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calicosrspecial

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"Today, I'm thinking about opening the bathroom door to let Indy out. I'll make sure Duncan is safely put in the bedroom first, door closed." - So as long as Duncan feels like it is positive. That he doesn't feel like he is being "constrained" into a smaller territory. That he is not having territory taken away. So if he is sleeping and not aware the door is closed that would be fine."

-Good point. I'll put Duncan in the bedroom a little earlier so that he'll be asleep by the time I let Indy out.

"The other place that Duncan loves to be is in the sun room, but I can't close the doors there, since this is where I work, too." - I am a little confused? If you are cleaning in the bathroom you couldn't just close the door to the sunroom when Duncan is in there? Are you afraid he might harm the computer or work papers?"

-Sorry for the confusion. The point I was trying to make is that i'll be trying to keep Duncan's favorite spaces relatively "Indy-free" for right now, which is also why I thought I would zip the carrier door shut. Duncan sleeps in there all the time. For the sun room, this is Duncan's other favorite room. I was thinking that I might need to close it off to Indy, while he's out racing around the house, so his scent wouldn't be on everything and Duncan wouldn't think he was losing his favorite places. No? (Duncan will be in the bedroom with the door closed, hopefully sleeping. The sun room doors are glass french doors, so I wouldn't leave Duncan in here. They would be able to see each other.)

I probably wouldn't be letting Indy out quite so early, but yeah - the cleaning...it has to be done. It's amazing I've gone this long in this situation without losing my mind. Plus, my bathroom just isn't very big. I play with Indy in there all the time. He LOVES the fishing pole toys, but there's only so much room to flip and flop around, so I want to give him a little space for a bit. He really wouldn't be out all that long, maybe an hour or so. My house is clean, so I will just be touching it up. And yes - I'll be playing with Indy, too. I don't think he'll be difficult to get back in the bathroom. My house is all of 895 sq on the main floor, and the only other spaces are an attic and basement, which are both closed off. You add the sun room and bedroom being closed, there aren't too many other places for him to go - the kitchen, dining room, his bathroom, and the living room.

I'll let you know how it goes!
Once again, sorry for the delay. I had some issues here today.

"Good point. I'll put Duncan in the bedroom a little earlier so that he'll be asleep by the time I let Indy out." - Excellent.

"Sorry for the confusion. The point I was trying to make is that i'll be trying to keep Duncan's favorite spaces relatively "Indy-free" for right now" - Understandable.

"which is also why I thought I would zip the carrier door shut. Duncan sleeps in there all the time." - I was just worried about the change (the zip being closed) which could cause some unease.

"For the sun room, this is Duncan's other favorite room. I was thinking that I might need to close it off to Indy, while he's out racing around the house, so his scent wouldn't be on everything and Duncan wouldn't think he was losing his favorite places. No? (Duncan will be in the bedroom with the door closed, hopefully sleeping. The sun room doors are glass french doors, so I wouldn't leave Duncan in here. They would be able to see each other.)" - Ok, makes sense. Good thinking.

"I probably wouldn't be letting Indy out quite so early, but yeah - the cleaning...it has to be done. It's amazing I've gone this long in this situation without losing my mind." - Oh I know exactly what you are feeling. Good job for handling it so well though!!

"Plus, my bathroom just isn't very big. I play with Indy in there all the time. He LOVES the fishing pole toys, but there's only so much room to flip and flop around, so I want to give him a little space for a bit." - Totally understandable. Since it hasn't been long I am not worried about it but I know what you mean, you want him to have a little more fun. Indy will be fine, I am most focused on Duncan.

"He really wouldn't be out all that long, maybe an hour or so." - That is fine. Good amount of time.

"My house is clean, so I will just be touching it up." - good

" And yes - I'll be playing with Indy, too." - Great.

"I don't think he'll be difficult to get back in the bathroom." - Fingers crossed. They can be little devils. ;)

"My house is all of 895 sq on the main floor, and the only other spaces are an attic and basement, which are both closed off. You add the sun room and bedroom being closed, there aren't too many other places for him to go - the kitchen, dining room, his bathroom, and the living room." - Good. I am thinking more under couches, tight tables, etc.

And now what happened............

"I let Indy out for about an hour. I put Duncan in my room with his food, and it was super cozy in there. I don't think HE thought that because he knew something was going on. Nonetheless, that's where he was while Indy was out." How did he do? Duncan? Yeah, he I am not surprised he knew. :/

"I opened the bathroom door, and Indy walked to the edge of the bathroom and hallway and looked both ways. lol But from that moment on, he confidently strutted around the house, checking everything out. He was quite taken with the handsome boy he saw in the dishwasher reflection. :lol: " - GREAT!!! Hahahaha, I am sure he enjoyed seeing himself!!!

"Every time I would walk back into the bathroom to do something, he'd follow right behind. As you can imagine, this made it quite easy to get him back in there the last time. :)" - Very interesting and good!!! His body language stayed positive?

"After getting the bathroom all cleaned and put back together, I came out and sat on the couch. He quickly followed, hopping into my lap and finally sprawling out on the couch next to me. We played with his fishing pole toy for a few minutes, and then I put him back in the bathroom." Awwwww, AWESOME!!!! Wow, doesn't get better than that?!?!?!?!?!

"I released Duncan, and he came out with no issues. He did walk by the bathroom at one point and let out a couple long hisses. Soon after, I sat down there with him and gave them a treat. Duncan walked away right after, though. He wanted no part of the little rugrat." - How was his body language? Walking tall? Tail good? Good job on sitting down with him and giving a treat. I actually LOVE that he then walked away. It was like "whatever" - no issues.

"As of right now, about 15 minutes after letting Duncan back out, he's walking around the house, inspecting things. He came right over when I called him and rubbed against my hand. Now, he's crawling into his carrier." - Wow, sounds like he handled it REALLY WELL!!! Great!!

"Note: I did close the doors to the sun room and zipped shut the carrier, so Indy couldn't get into either of those." - Great!!

" All in all, I'd say it was a really positive experience for both of them. :yess: " - Hahahahaha, ummmmmm, THAT is an understatement. It went extremely well!!! GREAT job to you, Duncan AND Indy!!!

Keep up the great work!!!
 

Beyond Confused

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"Every time I would walk back into the bathroom to do something, he'd follow right behind. As you can imagine, this made it quite easy to get him back in there the last time. :)" - Very interesting and good!!! His body language stayed positive?

-I'd say he was juuuuuust fine. I'm trying to upload a couple pictures from my phone to my email, so I can attach them here, but it's moving very, VERY slowly.

"I released Duncan, and he came out with no issues. He did walk by the bathroom at one point and let out a couple long hisses. Soon after, I sat down there with him and gave them a treat. Duncan walked away right after, though. He wanted no part of the little rugrat." - How was his body language? Walking tall? Tail good? Good job on sitting down with him and giving a treat. I actually LOVE that he then walked away. It was like "whatever" - no issues.

-He was walking by the bathroom as he normally does...the tail was probably halfway up, he definitely wasn't slinking around or anything. And once he got out into the open of the house, he was completely normal. I called him a few times, and he came trotting right over, tail held high. Now, he's sleeping in his carrier.

"He was quite taken with the handsome boy he saw in the dishwasher
I love this 😍 lol!!"

-He stopped to check himself out a couple of times. It was so funny because none of my cats have ever liked seeing themselves in a mirror. I can tell this one is going to be quite the character!
 

calicosrspecial

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"Every time I would walk back into the bathroom to do something, he'd follow right behind. As you can imagine, this made it quite easy to get him back in there the last time. :)" - Very interesting and good!!! His body language stayed positive?

-I'd say he was juuuuuust fine. I'm trying to upload a couple pictures from my phone to my email, so I can attach them here, but it's moving very, VERY slowly.

"I released Duncan, and he came out with no issues. He did walk by the bathroom at one point and let out a couple long hisses. Soon after, I sat down there with him and gave them a treat. Duncan walked away right after, though. He wanted no part of the little rugrat." - How was his body language? Walking tall? Tail good? Good job on sitting down with him and giving a treat. I actually LOVE that he then walked away. It was like "whatever" - no issues.

-He was walking by the bathroom as he normally does...the tail was probably halfway up, he definitely wasn't slinking around or anything. And once he got out into the open of the house, he was completely normal. I called him a few times, and he came trotting right over, tail held high. Now, he's sleeping in his carrier.

"He was quite taken with the handsome boy he saw in the dishwasher
I love this 😍 lol!!"

-He stopped to check himself out a couple of times. It was so funny because none of my cats have ever liked seeing themselves in a mirror. I can tell this one is going to be quite the character!
"I'd say he was juuuuuust fine." - THat is fantastic and very helpful for the process. We need to keep up his confidence.

"I'm trying to upload a couple pictures from my phone to my email, so I can attach them here, but it's moving very, VERY slowly." - Ok

"He was walking by the bathroom as he normally does...the tail was probably halfway up, he definitely wasn't slinking around or anything. And once he got out into the open of the house, he was completely normal. I called him a few times, and he came trotting right over, tail held high. Now, he's sleeping in his carrier." - Great. That is a very good and encouraging sign. We have to continue reinforcing that.

"He stopped to check himself out a couple of times. It was so funny because none of my cats have ever liked seeing themselves in a mirror. I can tell this one is going to be quite the character!" - Too funny. He seems awesome.

Just keep doing what you are doing. Positive associations, positive encounters.

You are doing a great job!!
 

Beyond Confused

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I am such a proud mama. These two have been EXCELLENT all day.

Earlier, I walked out of Indy's base camp, and Duncan was there. He sniffed my fingers, and purred as I pet him. And he let me pick him up, which I had just finished holding Indy.

Shortly after, I was sitting in the living room. Duncan jumped on the couch where Indy was sprawled out yesterday. He sniffed around and then moved to the next couch cushion, sniffed and then jumped down. Not one hiss or any sign of stress.

THEN! Just a few minutes ago, I was making my after-workout smoothie, and I saw Duncan sitting by the bathroom door, trying to look under. I noticed a shadow on the other side. I didn't believe I was seeing what I was seeing because Duncan was completely cool about it. His tail was kind of low, but not twitchy, and if anything, he looked more curious than stressed out. SO I GOT DOWN ON MY STOMACH AND PEEKED UNDER THE DOOR. :flail: Sure enough, Indy was just on the other side. As I was lying there, Duncan was halfway between me and the door with his tail raised high and curled over on the end.

I am so HAPPY right now!

I may have spoken too soon? I just got taking a shower and walked out of the bathroom. Duncan was waiting out there, and I was able to keep Indy from escaping. While I was pulling myself together for bed (in the kitchen), I heard Duncan making a bit of a ruckus. I can't explain the noise because it wasn't a hiss, wasn't a growl, maybe an angry meow. I noticed that Indy was sticking his little paw out to Duncan. He wants Duncan to love him so badly. So anyway, I let that go on for a few seconds, but when I could see that neither was going to let up, I called Duncan over. It was time for their dinner, so I was getting the plates around. That distracted him, and the sound of the can of wet food opening did an even better job.
I moved Duncan's food bowl a hint closer. I put his plate down, and while he was eating, Indy starting screeching in the bathroom. Duncan looked over a few times, but then went back to eating. Now, he's up here on my chair with me, licking his lips. He doesn't seem bothered by what had happened at the bathroom door a few minutes ago.

And now, Indy is SCREAMING. Seriously - he's so loud, you would think he's here in the same room. It's REALLY loud. Duncan finally has had enough, and he's gone back to the door. He hissed a couple times, and now Indy is back to sticking his paw out. Duncan definitely hissed and tried to get his feet. :livid: I was so happy, but now I'm bummed.
 
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Furballsmom

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Well, you still had that timeperiod where things were so incredibly good, and that counts for A LOT. What you described after that wasn't really all that bad, although loud. Hang in there!!
 

Beyond Confused

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Well, you still had that timeperiod where things were so incredibly good, and that counts for A LOT. What you described after that wasn't really all that bad, although loud. Hang in there!!
Thank you for saying that. I hope you're right, because I'm totally bummed now. I feel like we took about 15 steps back.
 

calicosrspecial

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I am such a proud mama. These two have been EXCELLENT all day.

Earlier, I walked out of Indy's base camp, and Duncan was there. He sniffed my fingers, and purred as I pet him. And he let me pick him up, which I had just finished holding Indy.

Shortly after, I was sitting in the living room. Duncan jumped on the couch where Indy was sprawled out yesterday. He sniffed around and then moved to the next couch cushion, sniffed and then jumped down. Not one hiss or any sign of stress.

THEN! Just a few minutes ago, I was making my after-workout smoothie, and I saw Duncan sitting by the bathroom door, trying to look under. I noticed a shadow on the other side. I didn't believe I was seeing what I was seeing because Duncan was completely cool about it. His tail was kind of low, but not twitchy, and if anything, he looked more curious than stressed out. SO I GOT DOWN ON MY STOMACH AND PEEKED UNDER THE DOOR. :flail: Sure enough, Indy was just on the other side. As I was lying there, Duncan was halfway between me and the door with his tail raised high and curled over on the end.

I am so HAPPY right now!

I may have spoken too soon? I just got taking a shower and walked out of the bathroom. Duncan was waiting out there, and I was able to keep Indy from escaping. While I was pulling myself together for bed (in the kitchen), I heard Duncan making a bit of a ruckus. I can't explain the noise because it wasn't a hiss, wasn't a growl, maybe an angry meow. I noticed that Indy was sticking his little paw out to Duncan. He wants Duncan to love him so badly. So anyway, I let that go on for a few seconds, but when I could see that neither was going to let up, I called Duncan over. It was time for their dinner, so I was getting the plates around. That distracted him, and the sound of the can of wet food opening did an even better job.
I moved Duncan's food bowl a hint closer. I put his plate down, and while he was eating, Indy starting screeching in the bathroom. Duncan looked over a few times, but then went back to eating. Now, he's up here on my chair with me, licking his lips. He doesn't seem bothered by what had happened at the bathroom door a few minutes ago.

And now, Indy is SCREAMING. Seriously - he's so loud, you would think he's here in the same room. It's REALLY loud. Duncan finally has had enough, and he's gone back to the door. He hissed a couple times, and now Indy is back to sticking his paw out. Duncan definitely hissed and tried to get his feet. :livid: I was so happy, but now I'm bummed.
"Earlier, I walked out of Indy's base camp, and Duncan was there. He sniffed my fingers, and purred as I pet him. And he let me pick him up, which I had just finished holding Indy." - Excellent, scent swapping. Positive association. Indy scent and Duncan Purrs.

"Shortly after, I was sitting in the living room. Duncan jumped on the couch where Indy was sprawled out yesterday. He sniffed around and then moved to the next couch cushion, sniffed and then jumped down. Not one hiss or any sign of stress." - Great!!!

"THEN! Just a few minutes ago, I was making my after-workout smoothie, and I saw Duncan sitting by the bathroom door, trying to look under. I noticed a shadow on the other side. I didn't believe I was seeing what I was seeing because Duncan was completely cool about it. His tail was kind of low, but not twitchy, and if anything, he looked more curious than stressed out. SO I GOT DOWN ON MY STOMACH AND PEEKED UNDER THE DOOR. :flail: Sure enough, Indy was just on the other side. As I was lying there, Duncan was halfway between me and the door with his tail raised high and curled over on the end." - Fantastic.

"I may have spoken too soon?" - Nope (I read the whole paragraph before writing this).

"I just got taking a shower and walked out of the bathroom. Duncan was waiting out there, and I was able to keep Indy from escaping. While I was pulling myself together for bed (in the kitchen), I heard Duncan making a bit of a ruckus. I can't explain the noise because it wasn't a hiss, wasn't a growl, maybe an angry meow. I noticed that Indy was sticking his little paw out to Duncan." - Totally normal. For all cats involved. They will do this footsie thing. The resident cat will have some issues because it is his territory being "invaded" by an unknown potential "predator". I am not at all surprised or worried by this. Totally normal and expected.

"He wants Duncan to love him so badly." - Yes and that is going to be very helpful as we move through the process.

"I let that go on for a few seconds, but when I could see that neither was going to let up, I called Duncan over. It was time for their dinner, so I was getting the plates around. That distracted him, and the sound of the can of wet food opening did an even better job." - Good job distracting. Feel free to distract sooner. I LOVE that Duncan was easily distracted. Very positive sign. If he really was worried about this potential "threat" he would not be interested in food but would be more interested in "defending".

"I moved Duncan's food bowl a hint closer. I put his plate down, and while he was eating, Indy starting screeching in the bathroom. Duncan looked over a few times, but then went back to eating." - AWESOME!!!! Food is more important than this "threat". I guess Duncan is not feeling that threatened!!! GREAT!!

"Now, he's up here on my chair with me, licking his lips. He doesn't seem bothered by what had happened at the bathroom door a few minutes ago." - LOVE it!! GREAT job!!! We always look at how they behave after an "encounter". He rebounded quickly which tells me it was not a serious issue. AWESOME!!

"And now, Indy is SCREAMING." - Yep, this happens. Especially when they have tasted "freedom" (the site swapping the other day). Totally normal.

"Seriously - he's so loud, you would think he's here in the same room. It's REALLY loud." - Oh I know. They sure know how to be loud.

"Duncan finally has had enough, and he's gone back to the door. He hissed a couple times," - Totally normal and to be expected. It is different and Duncan doesn't like it.

"and now Indy is back to sticking his paw out." - Yep, he wanted Duncan around it seems.

"Duncan definitely hissed and tried to get his feet." - Yep, Duncan is like "behave!!". Totally normal and part of the process.

" :livid: " - Please don't be. There are ALWAYS ups and downs and I am VERY encouraged by what I have read. The positive way outweigh the last "negative". Though that last "negative" wasn't really anything. Totally normal and expected.

"I was so happy, but now I'm bummed." - I understand but I don;t think you should be. Overall, I think this was absolutely positive. I LOVE the way Duncan responded. The last bit was disappointing BUT totally expected.

Use distraction if at all possible. Learning distraction will be very important as we go to visual.

And then reassure Duncan (and Indy) after it. A fast rebound to normal would be a great sign.

"It's quiet now, and Duncan is sprawled out next to my chair." - Ok, Duncan seems to have rebounded back to normal quickly. VERY positive sign.

"I feel like we took about 15 steps back." - Totally disagree. I am not even sure you are behind from 2 days ago. I am not sure you are really behind from when things were going perfectly. I am not at all worried. In fact, I am highly encouraged by what I have read here. Sure, it wasn't perfect but it rarely ever is. It is normal and part of the process. When we get to visual we will have many days like this. The key will be distracting, reassuring and of course accepting the ups and downs.

Keep up the great work!!! All is fine. I am not at all worried and I am not at all viewing the probability of success any differently. I am highly, highly confident they will be intro'd successfully. Like 99.99%.
 

Beyond Confused

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Thanks, you two. The paw under the door and Duncan's growling has happened a couple more times, but every time, I saw Duncan's name, and he always come trotting right over, and I can hear him purring before I even pet him. Indy seems completely unfazed by Duncan's old man ways, which was precisely what I was looking for. I made it very clear to the foster mom that I was looking for a kitty with this personality, and she said this is exactly how Indy is. Now, I'm seeing it firsthand.

I was hoping to let Indy out for a bit again today, but Duncan didn't cooperate. By this, I just mean that, instead of curling up on my bed in the little nest I created for him, he chose to take a snooze in his carrier. So instead, when I was in playing with Indy, I grabbed one of his favorite toys, rubbed it all over the sides of his face and chin, and I have it out here on Duncan's cat tree. He hasn't seen it yet, but I'm thinking it won't bother him. I say this because he hasn't been the least bit worried about sniffing my hands and clothes after I've spent time with Indy.

It's been over a week now. Should we keep things like this another week, or should I start preparing to move forward?
 

calicosrspecial

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Thanks, you two. The paw under the door and Duncan's growling has happened a couple more times, but every time, I saw Duncan's name, and he always come trotting right over, and I can hear him purring before I even pet him. Indy seems completely unfazed by Duncan's old man ways, which was precisely what I was looking for. I made it very clear to the foster mom that I was looking for a kitty with this personality, and she said this is exactly how Indy is. Now, I'm seeing it firsthand.

I was hoping to let Indy out for a bit again today, but Duncan didn't cooperate. By this, I just mean that, instead of curling up on my bed in the little nest I created for him, he chose to take a snooze in his carrier. So instead, when I was in playing with Indy, I grabbed one of his favorite toys, rubbed it all over the sides of his face and chin, and I have it out here on Duncan's cat tree. He hasn't seen it yet, but I'm thinking it won't bother him. I say this because he hasn't been the least bit worried about sniffing my hands and clothes after I've spent time with Indy.

It's been over a week now. Should we keep things like this another week, or should I start preparing to move forward?
"The paw under the door and Duncan's growling has happened a couple more times, but every time, I saw Duncan's name, and he always come trotting right over, and I can hear him purring before I even pet him." - That is fine and his being easily distracted is great. That tells me that he isn't that worried about that paw. And even better is he is purring when he comes to you. Those are very positive signs about how Duncan perceives the encounter.

"Indy seems completely unfazed by Duncan's old man ways, which was precisely what I was looking for." - That is very good. It is not uncommon for the new cat not to be fazed as they don;t really own the territory so don;t feel the insecurity. BUT it is a great sign of Indy's confidence level AND that Duncan is being more diplomatic than humans may realize. We still need to work on keeping Indy's confidence up, making positive associations, positive encounters. But it is very positive.

Well, sure it is Indy's personality but it is also how you are interacting and reinforcing things. Making positive associations, positive encounters and building confidence. The progress has been a lot more than Indy's personality (which does help though).

"I was hoping to let Indy out for a bit again today, but Duncan didn't cooperate. By this, I just mean that, instead of curling up on my bed in the little nest I created for him, he chose to take a snooze in his carrier." - That is fine. I would not worry about it.

"So instead, when I was in playing with Indy" - That is great!! Play builds confidence and a confident cat is more likely to accept AND be accepted.

"I grabbed one of his favorite toys, rubbed it all over the sides of his face and chin, and I have it out here on Duncan's cat tree." - Perfect, more scent swapping.

" He hasn't seen it yet, but I'm thinking it won't bother him. I say this because he hasn't been the least bit worried about sniffing my hands and clothes after I've spent time with Indy." - I agree. Duncan is doing really well with Indy's scent.

"It's been over a week now. Should we keep things like this another week, or should I start preparing to move forward?" - Do you have the baby gates in your possession now? For now, keep working on distraction as visual contact definitely makes distraction more challenging. I think we are close but probably a few days out still from small visual.

So let's start preparing for the next step by having the baby gates in our hands and getting a sheet or blanket to hang over them to block and slowing move up for some visual. And work on distraction. And finally being mentally prepared for the ups and downs as there will be some negatives. We'll try to keep them limited but they are going to happen. Not a big deal, we can work through them but it is good to be prepared.
 

Beyond Confused

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I don't have them yet, but last time, I found them for pretty cheap at Burlington. Maybe I'll check there again. I was hoping we still had them stored somewhere, but no such luck.
 

calicosrspecial

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I don't have them yet, but last time, I found them for pretty cheap at Burlington. Maybe I'll check there again. I was hoping we still had them stored somewhere, but no such luck.
Bummer.

What we will do is put one set at ground level in the door and one set above that so no one can jump over. Then hang a blanket or sheet (I like thicker) over the top and hang it down. I put their food down and then slowly lift up a inch or two to start distracting as needed. When the feeding ends (and for your situation that will mostly be Duncan) we pull the blanket down and end the session on a positive not. And we continue to do that to reinforce the positivity. And every few days allow more visual distracting as needed.
 

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What we will do is put one set at ground level in the door and one set above that so no one can jump over. Then hang a blanket or sheet (I like thicker) over the top and hang it down. I put their food down and then slowly lift up a inch or two to start distracting as needed. When the feeding ends (and for your situation that will mostly be Duncan) we pull the blanket down and end the session on a positive not. And we continue to do that to reinforce the positivity. And every few days allow more visual distracting as needed.
For now, keep working on distraction as visual contact definitely makes distraction more challenging. I think we are close but probably a few days out still from small visual.
Yep, this :)
 

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Little update:
I don't think I heard one hiss all day yesterday. In addition, I was getting ready to head into the bathroom last night to give Indy food/water/scoop his box, and Duncan immediately followed along to the door. He stopped and sat, as if to say, "Well, what are you waiting for?" I finally had to distract him elsewhere enough so that I could get in with the food and water. The litter box would have to wait.

Just this past hour, Duncan was relaxing on my bed, so I took that opportunity to let Indy out. I closed the bedroom door and opened the bathroom door, and walked away. Indy came out just as confident as the last time, tail straight up in the air, stopping to sniff everything along the way. I had closed the sun room doors and the carrier to preserve Duncan's favorite spots. Everywhere I went, Indy was like a little shadow. He "heels" very well. :)
There was not one bit of concern in this cat. We walked around opening the blinds and back door, and we tidied up his bathroom, and back out into the rest of the house we went. He stopped to eat (his bowl in the bathroom), and then we came out to the living room and played for a bit. Once he was ready to move on, I decided to open the sun room doors for a couple minutes. I wanted to open the blinds, and I wanted to see how he would react in there. Again, he marched in with full confidence, sniffed the cats trees and tunnels, etc. No sign of stress or worry. We were in there maybe 2 minutes. I didn't want overload for him, and I didn't want his smell on everything for Duncan's sake. We came out of there, and he walked over to the fountain and drank like a champ. Shortly after, I put him back in the bathroom, so I could let Duncan back out. All in all, I'd say he was out an hour. He's in there yowling now because he's tasted freedom, and realized he's back in his "prison."

I quickly let Duncan out, who was waiting by the door. There are no signs of stress with him either. He's walked around sniffing, comes running when I call him, he's been in his sun room using the scratch post. Even with Indy's chattering, Duncan is doing just fine. He hasn't hissed, and he's out doing his thing, not sitting near the bathroom door.

I did put the baby gates up yesterday. I haven't used them, of course, but I wanted Duncan to get comfortable with them being there before the real "show" starts.

Currently, he's standing next to me, tail proudly waving high in the air.
 

calicosrspecial

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Little update:
I don't think I heard one hiss all day yesterday. In addition, I was getting ready to head into the bathroom last night to give Indy food/water/scoop his box, and Duncan immediately followed along to the door. He stopped and sat, as if to say, "Well, what are you waiting for?" I finally had to distract him elsewhere enough so that I could get in with the food and water. The litter box would have to wait.

Just this past hour, Duncan was relaxing on my bed, so I took that opportunity to let Indy out. I closed the bedroom door and opened the bathroom door, and walked away. Indy came out just as confident as the last time, tail straight up in the air, stopping to sniff everything along the way. I had closed the sun room doors and the carrier to preserve Duncan's favorite spots. Everywhere I went, Indy was like a little shadow. He "heels" very well. :)
There was not one bit of concern in this cat. We walked around opening the blinds and back door, and we tidied up his bathroom, and back out into the rest of the house we went. He stopped to eat (his bowl in the bathroom), and then we came out to the living room and played for a bit. Once he was ready to move on, I decided to open the sun room doors for a couple minutes. I wanted to open the blinds, and I wanted to see how he would react in there. Again, he marched in with full confidence, sniffed the cats trees and tunnels, etc. No sign of stress or worry. We were in there maybe 2 minutes. I didn't want overload for him, and I didn't want his smell on everything for Duncan's sake. We came out of there, and he walked over to the fountain and drank like a champ. Shortly after, I put him back in the bathroom, so I could let Duncan back out. All in all, I'd say he was out an hour. He's in there yowling now because he's tasted freedom, and realized he's back in his "prison."

I quickly let Duncan out, who was waiting by the door. There are no signs of stress with him either. He's walked around sniffing, comes running when I call him, he's been in his sun room using the scratch post. Even with Indy's chattering, Duncan is doing just fine. He hasn't hissed, and he's out doing his thing, not sitting near the bathroom door.

I did put the baby gates up yesterday. I haven't used them, of course, but I wanted Duncan to get comfortable with them being there before the real "show" starts.

Currently, he's standing next to me, tail proudly waving high in the air.
"I don't think I heard one hiss all day yesterday. In addition, I was getting ready to head into the bathroom last night to give Indy food/water/scoop his box, and Duncan immediately followed along to the door. He stopped and sat, as if to say, "Well, what are you waiting for?" I finally had to distract him elsewhere enough so that I could get in with the food and water. The litter box would have to wait." - Wow, this is great. It sounds like Duncan was confident. Good job on distracting him to get in there. Ready good stuff!!

"Just this past hour, Duncan was relaxing on my bed, so I took that opportunity to let Indy out. I closed the bedroom door and opened the bathroom door, and walked away. Indy came out just as confident as the last time, tail straight up in the air, stopping to sniff everything along the way. I had closed the sun room doors and the carrier to preserve Duncan's favorite spots. Everywhere I went, Indy was like a little shadow. He "heels" very well. :) " - Awesome!!!

"There was not one bit of concern in this cat. We walked around opening the blinds and back door, and we tidied up his bathroom, and back out into the rest of the house we went. He stopped to eat (his bowl in the bathroom), and then we came out to the living room and played for a bit. Once he was ready to move on, I decided to open the sun room doors for a couple minutes. I wanted to open the blinds, and I wanted to see how he would react in there. Again, he marched in with full confidence, sniffed the cats trees and tunnels, etc. No sign of stress or worry. We were in there maybe 2 minutes. I didn't want overload for him, and I didn't want his smell on everything for Duncan's sake. We came out of there, and he walked over to the fountain and drank like a champ. Shortly after, I put him back in the bathroom, so I could let Duncan back out. All in all, I'd say he was out an hour." - Really good. I love that he seems confident. Really good signs. We'll see how he reacts when Duncan sees him and reacts but Indy is doing great. We'll keep boosting that confidence and trust.

"He's in there yowling now because he's tasted freedom, and realized he's back in his "prison." " - You are spot on. But I don't think he feels like it is a "prison" - just his territory. But he wants more territory. Of course, he hasn't had any real negative encounter with Duncan yet. That will be a good sign of where he is.

"I quickly let Duncan out, who was waiting by the door. There are no signs of stress with him either. He's walked around sniffing, comes running when I call him, he's been in his sun room using the scratch post. Even with Indy's chattering, Duncan is doing just fine. He hasn't hissed, and he's out doing his thing, not sitting near the bathroom door." - Great job with the site swapping. Duncan is smelling Indy and thinking "this guy isn't too bad, everything is good". Exactly what we want him to learn. And the fact Duncan is doing well with Indy making noises is really a good sign. A lot more trust than I would have thought at this point. GREAT job!! We need to keep reinforcing these positives.

"I did put the baby gates up yesterday. I haven't used them, of course, but I wanted Duncan to get comfortable with them being there before the real "show" starts." - Great. Good job on easing the change. How big are the gaps in the gates? Distraction will be very important to try to keep the encounters are positive as possible. It might be a touch hard to keep Indy focused on something while Duncan eats etc. Indy will probably want to be by the gates, putting his paws through etc which will set Duncan off. So if we can distract Duncan when Indy is doing that that is going to be really great and important.

"Currently, he's standing next to me, tail proudly waving high in the air." - Awwwww, he definitely loves you!!!

We are almost ready to go to the next step (small visual).

Great job!!! For a while it will get tougher but I am really, really encouraged by what I have seen so far. Not only are you doing all the right things they are doing their part as well. Great job!!
 

Beyond Confused

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"How big are the gaps in the gates?"

This is what I bought. I think they'll work quite well.
Summer Infant 24 in. Secure Pressure Mount Wood/Plastic Mesh Gate-27540 - The Home Depot

My dad and uncle came over this morning, so I put Duncan back in the bedroom and let Indy out, so they could meet him. None of us was sitting, so Indy was a tad skeptical. He took a little more time to walk around and greet them, but he did traipse out to the backdoor and all about with ease. I think that, if we were all seated, and had he been out for a bit before they came in, he wouldn't have been cautious at all. There was a lot happening in that moment, so it's understandable.

I put him back in the bathroom again (after maybe 10 minutes), and let Duncan out. He promptly greeted my dad and uncle and didn't see fazed at all.

When I got back home, Duncan ran out to greet me, and we went into the sun room. Duncan looked like he wanted to go inside one of the boxes on the cat tree to take a snooze, but he stopped at the toy that I had put there a couple days ago (the one with Indy's scent.) He didn't seem bothered by it, no hissing or anything like that. He did get a little lippy when I went to pick him up, but honestly, he gets like that sometimes anyway. It's just kind of a "Put me down, I'm a cat...and I was just fine sitting here. Why are you moving me?" kind of snippy. I don't think it had anything to do with the toy. Shortly after, he found another level of the cat tree, and he's peacefully sleeping.
 
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