Hello! I've just adopted an 8 month old male cat to hang out with my seven year old female cat. I have been slowly introducing them and recently let them mingle for a minute. The new cat seems fine, but the resident cat hisses when the new cat is near (they are fine just seeing each other.) this makes the new cat's tail puff up. I feel like this is pretty reasonable but I'm not sure... As long as no fights break out am I ok continuing supervised visits or should I take it a step back?
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
How much hissing is normal?
- Thread starter mylakitty
- Start Date
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
Thanks! I did take it a step back for a few feedings, but then Myla (Resident Cat) started completey ignoring Oliver so I thought we had reached the "challenge line." I started doing supervised visits where they started getting along... Myla could sit within a few feet of Oliver. Today Myla allowed Oliver to try the nose-touch, but Myla started hissing right after she had done it. (Mixed signals, eh?)
I was so thrilled with how they were getting along. Then, Oliver tries to use the litter box in the living room, Myla watches him, Oliver gets nervous and PEES IN THE CORNER, and then he proceeds to chase Myla around the house.
Now they are sitting a few feet away from each other.
I really can't have Oliver peeing around the house. My roommate will make me get rid of him. A couple of nights ago I left him in the living room for the night while Myla was in my room, and he pooped on the floor. The next morning he peed in the corner. I'm so frustrated and afraid I won't ever be able to leave him unsupervised!
I was so thrilled with how they were getting along. Then, Oliver tries to use the litter box in the living room, Myla watches him, Oliver gets nervous and PEES IN THE CORNER, and then he proceeds to chase Myla around the house.
Now they are sitting a few feet away from each other.
I really can't have Oliver peeing around the house. My roommate will make me get rid of him. A couple of nights ago I left him in the living room for the night while Myla was in my room, and he pooped on the floor. The next morning he peed in the corner. I'm so frustrated and afraid I won't ever be able to leave him unsupervised!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
And now Myla is sitting on the back of the couch while Oliver is in my lap. How mecurial cats are. I am hoping the urinating outside the litterbox is just due to stress. I just got Oliver a week ago (which is why I was so surprised that the cats are okay with each other already), he was neutered just over a week ago, and the vet says he is having a herpes outbreak (I am feeding him L-Lysine, which he HATES!)
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
Another week has gone by and things have gone very well. Myla and Oliver are still not best buddies, but they can definitely tolerate being within a few feet of eachother. Myla sleeps on the head of my bed and Oliver sits at the foot. And often in the evenings Oliver will sit on my lap and Myla will sit on the edge of the couch by my head. She still hisses when he tries to sniff her butt, but it's more of a half-hearted hiss. I have been feeding Myla chill pills (GNC calming treats) which seems to help her nervousness around Ollie. Since I stopped seperating Myla and Oliver, he has stopped peeing outside the litterbox.
And even while I type this, they just touched noses without any sign of hissing or agression!
The only problem is that Oliver thinks the best game is to pounce on Myla, and Myla hates it. I don't think she realizes that he is trying to play, and he doesn't realize she doesn't want to play with him. When he pounces on her she hisses and growls, and he often chases her to one of her many hiding spots. I've found some of her fur around the house, but I have never seen any scratches on her so I don't think it's that serious. Usually in the mornings I have to keep an extra close eye on Oliver as he likes to stalk Myla while she's in the litterbox. I don't want to open that can of worms! I try to tire Ollie out through play, but at 8 months old he's just a bundle of energy.
Alas, at only 2 weeks Oliver and Myla are still much friendlier to each other than my childhood cats, who lived together for 12 years were. They couldn't even stand being in the same room together. I am so proud of Oliver and Myla's improvements and still hope they can be cuddlebuddies and playmates as time goes on.
And even while I type this, they just touched noses without any sign of hissing or agression!
The only problem is that Oliver thinks the best game is to pounce on Myla, and Myla hates it. I don't think she realizes that he is trying to play, and he doesn't realize she doesn't want to play with him. When he pounces on her she hisses and growls, and he often chases her to one of her many hiding spots. I've found some of her fur around the house, but I have never seen any scratches on her so I don't think it's that serious. Usually in the mornings I have to keep an extra close eye on Oliver as he likes to stalk Myla while she's in the litterbox. I don't want to open that can of worms! I try to tire Ollie out through play, but at 8 months old he's just a bundle of energy.
Alas, at only 2 weeks Oliver and Myla are still much friendlier to each other than my childhood cats, who lived together for 12 years were. They couldn't even stand being in the same room together. I am so proud of Oliver and Myla's improvements and still hope they can be cuddlebuddies and playmates as time goes on.
