Integrating two cats not going well

[mnstn]

Hello, 

I recently rescued a  2 year old spayed female tabby mix whom I named Jinx. She was a stray and after being evaluated by a vet and quarantined for a recommended period to rule out illness I brought her home. I already have an almost 3 year old spayed female bengal/tabby mix named Nyx that is very skiddish. As a kitten she hissed at her siblings and was generally not a fan of any other cat aside from her mother. Adding another cat into our world was a concern but I'm attempting to do it slowly but it seems we've run into issues and I don't know what to do.

I initially put the new cat into the bedroom and let her be for a couple of days to adjust. I didn't do any scent swapping. After around 3 days I started swapping socks I rubbed on each cat. I also always let the established cat sniff my hand after I had been petting the new cat. Initially she hissed and swiped me to the point where I have to nice scratches. Eventually i thought it was getting better and she started just batting at me with no claws. 

Today I decided to swap rooms with the cats to further mix smells. I was careful to avoid contact and let the new cat into the rest of the apartment while the established cat explored the bedroom. It seemed to go ok. The established cat didn't even seem to be bothered by areas where the new cat had urinated on the carpet (she doesn't like a messy litter box which I learned quickly). 

I let them be and came home tonight and intended to just made sure everyone was fine and continue working with them tomorrow with the goal of peeking through the door at each other. Well when I went to go check on new cat, she came running out and into the living room. Established cat hid behind the couch. I corralled new cat into my arms and held her while established cat stood down the hallway and stared at us. Eventually I put her back into the bedroom. When I went back out and tried to pet established cat but we were back to hissing, yowling and clawing at me for smelling like the new cat. I feel like I'm going backwards.

I can't even get established cat to go near the bedroom door when I crack it open so the two cats can attempt brief visual contact with one another. 

I don't know what to do and normally I assume I would be calmer about the situation but I have around 3 weeks before I move into my boyfriends house with his dog. The two cats will have to be civil enough to stay in the same room together while they adjust to the new home and we work on getting them acclimated to the dog. I fear this will be a lot of change for the established cat to handle. Any advice would be helpful! I already have a Feliway diffiuser for multi-cats. 

 

[Columbine]

I think you're just moving too fast for Nyx to handle. From what you say, she's never handled other cats well, and this means you really have to go s l o w l y with this introduction.

Go back to scent socks only. Forget about site swapping until Nyx is MUCH more relaxed about Jinx. It sounds like Jinx is going to be really chilled about the whole process, so really focus on making sure that Nyx is comfortable and secure at every step along the way.

Honestly, three weeks is pretty unrealistic for any cat to cat introduction, let alone with a socially fearful cat. Accept that there is NO timetable, and that it'll take as long as it takes.

I'd suggest that you have a baby gate behind the door of Jinx's room to help avoid any more escapes. When Nyx is ready to start meeting her, use stacked baby gates with a sight blocker (like a blanket) to be sure Jinx doesn't rush out to greet Nyx.

You may well find that it's easier to introduce the dog to the cats than it is to introduce the cats to each other. Do be aware that you'll be putting both cats under a load of stress by having so many life changes so close together. Nyx especially is likely to get overwhelmed by it all, so be very mindful of that and keep everything as calm is possible in the circumstances.

Nyx might well benefit from Composure to help her through all these transitions. Be prepared, too, to have a safe room for each cat after the move, so they can get comfortable in their new home without getting overwhelmed. A crate for the dog might really help too (I have dogs as well as cats, and it can really help dog to cat introductions to crate the dog for the first few meetings - it helps the cats feel confident in the early stages. Failing that, be sure to have the dog on a leash until you're certain that it's not going to go after the cats...or even just bounce at them too enthusiastically ). Make sure to open up plenty of vertical space in your new home (cat trees, cat shelves etc) to give the cats lots of places to go where the dog can't follow. Being able to get up high to observe can really help the cats gain confidence around the dog. [article="32680"][/article][article="29726"][/article][article="32804"][/article][article="30316"][/article][article="30274"][/article][article="32758"][/article][article="29682"][/article][article="29827"][/article]

 

[mnstn]

Thank you so much for the informative post and the links to the articles. I've gone back a step to the smell familiarization. Only time will tell if Nyx will adjust. I've added two more weeks onto the time she has before we move so the cats will have been together for 6 weeks before transitioning. I don't know how cordial they will be but we'll see. Unfortunately in the new home we don't have additional rooms to further separate both cats and the dog. Its a two bedroom home with an open floor plan. The cats will have the guest bedroom to themselves as a sanctuary the dog will never be allowed in even after they've acclimated. 

I just have one more question if someone could answer it. In my current apartment Jinx is confined to the bedroom. The apartment is a one bedroom so I am currently sleeping on the couch with Nyx. This is leading to me getting less sleep and some shoulder pain. I'm trying to make sure Nyx knows she's loved and that I'm not going anywhere but I don't know how long I can avoid sleeping in the bed. Is there a way I can still sleep in the bedroom but allow Nyx to know that "her human" isn't abandoning her for this new cat? 

 

[boney girl dad]

Good to see you're getting good info. I am interested in your future progress. I could've used that info a few years back. My 2 cats took about a year to develop tolerance for each other. I was a full time referee. The biggest improvement happened when the new kitty began to stand up for herself. The new kitty was open to friendship and the older cat had been an only child for 7 years. They never did become friends. I understand how upsetting it is to witness trouble between your babies. Keep at it.

 

[Columbine]

Have you thought of alternating between the two rooms? That way you'll get the comfort of bed half the time, and Nyx will still feel reassured that you're not 'replacing' her.

 

[mnstn]

I posted a couple weeks ago about attempting to integrate two cats, my established cat Nyx and my new cat former stray Jinx. We are up to the point of supervised short 20 to 30 minute interactions between the two before Nyx gets too confrontational. I separate the two cats when it comes down to the two smacking at each other or when it seems like Jinx has had enough.

Whats confusing is Nyx's behavior. She is the "difficult" one. She is the one starting fights beyond hissing/growling. When I separate the two, Nyx will sit outside the door to Jinx's room and meow loudly and attempt to claw her way in. If she hates her so much, why so much work trying to get in? When I put up a doggie gate and sit in the room with Jinx, Nyx will hop the gate and walk around the room. She also will instigate fights. Jinx will walk behind a curtain and look out the window when she is done with Nyx but Nyx will sit on other side of the curtain and growl at her, eventually smacking at Jinx who was ignoring her.

Nyx finally also seems to have an issue that Jinx does not cover her urine and I think she finds this to be threatening. I've seen on more than one occasion Nyx will get into Jinx's litter box and cover up the uncovered urine spots. I don't know how to change this. I've thought about switching to a softer litter but research is difficult since everyone has so many opinions.

Any advice would be helpful. In two weeks we move into a house and both cats will be confined to the same room while they learn to adjust to the new dog.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

(Mod Note: I've combined these threads so we can have all of the pertinent information in one place. 

)

Gosh; you are in a difficult position and honestly I'm concerned how you can make this work.  It sounds like even without the imminent move; Nyx is the sort of cat who will need MONTHS to accept a newcomer.  She  may never become buddies with another animal companion; but peaceful coexistence would be the goal to hope for.  It is completely normal for cats to take 3 months to integrate.  Taking longer is not unheard of (like Boney Girl Dad mentioned above).  With sensitive cats like Nyx; it's just not something you can rush or put on a timeline.  

I'm very concerned what will happen when you try to put them in one room and add a dog in the mix.  There are just so many huge changes for a cat of Nyx's temperament.  I'm really not sure I can offer any advice beyond what Columbine and Boney Girl Dad have already said; except the reiterate the need for patience and letting the cats be the guide.  Is there any way you can separate the cats from the dog and each other at your new place?  Another bedroom, spare bathroom, basement even?  It's not ideal; but hopefully it will be a temporary situation.  (Even if temporary=a years time.)  Look at it from the standpoint of what is in both cats best interest?  I realize that is difficult; there is no easy answer.   

  If you can separate them at your new place; I would suggest keeping them apart until you have moved and then resuming introductions.  Tackling them one at a time with the dog coming first.  

I have heard of cats who will cover what another leaves behind in the litter box.  I don't believe it's threatening to them; just annoying most likely.  Some cats cover; some never do.  When you do integrate them; it may be best to maintain at least 3 boxes in your home so that there is always a clean one available for Nyx.

 

[mnstn]

So it sounds like I may have to give up Jinx? Unfortunately the house I am moving into is an open floor plan. It is a two bedroom and the second bedroom has been reserved for the cats. The only other closed room is the first bedroom which isn't an option as my boyfriend will refuse to lock the dog out. We do not have a basement or additional room. The second bedroom has an extremely tiny bathroom I could hardly fit a litter box in and the first bathroom is off of the first bedroom.

 

[red top rescue]

If you could find a good new home for Jinx, that would be ideal.  It appears that Nyx is one of those cats who MUST be the only cat in the house, and she was that way as a youngster.  Further, your new floor plan living with the boyfriend and his dog certainly doesn't lend itself to slow introductions, even if you were to be successful eventually.  Rehoming Jinx doesn't have to be a failure, because you DID rescue her, so it's a successful rescue.  Most successful rescues end up with the animal being adopted into a good home.  If I kept every cat I rescued, I would be rightfully thrown in jail for being a cat hoarder! 

You have not added your location to your profile, so I don't know where you are.  Some places have groups that will help you with rehoming animals by putting them on their own web sites but with you as contact person.  I have done this for people before and have found many homes for adult cats and even a couple of dogs (I don't rescue dogs).