Introducing Cats - Logistics Questions.

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Your photo interpretations are spot on! Thanks for the laugh!
Anytime. :)

I'm sure you have better photo observations...and much more ...in tune with your cats.
You'll have your realistic ones,....and your humourous ones....go with both...to help with the cat intros.

I hope this week goes well, and the growling and hissing lessens.
(If the 'human' starts to 'groan, mumble or growl softly'...then know this is part of the process, too. :hmmm: :biggrin:)
Good luck.

Will await new updates. :blush:
 
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Twylasmom

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I had the doors open for 2 and a half hours today. There was some hissing and chasing at first, but then they both got so fascinated with me putting their new scratching post together that they were fairly comfortable with each other. Then a maintenance person came to the house which scared Hooper and he went and hid, so there was about an hour where they were both sleeping in their rooms with doors open (a first). After eating separately Hooper came downstairs. For once Twyla was able to sneak up on him. She gave his butt a big sniff and then he turned around and they had a prolonged nose touch - a big FIRST! Of course she hissed in his face right after but they then spent a quiet half hour with him cautiously roaming and her just sitting and watching. Twyla is much calmer if the bedroom door is closed when Hooper is out, it cuts her aggression down significantly, so we did that until she asked to go take her after dinner nap.

Hooper is also settling down a little bit, which is helping everyone! He will even take naps on my lap.
 

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Sounds like yesterday was a big day for 'firsts'. Sleeping with doors open and a nose touch. Excellent! :blush:

Wondering now, if your cats prefer the actual scratching post?
Or, like typical cats,.... the actual boxes that 'new stuff' comes in?

They may want you to assemble stuff weekly, but since you said that Hooper will take naps on your lap...you won't have to do any strenuous work...with a cat on your lap.:catrub:
(that is somewhere in the cat rule-book. Each cat makes one up as they go.)
Usually this nap-time happens when you have to get up and actually do something, ...so must somehow slide-out from under the cat, without disturbing their nap.):rolleyes2:

Twyla is much calmer if the bedroom door is closed when Hooper is out, it cuts her aggression down significantly, so we did that until she asked to go take her after dinner nap.
I'm just a little confused by the above?
Does this mean that Twyla is relaxed when she knows 'her safe-room' door is closed, upstairs?....while she is in the 'shared territory' downstairs?
And what does Twylya do, to indicate she wants her after dinner nap?

So interesting. Since I read that cats do not like to have any 'territory' taken away.
But they do reach acceptance of sharing their territory,... so still, how she responds is interesting.
 
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Twylasmom

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Twyla's room is downstairs, Hooper's is upstairs. Hooper runs in her room and hides under the bed, which leads to most of their altercations. She is fine with having the door closed if it keeps him out. When she has had enough of him she goes to the door and waits until I let her in.

I am trying to get them a little more comfortable together before allowing Hooper more access to that space.
 

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Thank you. It clears that up.
It sounds like Twyla has her own routines, and likes them.
 
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Twylasmom

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Today was funny. Twyla always goes and sleeps in my closet in the morning so I shut the bedroom door and let Hooper out to roam. About two hours later he was sleeping next to me on the couch when I heard a loud meow behind me. Apparently Twyla had not been in the bedroom! I had a moment wondering if she had learned to open doors. They spent a good hour and a half together with minimal fuss, more nose touches and some interaction that looked suspiciously like playing. After that Hooper started being a persistent pest and Twyla got more aggressive with him and then went to her room.

I was gone all afternoon and their interactions this evening weren't as good (my guess is both wanted to be the center of my attention) so we called it quits pretty early since Twyla was not in the mood for his nonsense. They consistently touch noses in greeting now.
 

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Today was funny. Twyla always goes and sleeps in my closet in the morning so I shut the bedroom door and let Hooper out to roam. About two hours later he was sleeping next to me on the couch when I heard a loud meow behind me. Apparently Twyla had not been in the bedroom! I had a moment wondering if she had learned to open doors.
That is hilarious. :lol:

Though, from your first video, I did notice that Twyla took the more difficult way down from the sofa. Instead of just jumping down to the cushions, and then onto the floor,....she decided to take the longer route down...from the side-table.
Probably to impress young Hooper, of course.

So...I would not be surprised if your Twyla does decide to 'learn how to open doors'....if she does not know already.
That would make these cat-intros...slightly more challenging. :wink:

They consistently touch noses in greeting now.
Very sweet. :cloud9:
 
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Twylasmom

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Yesterday was really good. I cracked the bedroom door and let Hooper have the opportunity to go in there while Twyla was hanging out in her bed on the bed. I watched while he jumped on the bed, walked around her and even jumped over her! She just sat and watched. A little later they followed me into the kitchen, got treats and greeted each other. Then in the living room they played with a wand toy and interacted fairly well for awhile until Hooper got wound up and wanted to play with her. This involves him getting on the table above her and patting her head with his paw, resulting in a slap fight. You can tell he is just playing, his ears are forward and he does not hiss or growl. Twyla hisses and swats and her ears are flattened so it does not seem like play to her. He usually backs off and the tries again. I usually separate them if it looks like they are just going to continuously get into it as I don't want it to escalate to a full on fight.

This morning felt like a bit of a setback. Twyla appeared to be actively looking for Hooper so I let him out. I think they both had a lot of pent up energy and she was growling and charging at him multiple times.I took him back upstairs to his room and played with him for awhile and she was outside the door waiting when I went to leave. I picked him up and put him in the guest room so she could explore his space (more growling) in peace. Right now she is in her room and he is getting his time in the rest of the house and we will try again in a bit. Twyla has been more active in general the past few days and I have found her on the stairs multiple times (she often avoids them because of her arthritis) so it has made things more interesting!

She is obviously interested in him and can even tolerate him in her space, greet him peaceably and watch him act crazy but we are still struggling with establishing boundaries.
 
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Twylasmom

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After yesterday's tense encounters I kept it to two shorter interactions today, total of only about an hour but they were really good!

For the first one, Twyla was waiting at Hooper's door when I let him out. They did a very thorough nose touch and there was a brief moment of whappy paws and then he went downstairs and she checked out his room without hissing or growling. After that they hung out in the dining room and he mostly respected her boundaries. She ended it because she needed a nap.

About two hours later I decided to leave the bedroom door open while I was in there folding laundry. Twyla was chilling in her cat bed on the bed. Hooper came in and explored, including jumping on the bed multiple times and passing right by her. They did two very long and peaceful nose touches. At one point Hooper patted her tail without incident. Twyla stayed laying down in her bed the entire time and did not hiss once! It was the most relaxed encounter they have had.

He has calmed down so much this week and even slept on my lap for well over an hour today.
 

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They did a very thorough nose touch and there was a brief moment of whappy paws and then he went downstairs and she checked out his room without hissing or growling
"whappy paws"...that's a good name for it.:blush:
At one point Hooper patted her tail without incident. Twyla stayed laying down in her bed the entire time and did not hiss once! It was the most relaxed encounter they have had.
:woo: :clapcat: :clap2:
Oh my gosh, this is awesome!!
:yeah: :biggrin: :blush:
 
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Twylasmom

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We are having trouble having sustained interactions. Twyla and Hooper do a pretty good job for about a half hour, touching noses multiple times and separating, spending some time doing their own thing, etc. He will run up to Twyla and then back off multiple times, or get a gentle swat and move away. But eventually he gets more wound up, keeps pushing his boundaries and she gets more irritated and will chase him or swat at him, complete with hissing. I do try and distract them with toys, etc. At that point I usually separate them and they both will burn off their energy by playing in their separate spaces (I try and alternate who gets confined to their room). Trying to do this at least twice a day, more on days I am home more.

They have definitely made progress on being close to one another and being relatively relaxed (ex: Twyla was eating and Hooper came up and sniffed her tail a couple of times. She just gave him a dirty look and he walked away when I distracted him) it just doesn't last very long. They also did what I call a couple of cat "high fives" which is what I call peaceful, claws retracted paw slaps.

Hooper just gets so wound up and continually approaches her, and occasionally will pounce from behind. I try and exercise him vigorously beforehand (3 hours today!) and let him calm down some before putting them together, but he ramps up again pretty quickly. I just don't want things to continue to escalate. Am I on the right track with that approach? Honestly, I sometimes need a time out from him, too. He is about 8 months old and can be a real handful.
 

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Hooper just gets so wound up and continually approaches her, and occasionally will pounce from behind. I try and exercise him vigorously beforehand (3 hours today!) and let him calm down some before putting them together, but he ramps up again pretty quickly. I just don't want things to continue to escalate. Am I on the right track with that approach? Honestly, I sometimes need a time out from him, too. He is about 8 months old and can be a real handful.
I also think you are on the right track, with tiring Hooper out beforehand.

But now I am wondering how you can actually get Hooper to respect Twyla?
He should not be pouncing on her from behind,...yet this is exactly what hyped-up kittens do.
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Yesterday, I was going to ask you about that 'coveted interactive toy'? But I forgot to post it.
So if it is okay....I will ask now:
(notice Twyla sitting on the coveted interactive toy).
How loud is that 'coveted interactive toy'? Does it have a loud whirring sound?
Did both cats like it? And do they seem to play with it for long?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are there toys that Hooper enjoys playing with, ...that will give you a break, but tire him out?
 

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He will run up to Twyla and then back off multiple times, or get a gentle swat and move away. But eventually he gets more wound up, keeps pushing his boundaries and she gets more irritated and will chase him or swat at him, complete with hissing. I do try and distract them with toys, etc. At that point I usually separate them and they both will burn off their energy by playing in their separate spaces (I try and alternate who gets confined to their room). Trying to do this at least twice a day, more on days I am home more.
At this point in time....are you more worried that Twyla will hurt Hooper, ....or that Hooper would hurt Twyla?

If you were to leave the doors open....would Hooper just escape....and look to bother Twyla again?
 
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