Introducing two female young adult cats

[Sja52]

Hello. My boyfriend and I have recently took in a stray female cat, she is super friendly and was definitely someone’s pet at some point but we couldn’t find an owner. We started introducing our cats through doors and they seemed to be getting along, or at least tolerating one another. They were out and around each other, slept in the same room and everything for two days when our stray attacked our gray cat. So we immediately restarted our process, a couple weeks later we tried again and same thing, stray attacked. Our next step was getting the stray fixed, she is now healed and we are waiting another two weeks at least (6 weeks approximately for the hormones to completely leave her body) to try them face to face again. They are fine again through doors, some growling on our gray cats end but they bat each other’s paws and sniff one another through the crack but anytime gray sees the stray in her cage in the bathroom she gets defensive, growls and hisses. Any tips for reintroducing them? I’m afraid we’ve ruined the trust between them and we’ll have to get rid of our new kitty

 

[Lucy&Petra]

Nothing is ruined, do not worry about that, at all! We went through sometime very similar when we introduced our cats. It takes lots of time and patience. Just keep doing what you are doing. The stray might also be thinking she's fighting for territory, like only one of us can live here. Who knows ....

What I did was order a pet gate that the cats could see through. I set it up in the doorway and I left the door open all day with the gate in place. I fed them on either side of this, including treats. I also played with them on either side of it, taking turns.

I would also do the smell exchange, i.e. take something that smells like each cat and put it in the other cat's space. This helped.

I would also brush one cat with a brush, then brush the other cat with the same brush. I think this also helped.

I also would switch the cats, so the new cat gets to have the house for awhile, get acquianted, build confidance, etc. And the existing cat goes into the new cat's space, smells them, leaves their smell, etc.

In any event, it was several weeks, if not more than a month of doing this, and now my cats are quite happy with each other.

Basically, you've got lots of time and methods to get these two accepting each other. Do not worry or feel down, it will be OK!

 

[rubysmama]

Setbacks happen, that's why TCS has the How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction – TheCatSite Articles article.

How bad was the attack by the stray on your resident cat? Just swatting / growling? Or was there fur flying and/or bloodshed.

Is it possible it was play fighting, and not aggressive fighting?

Are My Cats Fighting Or Playing? – TheCatSite Articles

 

[Sja52]

Nothing is ruined, do not worry about that, at all! We went through sometime very similar when we introduced our cats. It takes lots of time and patience. Just keep doing what you are doing. The stray might also be thinking she's fighting for territory, like only one of us can live here. Who knows ....

What I did was order a pet gate that the cats could see through. I set it up in the doorway and I left the door open all day with the gate in place. I fed them on either side of this, including treats. I also played with them on either side of it, taking turns.

I would also do the smell exchange, i.e. take something that smells like each cat and put it in the other cat's space. This helped.

I would also brush one cat with a brush, then brush the other cat with the same brush. I think this also helped.

I also would switch the cats, so the new cat gets to have the house for awhile, get acquianted, build confidance, etc. And the existing cat goes into the new cat's space, smells them, leaves their smell, etc.

In any event, it was several weeks, if not more than a month of doing this, and now my cats are quite happy with each other.

Basically, you've got lots of time and methods to get these two accepting each other. Do not worry or feel down, it will be OK!

Thank you!

 

[Sja52]

Setbacks happen, that's why TCS has the How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction – TheCatSite Articles article.

How bad was the attack by the stray on your resident cat? Just swatting / growling? Or was there fur flying and/or bloodshed.

Is it possible it was play fighting, and not aggressive fighting?

Are My Cats Fighting Or Playing? – TheCatSite Articles

Aggressive I believe? My gray cat had blood coming from her nose and was definitely scared. The next day I tried putting them together to see if it was just our stray getting too playful and scaring the other, but it was on site she ran at the other to attack.

 

[rubysmama]

Aggressive I believe? My gray cat had blood coming from her nose and was definitely scared. The next day I tried putting them together to see if it was just our stray getting too playful and scaring the other, but it was on site she ran at the other to attack.

Blood and one cat scaring the other is definitely not play.
Hopefully one the stray's hormones settle down, she'll be less aggressive.

How old are the cats, btw?

 

[Sja52]

Not 100% sure on the stray, not more than 2 probably, and our gray cat will be 2 in April.

 

[rubysmama]

They're still young, so hopefully after some more time, they'll accept each other and become friends.

 

[di and bob]

These things all just take time and familiarity. my cats took almost a year before they finally accepted each other, but the thing is they did. I vote too with letting them see each other and lock one cat up while the other explores and then exchange places. The stray was most likely attacked many times while out on her own and is very scared and defensive. she will have to learn to trust again.