Introducing Bigger Male Cat

JulesB86

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Hi all!

I have a 1 year 10 month old persian cat and she has been the only cat in the house since we got her. I am about to foster/possibly adopt a rescue kitty who was really mistreated and sick but has since been healed and looked after by his rescuer. He is roughly 6 to 7 months old and looks slightly bigger than our cat in the pics (though we are gonna go see him tomorrow).

We have fostered some cats before in (2 females and 1 male) at separate times which our cat kinda freaked out even after slowly introducing (keeping separately etc) - she was starting to tolerate the male just before we finished fostering. The next cat we wanted to foster/adopt was a much smaller kitten so our cat can be less intimidated but this bigger cat really needs a home and I followed his story since he was rescued, my heart goes out to him.

I am wondering if a larger male, even though he is younger, will completely intimidate my cat? Right now she is obviously the boss of the house and very bossy etc which just adds to her character, we love her so much and I am worried she will just submit to the new cat.. Maybe this sounds silly, I'm not sure!

Need to add they are both spayed/neutered also!

Anyways any advice would be most welcome. Thanks :)
 
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Furballsmom

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Hi!
Bless your heart for wanting to help this boy out!

...no, not silly at all :heartshape:


As susanm9006 mentioned, how they get along is also based on the temperament of each cat involved.

Can you try some MusicForCats . com for them? Or there's an app called Relax My Cat, and low volume classical harp music is also known to help cats to be more calm.

Your resident cat might benefit from this, from @Mamanyt1953 ;
try chamomile tea. It is gently calming without sedating. Buy a box of the tea bags in the coffee/tea aisle of your grocery store. Read the label. You do not want a blend, but just plain chamomile. Using commercial tea bags assures that you are using German chamomile, NOT English, which is toxic to cats. Brew a cup, chill it in the fridge, and administer 1-3 teaspoonfuls up to 3 times a day, via syringe or medicine dropper. If your cat weighs more than 11 pounds, you can go up to 3 Tablespoonfuls, 3 times a day.
 

danteshuman

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I think a slow introduction and site swapping should work (use a crate if needed to switch who is in the isolation room.) The only hiccup I could possibly see is if he is cat aggressive but I really doubt it since he was fostered. The best way to match cats with a companion is to get one with the same energy level. A hyper terror needs a hyper buddy. A calm couch potato needs a calm couch potato bud.

The Who will be top cat is more about personality. I would just make sure she knows she will always be your top cat.
:goodluck:
 
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JulesB86

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Thanks everyone..

One thing I just learned about him which broke my heart is that whoever the previous owner was had him DECLAWED!! :( :(
I don't understand how someone can do that to a cat. But the rescuer told me that he is scared of other cats and will bow down to them because he cannot fight.. very sad.

My cat has bundles and bundles of energy and I think this new guy might be a bit sleepy but we will see how it all pans out!
 

Furballsmom

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Hmmm, well I don't know about making assumptions, my boy was declawed by his former owner, and we have ferals pass through our backyard.

We supervise him out in the backyard and even so didn't see the young feline stranger that day. You bet my boy whupped that cat's behinder, right soundly, even though he was afraid of one of the other cats at his first house.
 
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JulesB86

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Hmmm, well I don't know about making assumptions, my boy was declawed by his former owner, and we have ferals pass through our backyard.

We supervise him out in the backyard and even so didn't see the young feline stranger that day. You bet my boy whupped that cat's behinder, right soundly, even though he was afraid of one of the other cats at his first house.
Oh that's good to hear! Well hopefully he will be ok with us. I heard declawed cats can have some pain/sensitivity which can cause issues with the litter box etc. Have you experienced this? The rescuer said he uses his litter box perfectly but just wanna be prepared!
 

Furballsmom

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He has no issues at all except when he tries to yawn, stretch and walk all at the same time LOL

I remember another sweet little Bombay kitty who had it done after her owner passed and his widow, --well, you know..., anyway fortunately that darling little cutie had no issues either, thank goodness.
 

mservant

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Like others have said, so much depends on the cats' personalities and careful introductions are worth their weight in gold.
That said, my experience is that regardless of size if you put 2 neuter cats together which are male and female the female will usually end up being the boss.
 
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