Resident cat chasing new cat non stop

[SeñorDonGato]

Hello all-- i am hoping someone can provide some advice.

We have recently adopted a second male cat which we named Twist. He is around 9 years old. Twist is very calm, affectionate, and gentle cat...and perhaps a bit shy as well. My 8-year-old daughter has fallen completely in love with the new cat and we have too, though our first will always be our number 1.

My resident cat Oliver is more independent. He is a confident cat who only seeks our attention when he is good and ready. He loves to play and will even bring you his favorite toy when he feels the need to engage. He is what I call a good roommate that you like living with.

We have gone through the whole introduction steps of setting up base camp, feeding behind a screen, letting them slowly see each other. At the moment, they are now able to eat in the same space without fighting, hissing or any other kind of hostility. However, we are finding that anytime Twist tries to leave his room, Oliver will sometimes ambush him. When Oliver doesn't ambush, he will chase Twist back to his room -- we assume it’s a territorial thing. It doesn’t always happen but 7 out of 10 times it's a sure thing.

We don't know how to stop this action. We've try shaking a can with pebbles inside, we have tried to cut the line of sight, rewarding with food, playing to keep him distracted, and swapping sites.

We don't want to have to rehome Twist as that would break my daughters heart and we would be sad for him to not be a part of our home. However, he hides in his room all day and we know that's not a good way for a cat to live.

Any advice to help the situation will be very welcomed and appreciated. Thanks!

TL;DR

Resident cat chases/ambushes new cat. We're looking for advice on how to stop this occurrence. New cat is terrified of venturing out of his room. Introduction done. Both cats eat well together. Both male cats are of roughly same age and neutered.

 

[GustifursMom]

Have you tried a calming collar? My vet suggested one for me to try for my cat who can be a bit mean to my kitten. He said if the collar doesn't work we can talk about anxiety medication.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

How long have you had Twist? It may simply be a matter of "too much, too soon." Successful cat introductions generally take several weeks, some take months.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Echoing Mamanyt1953 - how long has Twist been with you? At their ages, the entire intro process could take a long time.

Did you ever swap locations while you were introducing them? I know you mentioned you are doing that now to distract Oliver, but it should be done by removing Oliver from the area first to prevent a confrontation, and then allowing Twist a chance to roam about without the fear of being ambushed/chased. It might take a few times to get him to realize that Oliver can't get to him, but eventually he will, and that should lead to Twist feeling more relaxed and confident. Then, when Twist is back in his safe room, Oliver will be able to smell Twist's scent everywhere, hopefully helping him to realize he doesn't 'own' the rest of the house. This is part of the typical introduction process, so you may have already done it.

Taking a few steps back in the introduction process might be the way to go if Twist has only been in your home for a short while.

But, beyond that, you might want to start 'disciplining' Oliver by stopping him whenever he starts to chase/ambush Twist - pick Oliver up, hiss at him or tell him 'No' (pick one and stick with it), and then place Oliver in a separate room for a 1-2 minute 'time out'. This process needs to be done each and every time and consistently in order for Oliver to learn what is going to happen if he tries to dominate Twist. Twist will also build confidence this way, as he will learn to know that you 'have his back' and will 'protect' him from Oliver when needed. When you are not going to be home, then they need to be separated for now, if you are not already doing so.

 

[cheeseburger]

Hey there, we have dealt with this ourselves with two cats of similar temperaments to yours. We are much further down the road from you and these two cats have been living together for two years now.

We've learned that chasing isn't really the problem. The question is what happens AFTER the chasing.

Chasing, from what we've been able to observe, is a territorial thing. The issue is that the entire house used to be Oliver's territory and now Twist is encroaching on it. So Oliver wants to chase Twist back into Twist's territory.

Our cats STILL chase each other two years in. They've sort of divided the house, territory-wise, and when one comes into the other's territory, sometimes if the other cat wants to be alone, they will chase the other cat out of it. This can seem scary because they sort of sprint away, but when the sprinting is done, that's it. There's no violence or fight or attack. Just a little cardio.

If he chases Twist and there isn't any kind of pinning down, jumping on his back, or attacking at the end of the chase, I suggest you let it happen. They will need to sort out whose territory is whose, and it's likely not going to happen without a little bit of chasing. Make sure Twist has places that he can hide/escape from the chase in the rooms Oliver chases him to. If Twist prefers up high places, give him those. If Twist prefers low down/cave-like places, give him those.

Another thing you can try is dividing the house yourself and shrinking Oliver's territory and giving more to Twist, using gates for a little while. That way Twist can establish his scent marks in a broader area and feel more comfortable about that area being home/secure before you let them interact again.

If the chasing is more violent, then I'd take a few steps back in the introduction process.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

And remember that "violence" is not simply bowling over and swatting a few times. Nor is it horrible screaming. "Violence" is blood on the floor and fur in the air! Most anything short of that is a heated discussion.