Hi everyone!
So we are our 3rd month into our introduction and feeling a little stuck on how to move forward.
I have Maggie (under a year old) and Clancey (just under 2). We have had a bumpy introduction process I think.
Currently the kitties can be in the same room together (sort of) and eat together. We haven't managed to integrate fully with full access as I feel like we keep backtracking or are stuck at a phase that has been challenging to navigate out of. We currently can't afford to get a behaviourist in so I'd love to get some perspective or ideas on how to move forward.
Clancey seems to be afraid of Maggie, if she is in the room, he will generally become 'wallflowerish' he will hide under the couch or under the dining table. He will skulk around and any signs of movement from Maggie will cause him to constrict or run to his safe spaces, he always seems to be on alert when she is out whereas she is confident as ever, strolling around like she owns the show. As soon as we put her in her room Clancey will come out of hiding, and check she is nowhere to be seen then return to himself.
Maggie will chase Clancey at least twice a day, any time he gets up to move from one spot to another she will lock onto him. So he can't freely move from locations throughout the house unless I put her in her room. I try to burn her energy at least twice a day with strenuous play, and I try to encourage Clancey to play but he is often too nervous, or if she's not in the room he's not usually interested. I've also noticed Maggie will mark her scent everywhere, shes constantly wiping her face on every corner of the house and I don't often see Clancey do this, which he did before we got Maggie. I've also tried to get him his own things like a scratch post, and a bed but she will always overtake them.
I feel stuck because I've never seen Clancey hide this often and he is just generally so much less confident. I don't know if there is mutual play happening because I haven't seen Clancey ever reciprocate the chasing, and in fact any time Maggie is near him (waiting for food) or if im trying to encourage mutual play he will whack her, it doesn't look playful at all it looks more frustrated and 'Get away from me' ish. If he is sleeping and she comes near him, he will get up and try to go somewhere else to sleep.
My question is, how can I move towards having full time access because it is waring me down constantly having to shuffle them around and I feel so unsure of what to do before/after or when she chases him, currently I either put her in her room or say 'No' and try to distract her but sometimes I cant, and other times I will put a pillow in the way and try to move her somewhere else but I am exhausted from watching them constantly together and not feeling confident in how to help these situations.
And do I just allow him to whack her all the time when she gets near him?
Would love some feedback because again I'm feeling really disheartened :-(
So we are our 3rd month into our introduction and feeling a little stuck on how to move forward.
I have Maggie (under a year old) and Clancey (just under 2). We have had a bumpy introduction process I think.
Currently the kitties can be in the same room together (sort of) and eat together. We haven't managed to integrate fully with full access as I feel like we keep backtracking or are stuck at a phase that has been challenging to navigate out of. We currently can't afford to get a behaviourist in so I'd love to get some perspective or ideas on how to move forward.
Clancey seems to be afraid of Maggie, if she is in the room, he will generally become 'wallflowerish' he will hide under the couch or under the dining table. He will skulk around and any signs of movement from Maggie will cause him to constrict or run to his safe spaces, he always seems to be on alert when she is out whereas she is confident as ever, strolling around like she owns the show. As soon as we put her in her room Clancey will come out of hiding, and check she is nowhere to be seen then return to himself.
Maggie will chase Clancey at least twice a day, any time he gets up to move from one spot to another she will lock onto him. So he can't freely move from locations throughout the house unless I put her in her room. I try to burn her energy at least twice a day with strenuous play, and I try to encourage Clancey to play but he is often too nervous, or if she's not in the room he's not usually interested. I've also noticed Maggie will mark her scent everywhere, shes constantly wiping her face on every corner of the house and I don't often see Clancey do this, which he did before we got Maggie. I've also tried to get him his own things like a scratch post, and a bed but she will always overtake them.
I feel stuck because I've never seen Clancey hide this often and he is just generally so much less confident. I don't know if there is mutual play happening because I haven't seen Clancey ever reciprocate the chasing, and in fact any time Maggie is near him (waiting for food) or if im trying to encourage mutual play he will whack her, it doesn't look playful at all it looks more frustrated and 'Get away from me' ish. If he is sleeping and she comes near him, he will get up and try to go somewhere else to sleep.
My question is, how can I move towards having full time access because it is waring me down constantly having to shuffle them around and I feel so unsure of what to do before/after or when she chases him, currently I either put her in her room or say 'No' and try to distract her but sometimes I cant, and other times I will put a pillow in the way and try to move her somewhere else but I am exhausted from watching them constantly together and not feeling confident in how to help these situations.
And do I just allow him to whack her all the time when she gets near him?
Would love some feedback because again I'm feeling really disheartened :-(
