New adopted cats

[Coserm]

I've just brought a house and thought it was a great time to adopt a cat as we lost our 11 year old cat in December.
We adopted Oscar a 2 year old tabby cat. He is a beautiful cat and we have had him for 5 weeks but he meows all the time and wants attention at 1 in the morning. I'm thinking he is lonely and to adopt another cat so he can have a friend, when we adopted him he was in a room with 3 other cats. I adopted May a week ago. She is a 1 year domestic cat who was desexed the day before we got her. I've taken all the steps to introduce her to Oscar, put her in a separate room for the first few days then let her around the house and slowly introduced each other. They can now eat close together however this is as far as it goes. She attacks him anytime there in the same room or when ever he meows (which is a lot). He wants to smell her but she is having none of it. I don't know what I am doing wrong?! I know it's been a week but I've not slept for a week!! Help please!!

 

[jen]

You aren't doing anything wrong. This all sounds totally normal. Cats take time to get along. How does she "attack" him? You say they eat together so that means there really isn't likely anything wrong. They are allowed to hiss and growl and swat and chase each other. This is all part of their communication and developing a relationship with each other. They will also have to establish who is dominant in the home. This process can be loud and sound bad but they have to do it. Unless there is blood shed I wouldn't worry too much, just keep doing what you are doing.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

The only thing you MAY have done wrong is taking all the right steps a LITTLE too quickly. Unless there are real fights...blood on the ground, fur in the air, they can work this out. OR, you can start the introduction over, and move a bit more slowly. But this is far from "worst case scenario," so take heart!