- Joined
- Dec 7, 2021
- Messages
- 1
- Purraise
- 0
Hello,
I have 2 girls, my first cat named Rose is 5 1/2 years old. Last month I adopted a 6 year old named Ivy. Rose is loving and plays when "she feels like it", she mostly prefers to lounge and bird watch. I've had her since she was 2 years old. Ivy is very lovable and sleeps with me, surprising amount of play energy for her age as well.
I've followed the recommended introduction procedure and I'm currently at what I believe to be an impasse.
I have a gate bisecting upstairs from downstairs (I live in a 3 floor townhome). Ivy has the upstairs and Rose the main floor/basement. Both girls eat fairly normally when fed on opposite sides of the gate (closed), with no hissing or growling. In the evening when I am done work (work from home) I open the gate to let Ivy roam, usually right after feeding is done. The gate is then closed when its time for bed.
Rose will hiss and growl whenever Ivy gets too close or is clearly coming at her. When Ivy goes for her, she typically jumps up to where Rose is and swats her paw at Rose but not striking her directly. Usually after 3-4 seconds of this she will back off and either lay down nearby or roam to a distant corner. During this time, Rose only hisses and growls and does not attempt to strike back. She stands her ground and does not move when she has an elevated position (such as cat tree).
My current method for interrupting an incident is to stand up, call Ivy's name, and begin to walk quickly towards her if she does not attempt to leave on her own. Is there a better way of teaching her?
I am not sure what to do about this behavior. It is stressful as anytime Rose attempts to transition to a new spot or go anywhere, Ivy will chase and an encounter will occur. I will say so far I have not witnessed any true physical contact but I worry that this behavior is leading up to one.
Here is what I have tried so far:
Feliway Optimum/Multi cat (Still running these, about 1/4 left)
Vetoquinol Zylkene in food (Only day 4 so far but haven't seen any noticeable difference)
Pet Natural Calming Chews (Day 1 so far, just trying these out)
Bought 2 new cat trees to give Rose more vertical space
Bought numerous toys to attempt to win over Ivy's attention span instead of her directing towards Rose
I greatly appreciate any advice received, please help this cat dad bring harmony to these lovely ladies!
I have 2 girls, my first cat named Rose is 5 1/2 years old. Last month I adopted a 6 year old named Ivy. Rose is loving and plays when "she feels like it", she mostly prefers to lounge and bird watch. I've had her since she was 2 years old. Ivy is very lovable and sleeps with me, surprising amount of play energy for her age as well.
I've followed the recommended introduction procedure and I'm currently at what I believe to be an impasse.
I have a gate bisecting upstairs from downstairs (I live in a 3 floor townhome). Ivy has the upstairs and Rose the main floor/basement. Both girls eat fairly normally when fed on opposite sides of the gate (closed), with no hissing or growling. In the evening when I am done work (work from home) I open the gate to let Ivy roam, usually right after feeding is done. The gate is then closed when its time for bed.
Rose will hiss and growl whenever Ivy gets too close or is clearly coming at her. When Ivy goes for her, she typically jumps up to where Rose is and swats her paw at Rose but not striking her directly. Usually after 3-4 seconds of this she will back off and either lay down nearby or roam to a distant corner. During this time, Rose only hisses and growls and does not attempt to strike back. She stands her ground and does not move when she has an elevated position (such as cat tree).
My current method for interrupting an incident is to stand up, call Ivy's name, and begin to walk quickly towards her if she does not attempt to leave on her own. Is there a better way of teaching her?
I am not sure what to do about this behavior. It is stressful as anytime Rose attempts to transition to a new spot or go anywhere, Ivy will chase and an encounter will occur. I will say so far I have not witnessed any true physical contact but I worry that this behavior is leading up to one.
Here is what I have tried so far:
Feliway Optimum/Multi cat (Still running these, about 1/4 left)
Vetoquinol Zylkene in food (Only day 4 so far but haven't seen any noticeable difference)
Pet Natural Calming Chews (Day 1 so far, just trying these out)
Bought 2 new cat trees to give Rose more vertical space
Bought numerous toys to attempt to win over Ivy's attention span instead of her directing towards Rose
I greatly appreciate any advice received, please help this cat dad bring harmony to these lovely ladies!
Last edited by a moderator: