- Joined
- Jul 2, 2016
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Sorry this post is so long; I didn't know how much background info is needed. Feel free to just skim.
Long background story made as short as possible: I lived with my mom in a 2 story, 4-bedroom house with our 3 cats. When I met my now-husband 6 years ago, I moved out of my mom’s house, and he and I have been renting a 1 level, 2-bedroom condo since. I did not bring any of the cats with me. My husband and I have adopted 2 cats of our own. We also have a rabbit that he had when we met. Our landlord recently gave us 60-days notice that she is not going to renew our lease, and we have to move out by July 1. (40 days from today.) The housing market sucks because of the pandemic. So, the plan is that my husband and I will move into my mom’s house with her, and she is going to look for a new house/condo (since she wants to downsize anyway), and we will buy her house. If a miracle happens and she is able to find a house before July 1, great. She moves out, we move in, no problem. But that is looking less and less likely each day. So, we are going to have to introduce our cats to hers.
Let me tell you a little about all the cats. My mom has 3 spayed females: Skylar, 9y; Oreo, 11y; and Gretchen, 15y. All three of them were strays that we brought in from our backyard. (Thus, ages are approximate.) All of them lived at my mom’s house while I was living there.
We had just brought Oreo in about 8 months before I moved out, and she was truly feral. She was just getting to the point where she would sit at the other end of the couch when I was sitting there, when I moved out. Since then, she has warmed up very much to my mom and is a total lap cat with her. But when strangers come over (and that includes me), she runs and hides until she’s sure everyone has left. Otherwise, she is a sweet girl and gets along well with the other two. She is on a dry food urinary diet to try to prevent and hopefully reverse a developing problem that was caught early. (She refuses to eat wet food).
Gretchen is the oldest and we think is actually Oreo’s grandmother. She is super sweet and loving, always looking for attention. She likes to curl up with the others at naptime. She is still quite active, but she doesn’t like to engage in play with the other cats. She prefers a human with a toy. She has some health problems that are being monitored. As long as we’ve had her, she’s had a slightly irregular heartbeat, which she is on medication for. She has always had stomach issues, which cause fairly frequent vomiting, so she is on a sensitive stomach diet (dry and canned). Also, because of this, she is very skinny and only weighs about 6 lbs. And, anytime she gets stressed, she rips the fur out of her back. Day-to-day this isn’t much of a problem, and she’s usually okay when I come over. But if anyone else, including my husband, comes over, or there is any change in her routine, she starts pulling fur out. It’s a bit odd that she does it around my husband, considering she actively seeks out his lap as a nap spot.
And finally, Skylar, the “baby” of the group. She is a very sweet cat, loves people, loves attention. She likes to try to engage the other two in play sessions, but the other two generally aren’t interested. She's the one that scratches everything and gets into all kinds of mischief. And, she is one of those cats that has a never-ending appetite and is overweight, even though her food intake is closely monitored. She is the largest of the girls at 9 ½ lbs.
All of my mom’s cats are on different diets, and they are meal fed a set amount twice a day, usually at 5 & 5. They each have their own spot they go to eat.
As far as the two my husband and I have, they are both neutered males: Sandy, 6y; and Kai, 4 ½. Sandy was born at a no-kill shelter, and we adopted him at 7 mos old. He really likes being around people and other cats, and though he is a little wary at first, he warms up pretty quick if he doesn’t sense a threat. We adopted Kai from a local animal control, where he was picked up wandering the streets as a stray. He was neutered and EXTEMELY friendly, so we think he must have belonged to someone at some point, but there was no chip, no collar, and no one claimed him. They thought he was about a year old when we adopted him. He literally wants to be picked up by any person as they are walking in the door, whether or not he’s ever met them. He is super chill and very easy to handle. He became best buds with Sandy almost immediately. These two are both big boys (both weigh around 16 lbs., and they are not overweight), and like boys, they like to have a couple rough and tumble play sessions together each day. My two boys both eat the same diet (which is completely different than anything my mom’s cats eat). They get meal fed a set amount twice a day, usually at 9 & 9, and they both have their own spots they go to eat.
(I will also note at this point our rabbit. He is a neutered male, Tater Tot, 8y, weighs 4 ½ lbs., and is very energetic and in great condition. However, he can sometimes be vicious. He has claws and teeth and not only knows how to use them, but will not hesitate to use them. Our 2 cats are scared of him. As long as he’s caged, everything’s fine. But whenever we let him for playtime, the cats either get as high off the floor as possible, or they run and hide in another room. Tater Tot doesn’t take crap from anyone, animal or human. He’s never drawn blood on the cats, but he has definitely let them know, in no uncertain terms, that he is the boss.)
Okay, so, there you have the situation and the players. Now help!!! I have had nearly a dozen cats in my life, so I’ve done the whole introduction thing many times, and I only had issues with the first one. I also worked in a cat-focused veterinary clinic for a few years when I was younger. And I know all the Jackson Galaxy tips. But I have never had to try to integrate two completely established households. I’m going to talk to our vet (who also sees my mom's cats), but the soonest we can get in is the third week of June, which is very shortly before we move. Like I said, I know all the tips and tricks to integrate one new cat into an established household, but I’m in very new territory here. So any tips, tricks, hints, or advice would be appreciated. I’m thinking I should start soon, maybe exchanging things from each household to get them all used to each others’ scents, although they have pretty much all smelled each other on the three of us humans for years. Part of my worry also, is that my mom will be moving out at some point, and taking her cats with her. I don’t know how much stress that will put them under. They’re living in their house just fine, then all of a sudden, all these new people and animals start living there, and then suddenly they’re back to just the 3 of them with my mom, but in a completely new house with new smells. Especially poor Gretchen, with her fur pulling. And Heaven help us if the boys become best friends with the girls; separating them could be a nightmare!
My husband thinks we should try taking our cats, one at a time, over for a few meet and greets before we move in, but I feel like that’s maybe not such a good idea, and it would just prove to be stressful for our cats. But then again, Kai is a seriously laid back dude, so I don’t know. The plan is that my husband and I will bunk in one of the spare bedrooms, and we’ll keep our boys in that room during the introduction period. My mom’s cats aren’t really allowed in that room at all, so it shouldn’t smell heavily of them. They don't sleep in there or anything. So maybe take our cats over to explore the room a few times, but not have any interaction with my mom’s cats? I don’t know. I need help. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and thanks in advance for any advice.
Long background story made as short as possible: I lived with my mom in a 2 story, 4-bedroom house with our 3 cats. When I met my now-husband 6 years ago, I moved out of my mom’s house, and he and I have been renting a 1 level, 2-bedroom condo since. I did not bring any of the cats with me. My husband and I have adopted 2 cats of our own. We also have a rabbit that he had when we met. Our landlord recently gave us 60-days notice that she is not going to renew our lease, and we have to move out by July 1. (40 days from today.) The housing market sucks because of the pandemic. So, the plan is that my husband and I will move into my mom’s house with her, and she is going to look for a new house/condo (since she wants to downsize anyway), and we will buy her house. If a miracle happens and she is able to find a house before July 1, great. She moves out, we move in, no problem. But that is looking less and less likely each day. So, we are going to have to introduce our cats to hers.
Let me tell you a little about all the cats. My mom has 3 spayed females: Skylar, 9y; Oreo, 11y; and Gretchen, 15y. All three of them were strays that we brought in from our backyard. (Thus, ages are approximate.) All of them lived at my mom’s house while I was living there.
We had just brought Oreo in about 8 months before I moved out, and she was truly feral. She was just getting to the point where she would sit at the other end of the couch when I was sitting there, when I moved out. Since then, she has warmed up very much to my mom and is a total lap cat with her. But when strangers come over (and that includes me), she runs and hides until she’s sure everyone has left. Otherwise, she is a sweet girl and gets along well with the other two. She is on a dry food urinary diet to try to prevent and hopefully reverse a developing problem that was caught early. (She refuses to eat wet food).
Gretchen is the oldest and we think is actually Oreo’s grandmother. She is super sweet and loving, always looking for attention. She likes to curl up with the others at naptime. She is still quite active, but she doesn’t like to engage in play with the other cats. She prefers a human with a toy. She has some health problems that are being monitored. As long as we’ve had her, she’s had a slightly irregular heartbeat, which she is on medication for. She has always had stomach issues, which cause fairly frequent vomiting, so she is on a sensitive stomach diet (dry and canned). Also, because of this, she is very skinny and only weighs about 6 lbs. And, anytime she gets stressed, she rips the fur out of her back. Day-to-day this isn’t much of a problem, and she’s usually okay when I come over. But if anyone else, including my husband, comes over, or there is any change in her routine, she starts pulling fur out. It’s a bit odd that she does it around my husband, considering she actively seeks out his lap as a nap spot.
And finally, Skylar, the “baby” of the group. She is a very sweet cat, loves people, loves attention. She likes to try to engage the other two in play sessions, but the other two generally aren’t interested. She's the one that scratches everything and gets into all kinds of mischief. And, she is one of those cats that has a never-ending appetite and is overweight, even though her food intake is closely monitored. She is the largest of the girls at 9 ½ lbs.
All of my mom’s cats are on different diets, and they are meal fed a set amount twice a day, usually at 5 & 5. They each have their own spot they go to eat.
As far as the two my husband and I have, they are both neutered males: Sandy, 6y; and Kai, 4 ½. Sandy was born at a no-kill shelter, and we adopted him at 7 mos old. He really likes being around people and other cats, and though he is a little wary at first, he warms up pretty quick if he doesn’t sense a threat. We adopted Kai from a local animal control, where he was picked up wandering the streets as a stray. He was neutered and EXTEMELY friendly, so we think he must have belonged to someone at some point, but there was no chip, no collar, and no one claimed him. They thought he was about a year old when we adopted him. He literally wants to be picked up by any person as they are walking in the door, whether or not he’s ever met them. He is super chill and very easy to handle. He became best buds with Sandy almost immediately. These two are both big boys (both weigh around 16 lbs., and they are not overweight), and like boys, they like to have a couple rough and tumble play sessions together each day. My two boys both eat the same diet (which is completely different than anything my mom’s cats eat). They get meal fed a set amount twice a day, usually at 9 & 9, and they both have their own spots they go to eat.
(I will also note at this point our rabbit. He is a neutered male, Tater Tot, 8y, weighs 4 ½ lbs., and is very energetic and in great condition. However, he can sometimes be vicious. He has claws and teeth and not only knows how to use them, but will not hesitate to use them. Our 2 cats are scared of him. As long as he’s caged, everything’s fine. But whenever we let him for playtime, the cats either get as high off the floor as possible, or they run and hide in another room. Tater Tot doesn’t take crap from anyone, animal or human. He’s never drawn blood on the cats, but he has definitely let them know, in no uncertain terms, that he is the boss.)
Okay, so, there you have the situation and the players. Now help!!! I have had nearly a dozen cats in my life, so I’ve done the whole introduction thing many times, and I only had issues with the first one. I also worked in a cat-focused veterinary clinic for a few years when I was younger. And I know all the Jackson Galaxy tips. But I have never had to try to integrate two completely established households. I’m going to talk to our vet (who also sees my mom's cats), but the soonest we can get in is the third week of June, which is very shortly before we move. Like I said, I know all the tips and tricks to integrate one new cat into an established household, but I’m in very new territory here. So any tips, tricks, hints, or advice would be appreciated. I’m thinking I should start soon, maybe exchanging things from each household to get them all used to each others’ scents, although they have pretty much all smelled each other on the three of us humans for years. Part of my worry also, is that my mom will be moving out at some point, and taking her cats with her. I don’t know how much stress that will put them under. They’re living in their house just fine, then all of a sudden, all these new people and animals start living there, and then suddenly they’re back to just the 3 of them with my mom, but in a completely new house with new smells. Especially poor Gretchen, with her fur pulling. And Heaven help us if the boys become best friends with the girls; separating them could be a nightmare!
My husband thinks we should try taking our cats, one at a time, over for a few meet and greets before we move in, but I feel like that’s maybe not such a good idea, and it would just prove to be stressful for our cats. But then again, Kai is a seriously laid back dude, so I don’t know. The plan is that my husband and I will bunk in one of the spare bedrooms, and we’ll keep our boys in that room during the introduction period. My mom’s cats aren’t really allowed in that room at all, so it shouldn’t smell heavily of them. They don't sleep in there or anything. So maybe take our cats over to explore the room a few times, but not have any interaction with my mom’s cats? I don’t know. I need help. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and thanks in advance for any advice.