I am trying to socialize a (semi?) feral cat in my home that I rescued from my yard. She is the mother of my resident cat (Millie) who was also rescued from the yard at 7 weeks of age. Anyway, I have the mother cat (Lilly) in a safe room, where she'd been learning to live in the house for just over three weeks now. In this time we've been slowly(?) re-introducing them to each other via a baby gate. For the most part, they seem to be cordial, Millie (resident cat) has growled and hissed a few times, but not recently. Lilly (new/mother cat) seems not to be too worried about Millie, even seems to be going out of her way to come to the gate when she hears her. For example, and this leading up to my question, lately, she'll come off her window perch (only comes out from under the chair at night, where she sits on a window perch and looks out or engages in play time with us) when she hears Millie using/scratching her litter box which is out in the hallway but well within earshot of Lilly if the door is open. She'll hear Millie using her litter, then comes off the perch and meows to her and waits at the baby gate for her to come.I know ferals don't generally meow, and I know that cats only are supposed to meow at people, but she is very clearly doing this in reaction to hearing Millie.
Tonight Millie seemed to want to be in the room with Lilly, even going so far as to look at jumping the baby-gate (which I am closely monitoring when it's up and the door is open). My questions are:
1. Is it possible, or has anyone else experienced a cat calling out to another cat to get their attention? (I've never owned cats before Millie).
2. When do I know it's time to let the cats meet w/o the gate? Millie seems a bit unsure still, cautions, and has jumped on the gate and Lilly will run away but almost immediately return as if to suggest she's not all that afraid of Millie. Is this play?
If I get my hand too close to Lilly she'll hiss to warn me to back off, but at night she has started playing like a baby kitten, rolling on her back (especially when she sees Millie) and flopping all over the room while chasing after a string. She is certainly getting more comfortable in her safe room, but there are clear signals she still wants us to keep our distance, so I'm not sure if it's the same for her and Mille.
3. Is it more important for Lilly to warm up to us (the humans) or Millie first? I suppose it's more important for her to get along with Millie because she may never let us touch her. But, I am so new to all of this I really don't know - I've ready EVERYTHING I could possibly read on cat-to-cat intros, and introducing a feral to resident cat, but there are just things that aren't all that clear to me still.
Thanks for any guidance and experienced advice.
Tonight Millie seemed to want to be in the room with Lilly, even going so far as to look at jumping the baby-gate (which I am closely monitoring when it's up and the door is open). My questions are:
1. Is it possible, or has anyone else experienced a cat calling out to another cat to get their attention? (I've never owned cats before Millie).
2. When do I know it's time to let the cats meet w/o the gate? Millie seems a bit unsure still, cautions, and has jumped on the gate and Lilly will run away but almost immediately return as if to suggest she's not all that afraid of Millie. Is this play?
If I get my hand too close to Lilly she'll hiss to warn me to back off, but at night she has started playing like a baby kitten, rolling on her back (especially when she sees Millie) and flopping all over the room while chasing after a string. She is certainly getting more comfortable in her safe room, but there are clear signals she still wants us to keep our distance, so I'm not sure if it's the same for her and Mille.
3. Is it more important for Lilly to warm up to us (the humans) or Millie first? I suppose it's more important for her to get along with Millie because she may never let us touch her. But, I am so new to all of this I really don't know - I've ready EVERYTHING I could possibly read on cat-to-cat intros, and introducing a feral to resident cat, but there are just things that aren't all that clear to me still.
Thanks for any guidance and experienced advice.