Introduction Gone Wrong

[varsettie]

As some of you may know I recently adopted an orange tabby we've named Fawkes from the SPCA, while also owning a grey and brown tabby named Atari. When we brought Fawkes home we separated them for three days before letting Fawkes out of the rather small bathroom. Originally Atari was the one hissing to start the hissy fights they’ve been having but I’ve been comforting her and she has come to almost ignore the new cat. Now the problem is Fawkes. She seems scared of Atari and is highly food aggressive. She chased Atari under the couch today while I was getting their food ready, and Fawkes cornered Atari before I got Fawkes out and let Atari go and hide somewhere. I don’t know how to make Fawkes feel like she can trust my fiancé and I as well as Atari, because she clearly trusts no one.

When we had her in our bathroom before bringing her to the SPCA she was fun and affectionate, always wanting to be held or pet or get cuddled. Now she rarely approaches us and when she does she only stays for a few seconds before she takes off again. She will ‘be’ around us lying about on the floor, but never comes seeking pets or cuddles like she originally did. Neither cat will play with us while the other is present, and they both growl at one another (usually instigated by Fawkes) when food is being presented.

Both cats are female. Atari is almost 4 years old and the SPCA suspected Fawkes is around 1 year somewhere. Both are spayed and have all their shots up to date and are showing no signs of being sick.

In short I have no idea what’s wrong with one cat or the other and I am at a loss of things to try for intervention or trust building. I need some help.

 

[darcya]

As i always say, wait for some one who is more knowledeable, but ill offer what i can, haha.

Im not exactly sure about the trusting thing but you could always try the feeding on two sides of the door. They associate food and treats with one another then.

You could also try starting over and doing scent swaps to build the level of comfort for one another.

My best answer, time. It sucks. I have to introduce my kitten to my two dogs, and its going to be rough, but with time patience and a little luck, it will work (hopefully)!

 

[varsettie]

I've done some research in to cat behavior and it seems that Atari is actually not a very confident cat in most cases. She hides under neath almost anything she can find in the house despite there being a lot of things for her to climb on and explore. I'm going to be blocking off her low-to-the-ground hiding places today to see if that helps at all. 

My fiance and I managed to feed the cats in sight of one another for breakfast. They were about 5 feet apart. No hissing or growling but Fawkes did look like she was going to try to charge Atari at one point.

 

[catspaw66]

Try separating them and re-introducing them using this method    .www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats

 

[katluver4life]

Try separating them and re-introducing them using this method    .www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats

I agree. 3 days was way too fast to let them intermingle. They had no time to "get to know" each other. Introductions need to be done slowly. Allowing each cat to get used to the new scent of other. Please do try to start over. It is never to late to reintroduce them. Go slower. Scent exchange and as Darcya said, feeding them together on opposite sides of the closed door helps. Use the tips in the link catspaw provided. The trick is to get them to associate the scent of the other cat with good feelings. Food does this well.

You can build up Atari's confidence with some good play sessions. Also giving her places to go UP rather then under, like a tall cat tree, or cat shelves.

Also feliway diffusers may help.

 

[varsettie]

Here's the problem with that method because of where I am. It's hot here, really hot, and the only room other than the living room that's bigger than standing room is the bedroom where the air conditioner is. If I close Fawkes in there like I did before the rest of the house heats up to the point where Atari starts panting, and the bathroom is too small to confine Fawkes to. We can’t even fit her litter box and food dishes in there at the same time. On the flip side if I move the air conditioner to the living room then the bedroom heats up and Fawkes starts panting. I do not have enough money to get two air conditioners either; I’ve tried that already sadly. The initial three days we had Fawkes confined to the bedroom after her two week quarantine and vet checks at the SPCA were pretty hellish on the rest of us and I don’t think we can go through that again.

The other thing is that both cats had been showing good signs while separated. We rubbed Fawkes down in a towel and played with her on it for three hours or so before giving it to Atari and she didn’t seem aggressive at all. We did the same for Fawkes and they both just pawed at the blanket a bit before laying on it themselves. It was only once they were both in the same room with food around that they got mean with one another.

EDIT: I've never heard of feliway diffusers but I'll give it a go. I'm busy blocking off all of Atari's under places with cardboard at the moment. She does have shelves to perch on and a rather large cat tree, but she doesn’t use them. I'm thinking it's because she had her 'under' hiding places.

EDIT 2: Just had a thought. Would bringing them on neutral ground for a bit every day help? The hallway outside my apartment has three doors between the long hallway and outside so they wouldn’t be able to escape unless someone deliberately let them out.

 

[katluver4life]

I guess it couldn't hurt trying the neutral ground idea. It may be so new to them both that they'll forget about each other while exploring the new area.

I would also continue with the scent exchanging using the towels and then feeding and playing with them on top of it. Just be patient and realize it could take some time for them to adjust to each other. As long as there is no physical fighting, and just typical cat posturing (hissing and growling), they will eventually settle down. Keep doing the feeding like you have been, just within site of each other and slowly working them closer.

Using a wand toy or laser may work to entice them to use the cat tree or other elevated areas.

I think considering your living environment, your doing quite well.

Keep us posted.

 

[varsettie]

Since Fawkes got here there has been a lot of hissing, a lot of growling, and Fawkes has taken one swipe at Atari after chasing her under the couch, but that was when they were both in the kitchen huddled around my feet because I was trying to get their food ready. Atari turned to leave and I guess Fawkes took it as an invitation to chase her. Nothing ‘violent’ has happened yet, they haven’t even really scratched or bitten us humans yet. I’m just worried about the chasing and the food issues.

Atari and Fawkes are in for a treat though. I am going to be getting them some more wall mounted shelves to explore. Hopefully that will get them both off of the floor and bring Atari’s confidence up a bit. Underneath the couch is blocked off, and Fawkes has just been introduced to her harness for walks because she was originally an outdoor cat when we found her. This way she can be outdoors without being hurt or getting lost. Might work off some of the kitten energy she’s got too. We’ve been feeding her a mix of wet food and kitten dry food because of how skinny she is but she’s already visibly put a little bit of weight back on so I don’t think walks will hurt too much.

Hope this works a least a little bit.

 

[catspaw66]

You seem to have the situation under control, mostly. I integrated mine under less than ideal conditions, and they get along for the most part. There is still some sorting out who is going to be the alpha cat between Sheba and Sugar, now that they are about the same size, but no fighting. Just some chasing and a few swats now and then.

 

[katluver4life]

I'm just now realizing that Fawkes food aggression may stem from her possibly not having had access to much food prior to being at the SPCA. In your last post you stated she was skinny. So now this makes sense, and it will eventually go away once she realizes food is plentiful and she doesn't have to guard it anymore.

 

[varsettie]

Katluver4life: That's what we're hoping for, but I thought I'd ask the people with a little more experience with cats. Atari is the first cat I've ever owned that wasn’t 'the family’s cat'. And to be fair it wasn’t the SPCA’s fault. I found Fawkes that skinny in my back yard, she looked to have been stray for a while before we gave her to the SPCA for quarantine and vet checkups. They also spayed and Microchipper her all included in the adoption fee. :3

I'm just a little worried because I did not anticipate this heat wave in their introduction process. I'm hoping it doesn’t do any permanent damage to their relationship is all.

 

[varsettie]

As a final update with Fawkes, she seems to have settled in just fine. She and Atari are now chasing one another around the house for play time and they are comfortable eating near one another. When another cat tried to attack Fawkes through the screen last night Atari came charging to defend her new friend and they will sleep less than two feet from one another now.

I believe the worst is over.

 

[katluver4life]

Great news!

 

[MoochNNoodles]

That's great news!!  Thanks for the update!