Need help with introducing cats

[Cookie96]

I have two cats Zelda who is 11, we have had her for about a year now, and Tarot who is 7, we've had her for about 3-4 weeks now.

We have had Tarot in a bathroom shut away and we put the two cats in the same room everyday for about 30 minutes trying to introduce them, when we do this Zelda recluses and makes herself very small and hides away, if Tarot then gets up close to her Zelda hisses and growls but doesn't fight or anything like that, sometimes this then leads to Tarot getting super close and starting a fight or Tarot just leaves her alone. The thing is it's always Tarot who starts the fight, for example today Zelda was sitting on a window sill and Tarot just jumped up super fast and swatted at Zelda.

Unsure what to do really because Tarot is always the one starting fights. Also it is probably a good idea to mention both of them were strays at one point and Tarot had an 8 week stay in a cat orphanage and wasn't fighting with cats during the stay

 

[Jaxicore]

Hi! Parent of three cats here! I know it’s hard for any owner to have cats that don’t get along right away but putting them in a room together is making things worse. Kept the new one in a separate room and let Zelda and Tarot smell each other. Give them treats to show meeting is a positive thing. Once you notice them both calm and relaxed put a smell from either cat with the opposite (i.e. Tarots bed with Zelda and blanket or bed Zelda uses with Tarot) to get them used to sharing territory with each other. Play with them on either side of the door. If you notice paw play beneath the door you can place a very tall baby gate between them and slowly let the see each other. If you notice hostility you can try distracting them with treats or toys so it’s a god time for both. If they’re still aggressive then repeat the other steps again then try the gate. Let them see each other in their own territory. Every so often swap them and have Tarot out in the house and Zelda in the bathroom so Tarot can get used to Zelda’s smell. Give them treats throughout the whole introduction to show that seeing each other is a positive experience. If you still notice hostility after a month from Tarot then that may mean she’s being territorial over the house. Try using a pheromone diffuser which you can get online. It may help calm them both. Positive signs are of course no growling or hissing or swatting, tail up, ears up, and sniffing. Maybe even rubbing against the door and gate or play. Don’t rush them into getting along. Tarot is stressed by being put into claimed territory and Zelda is just defending her home. Putting them together too soon can and will cause a hostile relationship. We have a little girl named Aumi and she HATES our boys. We’ve kept her in a separate room for months so she feels confident in her place in the home. She’s also unspayed and that can cause aggression too especially if in heat. We’re waiting to get her spayed before properly introducing them. Just take your time and go at their pace.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS, Cookie96 . And you too, Jaxicore .

Cookie96 : Keeping the 2 cats separate is the right idea, but there are several steps between initially keeping them separated, and letting them be in the same room together.

Jaxicore touched on several of the steps. TCS also has an article on the topic:
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide | TheCatSite

And because introductions don't always go well the first time, we also have:
How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction | TheCatSite

So take a step back, and proceed a bit more slowly, and hopefully in time Zelda and Tarot will be friends.

 

[JacobinCat]

There is a great description of introduction steps here: