- Joined
- Dec 1, 2022
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- Purraise
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I've had my 6 year old for about 5 years now. Just in early November, I took in a street cat who is very friendly (with me). I've done the introduction so that now I can let the new cat upstairs with the residential cat with no fighting. However, the new cat will hiss and swat at the residential cat when they get close, and she'll moan/growl when they lock eyes - but that is it. The new cat will look away turning her attention elsewhere after that, so she's not interested in doing anything with the residential cat other than this. The new cat is slightly larger and will ram the residential cat right out of her food bowl and eat it. The residential cat submits as she is smaller. I have to feed them separately or keep them apart at meal time. The residential cat was malnourished before I got her, and so she won't get big (at least that's what the previous owner told me). She is 8LB - is that small for 6y/o (she's a tuxedo short hair)?
So, my question is whether or not they can eventually get along or be able to get close without the new cat hissing/swatting. I really don't want my residential cat to have to not be the boss anymore. I can tell she's not happy about it. And I know its an individual situation, but is this possible, or is the new cat always going to be mean like this?
So one option: my brother wants to take the new cat if I don't want her. Maybe I'll give her to him and just get a smaller second cat (I really want a second cat now after this). Of course, I'd have to then deal with the unexpected things of that cat, but at least my residential will still be the boss.
So any advice or thoughts on this would help. I'm a pretty good single cat owner, but I'm not that good at owning multiple cats as this is very new to me.
So, my question is whether or not they can eventually get along or be able to get close without the new cat hissing/swatting. I really don't want my residential cat to have to not be the boss anymore. I can tell she's not happy about it. And I know its an individual situation, but is this possible, or is the new cat always going to be mean like this?
So one option: my brother wants to take the new cat if I don't want her. Maybe I'll give her to him and just get a smaller second cat (I really want a second cat now after this). Of course, I'd have to then deal with the unexpected things of that cat, but at least my residential will still be the boss.
So any advice or thoughts on this would help. I'm a pretty good single cat owner, but I'm not that good at owning multiple cats as this is very new to me.