Cat Intro - 2 Females - Dominance Issue?

cipherzero

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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!
 
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lisamanx

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I have an eight year old manx - Shadow, that I adopted in June 2020 as an only pet. In April 2021 I rescued and rehabbed a five or six month old tuxedo kitten who had been run over and had two broken rear legs. I tried to keep the two apart but the kitten, Spring, was much more active than I was expecting and managed to escape from all of the areas I set up for her recovery. Shadow, who until then was the sweetest cat I ever had, at times has become "Karen" and despite Spring's condition, (she wore splints for two months while recovering) she hissed and struck out at her several times. Spring is now 99% and able to move and jump but Shadow is still not a fan. It sounds like you are already doing all the right things I've read about and tried. I have read too that it's not good to intercede unless it becomes really extreme because that just stresses the cats out more. I know it's easier said than done because now that I recognize the signs of Shadow feeling like a Karen, I've found myself trying to ward off any possible attacks, which may be making things worse. Spring is very nimble so she is able to escape from Shadow and I think at times, enjoys running away from her because she can jump so high now. Also, other than hissing back, Spring seems to recognize that Shadow is the alpha so that has helped matters. At this point, as long as there are no litter box issues and actual wounds, it seems like you should just keep on with what you are doing and see if they can work it out out. Also, two days ago Shadow voluntarily slept next to Spring for about an hour, something I did not even think would ever happen:). I took a picture of them to memorialize the occassion:)
 

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Mamanyt1953

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First, I have to be the bearer of both good and bad news...and it is the same news. A month is NOTHING in cat introductions. Nothing at all. Many, many successful introductions take up to a year before the cats are fully integrated. Just slow down. Time and patience are on your side. You cannot push this, or go faster than the most reluctant cat. Let that cat guide you in when to move on to another step in the process.

Also, females are more territorial than males, and your resident cat will be more territorial towards a new female than she would be a male. Spaying does not remove the instinct to acquire and protect a safe haven for future kittens. So...long haul, here.

So far, there have been a few discussions, but no fights...and make no mistake, a cat fight is when there is blood or pee (or both) on the floor, and fur in the air. Anything short of that, no matter how scary it sounds, is a heated discussion.

These articles may give you some tips that you hadn't thought of yet:

 
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