitable occurred ….
Everyone is ok, but all are in their own corners.I explained as best I could toZelda that Slinky has been and will always remain the Queen of this castle, but she and Maggie will be loved (by me anyway) princesses.
Yesterday I took down the blow-up bed, as it took up much of the available floor space. Now and for the foreseeable future Slinky is banned from the upstairs which includes my bed on which she used to sleep. And the girls remain in their gilded cage for most of their days. As for me I rotate between sleeping on my couch with Slinky nearby, down in the basement with Slinky if she chooses, and up in my king size bed with Maggie at the foot of the bed and with Zelda rubbing her head and body all over me throughout the night. I am also trying to earn Maggie’s trust and make her less skittish. She is always looking over her shoulder….
Any advice will be appreciated!
I have read a lot of info regarding the process of introducing new cats to a home with established cats and I have watched the videos on YouTube. When I brought Zelda and Maggie home, they were placed in the smallish 2nd bedroom on the upper level of my condo. They stayed there for 2 days. While I am positive that this room (with a very nice cat condo placed right in front of a window with a view) was much nicer than the PetSmart where they had been living for a YEAR, it still seemed like a prison to me. Consequently, I expanded their space to include a bit of the hallway, the master bathroom, and the master bedroom (also with a large window with a view).
I set up a blow-up bed in the living room on the main level so that Slinky and I could sleep there.I also have a garden level finished basement with two windows that face the backyard woods. There is a bed down there and Slinky’s litter box is located there as well. (This info will be pertinent later in this tale.)
The one step of the introduction process that I was unable to do was getting Slinky’s food dish closer and closer to the girls upstairs. Her food remains on the main level andI she refused to even agree to move it to the stairs.
Anyway, after a few more days, I cannot recall now how many, I let the very curious and eager cats come down to the main level. The basement remained out of bounds. The girls explored and Slinky watched with a wary eye from the kitchen counter, partially hidden from sight. She was on high alert and not at all amused, but she was not aggressive. After about 10 minutes I shooed the girls back upstairs. This scenario played out 4 or 5 more times, during which time I learned a bit more about the girls. Zelda is far more social than Maggie. She will come out from under my bed (which is their preferred location when not engaged in some other pursuit) and rub her head against my arms, legs, head, whatever she can get and she lets me pet her. Maggie, on the other hand, is very timid and shy and does not want to be handled. She spends much less time on the main floor and very cautiously descends the stairs, often running back upstairs and just looking through the banisters to see what is happening down there. !
Now is when things begin to get more tricky. Three days ago Z and M were down on the main level when suddenly #%&# crash!# Hiss%# screech and a blur of gray and black running ...some fur went flying! Maggie was up the stairs in a flash! I managed to get between Slinky and Zelda. Zelda went upstairs and Slinky remained on the main level. Play time was over.
The next morning Z came down and S sat on a dining room chair and glared but did not move. I gave Z 5 minutes and then shooed her back upstairs.
Now we come to yesterday: Slinky went down to the basement. As noted previously, that is where her litter box is. She also often goes down there to perch on the ledge in front of one of the windows where she has a great view of the birds that come to my bird feeders as well as some very fat squirrels, rabbits, and a plethora of other woodsy denizens of the woods out back of my condo.
Zelda came down to the main floor and went straight to the open basement door. I was nearby and warned her not to go there but she was fast and down she went. The inevitable occurred ….
Everyone is ok, but all are in their own corners.I explained as best I could toZelda that Slinky has been and will always remain the Queen of this castle, but she and Maggie will be loved (by me anyway) princesses.
Yesterday I took down the blow-up bed, as it took up much of the available floor space. Now and for the foreseeable future Slinky is banned from the upstairs which includes my bed on which she used to sleep. And the girls remain in their gilded cage for most of their days. As for me I rotate between sleeping on my couch with Slinky nearby, down in the basement with Slinky if she chooses, and up in my king size bed with Maggie at the foot of the bed and with Zelda rubbing her head and body all over me throughout the night. I am also trying to earn Maggie’s trust and make her less skittish. She is always looking over her shoulder….
Any advice will be appreciated!