Introducing another cat

[elliriyanna]

Due to circumstances beyond her control my sister was forced to give up her cat for a while, I took him in, and converted my office into his own space. He will be here 1-3 months, we really don't know. Please no negative comments, my sister loves her cat. 

I have one cat of my own Emma, and This thread will probably be mostly about her body language and interactions with the new guy, and understanding what she is trying to tell me and ultimately deciding , based on her behavior if we can potentially adopt a second cat of our own. We were considering adopting a second cat before this but Emma has always been a deciding factor. 

So far she does seem very interested in his noises on the other side of the door, but when Emma see's him she will hiss, maybe growl, but she never makes a move towards him and actually seems pretty eager to retreat and just smell what she can of wherever he has been. 

 

[betsygee]

How long have you had him?  Seems like you know what you're doing--here's an article that may give you some additional ideas:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-successfully-introduce-cats-the-ultimate-guide

So good of you to help out your sister and this kitty.  

 

[elliriyanna]

he only " moved in" today, I wasn't even planning to introduce him to her but she was pretty anxious hearing him on the other side of the door. I don't plan to try any real introductions until he settles. 

Its really not the introduction part that worries me ... I have read everything I can get my hands on as far as that. But Emma has always been my only cat, and she is indoor only so she doesn't come across much, which means I am not necessarily the best at reading her body language in situations like this. 

 

[elliriyanna]

This is tougher than I thought it would be. Last time I did this only one cat was mine ( though technically I guess thats the case now but still) and the " sanctuary space" was my bedroom. So whenever I was home I was in there watching Tv, hanging out ... whatever. Benson is in my office and I try to spend as much time as I can in there but I also have a dog who needs my attention, Emma chose my boyfriend so she really doesn't need me. 

Poor Benson cries whenever I am not with him and thats really difficult to hear. He just wants out but I know right now he needs to stay put and settle in. This balancing is hard. 

Both cats have their own " blankie" so I am going to switch those daily, let them get each others scents and hopefully ease Emma's " anxiety" about this whole situation.