How to help cat be more comfortable?

Freddieandchip

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Me and my friend are moving into an apartment together next month. He has one cat (almost 2 year old female) and I have 2 cats ( both 10 year old males). All cats are spayed and neutered. My friends cat is very comfortable at my house, I found her in my back yard and she used to come over all the time before I got my cats. We decided to bring her to stay here until then so that’d they could meet before moving to hopefully make the move less stressful. We used the Jackson galaxy method over about 3 weeks. My cats are extremely friendly with her now but she doesn’t seem to be warming up to them past a certain point. She is not aggressive at all but she is still growling every time she sees them. I try to keep them busy when they are together and if she seems too stressed I take my cats out of the room and I also try to have her with only one of them at a time. They play together under the door a lot and she seems to be very interested in them until she actually sees them. Is there anything I can do to try to help her warm up more?
 

di and bob

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Really, it sounds like it is going very well! There are bound to be some spats, literally, and her growling is just a warning to them that she is not comfortable with them being too close. Time is her friend, Everything will work out in time, I had one clowder of cats that took a year to finally be comfortable. So you are doing good. Just remain calm and keep doing exactly what you are doing. Keep everyone somewhat distracted so they don't focus intently on her and make her nervous. Females are the manners teachers, the limit setters, so she is just instinctively doing what she is meant to do. it WILL work out, in time, one day at a time......
 
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Freddieandchip

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Me and my friend are moving into an apartment together next month. He has one cat (almost 2 year old female) and I have 2 cats ( both 10 year old males). All cats are spayed and neutered. My friends cat is very comfortable at my house, I found her in my back yard and she used to come over all the time before I got my cats. We decided to bring her to stay here until then so that’d they could meet before moving to hopefully make the move less stressful. We used the Jackson galaxy method over about 3 weeks. My cats are extremely friendly with her now but she doesn’t seem to be warming up to them past a certain point. She is not aggressive at all but she is still growling every time she sees them. I try to keep them busy when they are together and if she seems too stressed I take my cats out of the room and I also try to have her with only one of them at a time. They play together under the door a lot and she seems to be very interested in them until she actually sees them. Is there anything I can do to try to help her warm up more?


I just realized I said my cats are 10 year old males, they are 10 months old not 10 years old lol
 
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Freddieandchip

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Really, it sounds like it is going very well! There are bound to be some spats, literally, and her growling is just a warning to them that she is not comfortable with them being too close. Time is her friend, Everything will work out in time, I had one clowder of cats that took a year to finally be comfortable. So you are doing good. Just remain calm and keep doing exactly what you are doing. Keep everyone somewhat distracted so they don't focus intently on her and make her nervous. Females are the manners teachers, the limit setters, so she is just instinctively doing what she is meant to do. it WILL work out, in time, one day at a time......
Thank you! I get so nervous that she won’t be happy until she is comfortable with them but I try to give her a lot of alone time. :)
 

di and bob

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10 years to ten months makes a big difference to your girl. Now they are a pain in the you know what to her, they are kittens. she is bound to hiss/growl at them. She may swat a lot too. She feels obligated to.put them in their place and teach them manners. Thank goodness their are two of them to roughhouse together. She definitely will accept them once she gets over the intrusion into her life. And once they calm down some with age. She'll be a Queen in her domain! I have seen huge tom cats leave when my little female showed up!
 
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Freddieandchip

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10 years to ten months makes a big difference to your girl. Now they are a pain in the you know what to her, they are kittens. she is bound to hiss/growl at them. She may swat a lot too. She feels obligated to.put them in their place and teach them manners. Thank goodness their are two of them to roughhouse together. She definitely will accept them once she gets over the intrusion into her life. And once they calm down some with age. She'll be a Queen in her domain! I have seen huge tom cats leave when my little female showed up!
It’s surprising but they are actually really good with her! they’re used to being around my moms older cats so they really don’t bother other cats too much. If another cat shows that they don’t want to be bothered they leave them alone. They’re bonded so they play together a lot and when they do go near her they just kind of lay down and wait for her to come to them. I do think it will get better when we move though because my room is where she’s most comfortable so I think she is protective over it and doesn’t like when they’re in there.
 
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