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- Sep 28, 2023
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Hi,
I have 3 cats- a brother and sister (Charlie and Sally) both two years old and 4 year old Arthur- and I recently started fostering a 5 year old cat named Fanny. It’s been over a month and we are at the part of the introduction where they are eating by a cracked open door with the bowls gradually being moved closer and the door being opened wider. I did the scent and litter swapping and both went really well. I’ve also been letting Fanny free roam every day for an hour or so while my 3 are locked in my bedroom because he hates being locked up in his room. All 4 cats are fine eating on either side of a closed door but if I open the door even a crack, my 3 will go running. Only Charlie will occasionally come back and eat by the partially opened door. I know that part of the problem is that Fanny got out twice during these food visual sessions. The first time he ran into my bedroom and attacked Arthur. I was able to get between them fairly quickly and get him back to his room. The second time Fanny got out, he ran after Charlie and right into Arthur who scratched him on the nose. Fanny hid under the coffee table, Arthur stayed where he was and did not go after him, and I had to wrap Fanny in a blanket to get him back to his room. With each incident I went back in the introduction to wherever my cats were comfortable and we have now worked our way to the food/visuals sessions. Because I want to keep everyone safe and avoid further incidents, I am now stacking two gates when I crack the door open. But Arthur and Sally refuse to come eat if the door is cracked even an inch. I have tried using high value treats that I only give them during these sessions but the only one who will come for the treat is Charlie. My cats are on a feeding schedule- they get two main meals of wet food and two smaller ones of dry food and I have started trying to feed them their dry food outside Fanny’s door but both Sally and Arthur will wait until the door is closed to come eat. I would love to just leave the door cracked open and let them come to their food on their own when they are ready but Fanny hates being locked up so when he sees the door is cracked open he starts climbing the gates and that freaks my cats out. I’m feeling very stuck. I don’t know if there’s anything else I can do or try or is it just a matter of continuing with the sessions with the gates up and the food near the door until they eventually make up their mind that it’s ok to eat near Fanny. Any advice and suggestions are greatly appreciated!
I have 3 cats- a brother and sister (Charlie and Sally) both two years old and 4 year old Arthur- and I recently started fostering a 5 year old cat named Fanny. It’s been over a month and we are at the part of the introduction where they are eating by a cracked open door with the bowls gradually being moved closer and the door being opened wider. I did the scent and litter swapping and both went really well. I’ve also been letting Fanny free roam every day for an hour or so while my 3 are locked in my bedroom because he hates being locked up in his room. All 4 cats are fine eating on either side of a closed door but if I open the door even a crack, my 3 will go running. Only Charlie will occasionally come back and eat by the partially opened door. I know that part of the problem is that Fanny got out twice during these food visual sessions. The first time he ran into my bedroom and attacked Arthur. I was able to get between them fairly quickly and get him back to his room. The second time Fanny got out, he ran after Charlie and right into Arthur who scratched him on the nose. Fanny hid under the coffee table, Arthur stayed where he was and did not go after him, and I had to wrap Fanny in a blanket to get him back to his room. With each incident I went back in the introduction to wherever my cats were comfortable and we have now worked our way to the food/visuals sessions. Because I want to keep everyone safe and avoid further incidents, I am now stacking two gates when I crack the door open. But Arthur and Sally refuse to come eat if the door is cracked even an inch. I have tried using high value treats that I only give them during these sessions but the only one who will come for the treat is Charlie. My cats are on a feeding schedule- they get two main meals of wet food and two smaller ones of dry food and I have started trying to feed them their dry food outside Fanny’s door but both Sally and Arthur will wait until the door is closed to come eat. I would love to just leave the door cracked open and let them come to their food on their own when they are ready but Fanny hates being locked up so when he sees the door is cracked open he starts climbing the gates and that freaks my cats out. I’m feeling very stuck. I don’t know if there’s anything else I can do or try or is it just a matter of continuing with the sessions with the gates up and the food near the door until they eventually make up their mind that it’s ok to eat near Fanny. Any advice and suggestions are greatly appreciated!
