I haven’t switched them yet but she is spending a lot more time close to the gate tonight.I think I worry about upsetting him but it’s worth a shot. For some reason I think he will feel like I am punishing him but I am sure it’s not that deephe has been in her room many times but not shut in, when I was letting him in her room I would put her in the bathroom. I will try it tonight for just a little bit and see what happens.
Nelly has consistently been at the gate. I opened it enough for her to stick her head through and she did, Marley didn’t even move. Had I let her go all the way she would have. She is dying to get out! She does not seem afraid of him at all anymore and he seems less and less phased by her.
I just opened the gate and let her out. Marley ran up to her playfully and she ran down the stairs, he followed then she ran right back up the stairs to her room. He stayed downstairs with me. And only came back upstairs because I did to check on her. Not a hiss or a growl or poofy tail. I am feeding her and playing with him now in the stairwell with her door open so she can come out if she wants. He hasn’t tried to enter her room he seems content playing with me. Seems very promising! I hope it stays like this. I will do short intervals and then shut her gate so she isn’t totally overwhelmed I think. Thoughts?
Yes! She has been all over the house and stayed for about a hour at a time before she goes back to her room but not with 25 lb Marley around! I just put the gate back up with the screen open to give her a little break. Next time I see her at the gate on the camera, I will open again and see if she wants to come out. Yes, so far so good but she’s still a little afraid of him but I would be too! I am just grateful no hissing, growling or worse.
Well she was trying to get out again. She and Marley were playing paws at the gate so I let her out, this time Marley ran towards her still in a playful way but he went all the way into her room, she went under the bed, he followed and she hissed, then he hissed and they wouldn’t come from under the bed. He didn’t attack her thank God. I had to say want a treat for him to leave which might have been bad but it was the only way I could get him to move. We are back to a break, this time for longer!
Well we have had more interactions and lots of hissing. They get to a point where they are staring at each other and hissing but they are afraid to move. I put a box in between them to give Nelly time to run. She runs back to her room. So I bought another baby gate and am trying to get her to come to the room where Marley is. She does and will play there with him right there too. I know the hissing is normal but me being alone I don’t want it to escalate to where I can’t stop a fight. Like you said, she will hopefully figure out he isn’t trying to kill her he just wants to play. Right now she is parked on the stairwell! Marley likes the box lol.
There is only hissing when they are free together. No hissing at gates. I have been room swapping, they are totally fine face to face with a barrier no matter which room they are in. It’s when I take the barrier away she hisses then he hisses.
Update! Nelly is free to roam 100% of the time (unless I am not here) as she pleases and can get back in her room if she needs to. I have the gate high enough she can crawl under but he’s too fat to fit. They are playing, going nose to nose without any issues. Except he still chases her for the most part, in a playful way but she runs right to her room.
Things are still going well! They are both sleeping in the bed. Yes, that is Marley laying on top of me all 25 lbs! Haha! They have found a common enemy, the squirrel!
