Hi - I let my "established" cat, Murray, meet my new cat, Yuki, yesterday, after having had them separated by a door for a couple days. Yuki was very happy to meet Murray (even purred when he first saw Murray), and kept approaching Murray trying to make friends with him. However, Murray wasn't so happy to meet Yuki, and responded to Yuki's friendly advances by chasing Yuki and swatting at him with a paw. I don't think Murray meant to hurt Yuki - maybe he was just trying to establish his dominance? Is this normal behavior in an introduction? At least there was no hissing, and no real fighting, since Yuki was, after all, in a friendly mood and knows better than to take on a cat three times his size!
The chasing behavior continued for the couple hours I had to spend with the two before I had to leave home for work. I separated the cats before I left. When I got home, before I went to bed, I opened the door between them and let them be together while I went to bed. I heard a couple chases at first, but then things quieted down, and they were quiet for the rest of the night. For a while, both cats were in my bed... Murray didn't like Yuki being there - he swatted at him a couple times, but Yuki stood his ground and wouldn't leave the bed, so Murray grudgingly accepted him there. I found that an encouraging sign. As well as the fact that the night was so quiet. I did separate them again this morning before work, however, just to be safe. Murray took a little swat at Yuki this morning because Yuki was hanging around Murray's food dish. So there still is some tension.
Hopefully when I bring the cats together again tonight after work, Murray will continue to be better behaved and not engage in the chasing behavior...
I know Murray is bound to be a little upset/jealous because of the big change in his lifestyle, but my hope is he will come to really like Yuki and the two can keep each other company when I'm gone so long to work at my two jobs...
The chasing behavior continued for the couple hours I had to spend with the two before I had to leave home for work. I separated the cats before I left. When I got home, before I went to bed, I opened the door between them and let them be together while I went to bed. I heard a couple chases at first, but then things quieted down, and they were quiet for the rest of the night. For a while, both cats were in my bed... Murray didn't like Yuki being there - he swatted at him a couple times, but Yuki stood his ground and wouldn't leave the bed, so Murray grudgingly accepted him there. I found that an encouraging sign. As well as the fact that the night was so quiet. I did separate them again this morning before work, however, just to be safe. Murray took a little swat at Yuki this morning because Yuki was hanging around Murray's food dish. So there still is some tension.
Hopefully when I bring the cats together again tonight after work, Murray will continue to be better behaved and not engage in the chasing behavior...
I know Murray is bound to be a little upset/jealous because of the big change in his lifestyle, but my hope is he will come to really like Yuki and the two can keep each other company when I'm gone so long to work at my two jobs...
