Keeping cats separated permanently

AndreaFiona

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 30, 2020
Messages
46
Purraise
36
Hi everyone,

I have posted my cat reintroduction woes previously (following redirected aggression).

They keep having setbacks and now for the past 3 weeks I have kept them separated completely and finally my house has felt peaceful.

Is there anything wrong with keeping them separated permanently? Is anyone doing this successfully?

Right now one stays in the basement all night and has the house to roam all day. The other kitty is in my (large) bedroom all day and can roam free all night.

Is this a quality of life as long as I give both lots of attention? I may resume reintroductions at some point but for now I feel tired and worn out.

Thanks.
 

amethyst

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Nov 25, 2016
Messages
948
Purraise
2,850
Location
Alberta, Canada
I haven't read your previous posts but, one of my cats pretty much lives in my master bedroom, she comes out sometimes, whenever she wants, but it's not often since she doesn't like some of my other cats. So long as you are giving both plenty of attention and they have everything they need I don't see a problem. Allowing them to share space even without each other around can help with getting them use to each other's scents and I think it can make it more likely for them to be able to coexist at some point.

Sometimes with cats it's best to just take a step back and slow down. Especially if you are becoming frustrated, the cats can pick up on that and that wont help matters.
 

Mamanyt1953

Rules my home with an iron paw
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Oct 16, 2015
Messages
31,182
Purraise
67,784
Location
North Carolina
We have had more than one member who made "separate but enriched" a way of life with their cats very successfully. Make each confinement area enriched...trees, toys, beds. And take a rest. You can go back to this when you're not so exhausted by it all. And if it doesn't work, so long as both cats get plenty of love and attention, they'll be fine.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

AndreaFiona

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 30, 2020
Messages
46
Purraise
36
Thanks everyone and sorry for the delay in responding. Sadly my Grandma died on Tuesday and my week has been all about arranging flights, accommodation etc so I can go to her funeral.

I spoke with my regular pet sitter and she assures me she will keep the cats separate while I am away. Fingers crossed.

I appreciate you taking the time to comment and it makes me hopeful my cats can have good quality of life even if separated. I really don’t want to surrender one to a shelter. My vet feels that’s the only solution. Sigh.

I will try searching the files for other stories of people living this way. Even if it’s just an extended break....I just don’t feel up to the tediousness and work of the introductions.

Thank you so much.
 

ArtNJ

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 1, 2017
Messages
5,487
Purraise
6,958
I had to do this many years ago, when I couldn't solve a cat-on-cat violence issue. I know more strategies now but I'm not sure they would have changed the outcome. Sometimes its the only real solution, and you can make it work for the cats.
 

Kflowers

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 28, 2018
Messages
5,772
Purraise
7,617
We did this, one upstairs, one downstairs and the basement (he was the senior cat.) We did cut a hole in the door at the top of the stairs and fitted it with heavy small hole, not screening, heavy, metal webbing so they could yell at each other from time to time and keep up with what was going on in the other part of the house. You may not want to do that since they would work themselves up on occasion. However, it worked well. They didn't try to enter each other's territory. Cats do work out territory, "I go here in the morning, you can have it in the afternoon and what's his face has it in the evening." Whatever they did they did not try to get to each other after that.
 

Szczygiel

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 25, 2021
Messages
33
Purraise
0
Location
Western MA
Thanks everyone and sorry for the delay in responding. Sadly my Grandma died on Tuesday and my week has been all about arranging flights, accommodation etc so I can go to her funeral.

I spoke with my regular pet sitter and she assures me she will keep the cats separate while I am away. Fingers crossed.

I appreciate you taking the time to comment and it makes me hopeful my cats can have good quality of life even if separated. I really don’t want to surrender one to a shelter. My vet feels that’s the only solution. Sigh.

I will try searching the files for other stories of people living this way. Even if it’s just an extended break....I just don’t feel up to the tediousness and work of the introductions.

Thank you so much.
So sorry for your loss
 
Top