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I don't think they are playing, but it's not like a cat "fight" either. Looks to me like they are sorting out their hierarchy.
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New Cat In The House - Updated Aug 19 - Still Having Issues
- Thread starter BaileyCrow26
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this is all they do. they are about the same size, but different ages. I think thats making it harder....do I just let them do it? or try to prevent it?
Let them do it. It is a bit of dominant play. The Siamese backing down and hissing and then the gray walking away is fine. Sammy is telling Storm no. He is being an annoying kitten. He will catch on.
You want to worry if there is bloodshed, if one can't even eat or sleep in peace, if one is always hiding and not coming out even to eat/drink/use litterbox, etc.
You want to worry if there is bloodshed, if one can't even eat or sleep in peace, if one is always hiding and not coming out even to eat/drink/use litterbox, etc.
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oh they are separated unless we are supervising. should they be together full time right now? we worry about leaving them together overnight
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Stormy is our lovely bratty young Russian Blue that is about 10 months old...(send help we are dying over here) he is a biter as I've mentioned before, we have gone to behavioralist appointments, tried medication, tried air horns and spray bottles, its BAD YALL. We recently got a siamese cat, Sammy, stray, 1.5 years the SWEEEEEETEST cat on the face of the earth. doesn't do anything he shouldn't, literally an angel. Well we mixed these two POLAR OPPOSITES together through many steps of introduction, we did follow the steps and they were indeed ready to be together. But after time, stormy is being a bully. he is attacking Sammy with no cause, attacking when he is drinking water (no problem with food, but if stormy finishes first he will take Sammys food) and essentially Sammy hides in a little nook with his bed for most of the day. What do we do? Do we seperate them? Is stormy ever going to come around? both males are neutered and have been for a while. is this stressing Sammy out? Please, anyone comment. ANYONE. with ANY advice.
If Sammy is constantly hiding, never participates in the play, constantly tries to avoid Stormy, than yeah, he is stressed out. As long as Sammy is eating and using the litter box, not pulling out his own hair, then it likely isn't that bad, stress wise, but there is clearly some stress. Are there noises when they interact? Growling/hissing?
First step is that we need more details about exactly what happens, because it could well be that Stormy is just trying to play. Many times an over-eager younger cat can stress the heck out an older cat by just not taking no for an answer on playing. Stalking and pouncing is normal cat play, especially when the other cat won't voluntarily play normally. Now you said "older" but then you said 1.5 years -- that is the newcomers age the vet estimates?
If Stormy is just trying to play, you have more leeway/time to figure things out and/or let them try and work it out. If Stormy is displaying some form of aggression and Sammy is at risk of injury, things are different. You've not seen any wounds I take it. Any fur clumps pulled out? Actual clumps, with roots attached.
Hmmm, probably also good to tell us a little bit more about the introduction process. Also, how long have they been freely interacting?
Sorry to throw so many question at you, but I don't want to tell you to "give them more time" and "let them work it out" without being thorough. That probably is the most likely advice I'll give, but it depends on the details.
First step is that we need more details about exactly what happens, because it could well be that Stormy is just trying to play. Many times an over-eager younger cat can stress the heck out an older cat by just not taking no for an answer on playing. Stalking and pouncing is normal cat play, especially when the other cat won't voluntarily play normally. Now you said "older" but then you said 1.5 years -- that is the newcomers age the vet estimates?
If Stormy is just trying to play, you have more leeway/time to figure things out and/or let them try and work it out. If Stormy is displaying some form of aggression and Sammy is at risk of injury, things are different. You've not seen any wounds I take it. Any fur clumps pulled out? Actual clumps, with roots attached.
Hmmm, probably also good to tell us a little bit more about the introduction process. Also, how long have they been freely interacting?
Sorry to throw so many question at you, but I don't want to tell you to "give them more time" and "let them work it out" without being thorough. That probably is the most likely advice I'll give, but it depends on the details.
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Okay so Sammy NEVER plays anyways, it take ALOT to get Sammy to play. Sammy still eats, uses the liter box, and drinks (when stormy allows) Sammy growls and hisses when stormy pounces... lots of shrieking and such. Stormy does LOOK like he is trying to play...hes hunting and pouncing and then flops on his belly. It essentially is what you described, stormy doesn't take NO as an answer to play time. The 1.5 years is the vets estimate based on teeth and body size, but she did say it is just a rough estimate. The introduction was very slow and took almost 4 months. we did it Jackson Galaxy style (Behind the door feeding, and then through a gate feeding and playing, peeking through the door and then slowly interacting ONLY during feeding and then separating again until the vet thought they were ready to be in the room together permanently), stormy also does this whole mounting and biting the neck shenanigans...dominant play?
When Stormy bites you immediately hiss at him. This is his mother, siblings, other cats who are his friends way of telling him to knock it off. All your previous responses to his biting can be interpreted as your idea of play. No, really, particularly since Stormy plays rough.
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ALSOOOOO only freely interacting for maybe 1-2 months
Ok, got it. Stormy is a normal 10 month old, wants to play-play-play and won't take no for an answer. That is really really common. Sammy's attitude is rare in a one and a half year old, but super common in older cats. So this is a very common thing overall, we have tons of experience with it.
Unfortunately, while there are some that may give some advice around the edges, things you should try, the truth is, it is mostly time that will improve things. Slowly. If you feel like Sammy is really being stressed, you could consider rehoming Stormy, would would likely be happier with a willing playmate anyway -- but it doesn't sound like the level of stress is high enough that I would personally do that if attached to both cats.
Unfortunately, while there are some that may give some advice around the edges, things you should try, the truth is, it is mostly time that will improve things. Slowly. If you feel like Sammy is really being stressed, you could consider rehoming Stormy, would would likely be happier with a willing playmate anyway -- but it doesn't sound like the level of stress is high enough that I would personally do that if attached to both cats.
Well, the hissing worked with ours when she was about that age and it worked immediately. Of course, Stormy may be different.
I don't know if the hissing will stop Stormy from trying to play with Sammy. I was
answering your statement that he bites. I assumed you meant he bit you.
I don't know if the hissing will stop Stormy from trying to play with Sammy. I was
answering your statement that he bites. I assumed you meant he bit you.
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So we tried this...and he looked at us like we were DUMMMMB.
Sorry. Wish I could think of something else, but the hissing always worked for us, the other stuff, nope. We were lucky, I guess.
Is he neutered? I didn't see that you mentioned that. If not it should help. It takes about 6 weeks for most cats to settle afterwards.
Is he neutered? I didn't see that you mentioned that. If not it should help. It takes about 6 weeks for most cats to settle afterwards.
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yes he is... he was neutered as soon as he was a good candidate for it, which was in February
Then I'm afraid
A
ArtNJ
is right and you've just got to live through it. However, I believe that time outs do no harm. You put the cat in a room by himself (it can have toys and TV, whatever), at his age 15 minutes wouldn't be too long. He'll probably go to sleep. You use this time to bandage whatever damage he did and have your drink of choice. The cat learns nothing, but you do no harm.
It is a difficult age, good luck.
It is a difficult age, good luck.
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Thank you! We do this and it DEFINITLY helps. Maybe its just the placebo effect on us but oh well, we see him calm down and chill out for a while.
It's not the placebo effect. I had a rowdy boy, who didn't bite me, but would go to the dark side from time to time. It helped everyone, human and feline calm down and recover.
Don't let anyone tell you time out is a bad thing. Once those eyes aren't dilated to the max life is better for all.
Don't let anyone tell you time out is a bad thing. Once those eyes aren't dilated to the max life is better for all.
I have a post about introducing my two cats if you want to glance through. I have M1 (Mango) who is about 1.5 years old now and M2 (Melon) is our new cat who is about 3. M1 also loves chasing/stalking M2 and M2 usually hisses/growls with her ears flat. Recently she's been standing up for herself more! We are at about the 11 week point for us. M2 still hides quite a bit but her hiding spaces have moved around quite a bit since she's been introduced to our home as she's gotten braver. She's always ate fine and used the restroom OK so while we know she's a little anxious, it doesn't seem to have gotten to a beyond repair point. They have settled down as time as gone on. Does your Sammy have time alone around the house without Stormy?
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ill check that out! unfortunately we are in college and live in a one bedroom apartment so we are a little cramped but moving soon!
You could try keeping Stormy with you at night in the bedroom and letting Sammy roam around the rest of the apartment? (I'm assuming it's one bedroom and not a studio, sorry if I misunderstood!) What personally helped for ours was letting the new cat have time to explore without the threat of our resident cat. As she got more familiar with our home, she found new safe spaces so she wasn't always hiding in the same place.
