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Those photos are awesome! :)

I'm not sure I can pick any favourites. The one with Coraline on the pizza box and on her back is just too cute.
Then the Bandit one hiding out, and sleeping like a bunny. lol. :loveeyes:
And Dexter...well...they are all fantastic. I was going to choose the one where he's looking up at his guy.
But then he's so lovey-dovey in all of them, that he probably was a model in a previous life. haha. :cool2:

Thanks. My photo-fix of this trio is again satisfied. :lovecat2: :blush: :thumbsup:
Well.... we had a bit of a SNAFU 🙀 on Monday. My bf wasn't expecting Dexter to be out from under the bed and he made a break for the other bed and was under there for a while with Bandit, while Coraline was put away in the bathroom. But it did give us a chance to do a room/scent swap for the cats. They all seemed okay. Coraline was smelling all over and seemed calm.
After Dexter had spent some time under that bed and smelled that room, he came out and hasn't been hiding since.
That's okay. Things like this happen all the time.
What happens after is what matters most.

Sounds like Dexter is doing really well.
Just try to do a formal room swap, then, with placing Coraline in the boy's room, and see how it goes.
Do some more of those, and getting the cats super calm, and bored,...then work up to the 'gate method'.

Remember to play with them all, individually, and give treats, too.
I think that pretty soon they will all just be sleeping all over the place.
And thank you so much for all of that wonderful advice, practically step by step instructions, which I love!
Haha. You're welcome. :blush:
I think I tend to get a little long-worded and rambly at times...but as long as you can understand me, that's good.
If I repeat myself, just skip those parts, and do what you think is best. :biggrin:

You posting photos, is all the thanks I need. I appreciate that. :)
I love seeing videos and photos.

(There are other places on TCS (The Cat Site) where you can post photos as well.
I think that's in the Fur Pictures and Videos Only! or in the New Cats on the Block )
I just don't always happen to see them, since I enjoy reading the Cat Behaviour and Cat Health forums, for now..:read:
 
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leahbasford

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They are all three so different. Coraline loves to be around people but doesn’t want to cuddle or sit on you. Pets only. Bandit is very timid and will only sit on his dad. And Dexter is super outgoing and affectionate and is the only one who will give me the kitty cuddles I need. ❤
 

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They are all three so different. Coraline loves to be around people but doesn’t want to cuddle or sit on you. Pets only. Bandit is very timid and will only sit on his dad. And Dexter is super outgoing and affectionate and is the only one who will give me the kitty cuddles I need. ❤
I take this a good thing that all the cats are different. :agree:
Could you imagine if they were all similar and all wanted to be on your lap, or demanded food all at the same time?
Yikes, that could cause a whole lot of 'one at a time' now, scenarios.:lol: :fear:

Huh, so Bandit is timid with people, but not timid with exploring.
And Dexter is super affectionate, but was initially super scared with his new surroundings.
Amazing how our cats have all unique personalities and sensitivities, too.

That means you cannot predict how they will act, based on how they have acted with people.
It's nice, though, that the boys are settling in so quick. I thought it would be longer.

They both sound like they are just moving forward, after Dexter's initial under-bed to closet space, favorite spots.
I think that closet spaces, in general, and under sofas and beds are favorite spots, because they are dark, quiet, and not easily disturbed.

Does your Coraline have a favourite spot, or does she like many areas?
 
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leahbasford

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Coraline’s favorite spot is here in this chair.
31CB5B36-4B0F-4772-8F6F-CFE3AEC98A14.jpeg

But, when I first got her she hid inside the couch for most of the week.

And as promised, here are the boys this evening :)
8F6BE65C-692D-4580-B443-CE3685BF57A0.jpeg
 

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Coraline’s favorite spot is here in this chair.
Wow, is Coraline ever relaxed in that chair. :cloud9:
Granted, that chair looks ultra comfy, so I imagine that anyone, animal or human, would just fall asleep, too. :sleep:
And as promised, here are the boys this evening :)
Thanks. When you first said 'here are the boys'...I thought..."Where, I only see one?" :clover: :dunno:
Then I looked closer and saw Bandit, around the corner, peeking out of the doorway.:blush:

Nothing gets by me, if I look hard enough, I guess. :crackup:
Also you mentioned 'the boys'...so I figured there had to be two cats, hopefully.
(unless you were talking about your bf and cat. I wasn't sure at first.):lol::thumbsup:

All the cats look like they are relaxing well.
Bandit looks to be deep in thought, or just deciding on where to go next.

If Dexter does that kneading/massage/pawsage thing...then that would be more awesome.
It's like a massage but given by a cat, who knows how to knead on their human's legs, but not walk on the human's bladder, or stomach.
 
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Coraline seems to be getting MORE territorial and/or aggressive toward the boys. They are so scared of her. Is this normal for her to regress like this?
 

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That can happen if the introduction process was rushed. As someone said earlier in this thread, you can only go as fast as the slowest adapting cat. What has been going on as of late? Are they now all sharing the same space all of the time?
 
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They are still separated and we let them out in shifts. We just recently put the screen/gate up and let them see each other and it went okay the first couple of times and then it went down hill.
 

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Coraline seems to be getting MORE territorial and/or aggressive toward the boys. They are so scared of her. Is this normal for her to regress like this?
They are still separated and we let them out in shifts. We just recently put the screen/gate up and let them see each other and it went okay the first couple of times and then it went down hill.
It's very normal for the resident cat to take a long time in accepting new cats to her territory.
Coraline has two cats to accept, not just one cat, ...so these cat-intros would normally take longer.

I wouldn't say that Coraline is regressing...but rather acting as most cats would in needing time to accept, adjust, and get used to the new situation.

How did it actually go 'down hill'?
Did you introduce them individually?
Was there a lot of hissing, spitting, growling, high-pitched vocalizing?

Was there food involved? or treats?
 
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leahbasford

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I don’t know how I didn’t put it together sooner, but Bandit got a lot closer last night so that could be a factor?

The boys were comfortable in the house and Coraline was no longer hissing at the door but instead seemed more curious and playful. Since the sightings through the screen she has been lunging at the boys under the door and hissing and growling again.

Do we go back to door meetings?

Also, Coraline LOVES treats so we use those with her but the boys don’t really like treats and they like catnip okay. Kind of indifferent toward everything.
 

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I don’t know how I didn’t put it together sooner, but Bandit got a lot closer last night so that could be a factor?

The boys were comfortable in the house and Coraline was no longer hissing at the door
but instead seemed more curious and playful. Since the sightings through the screen she has been lunging at the boys under the door and hissing and growling again.

Do we go back to door meetings?

Also, Coraline LOVES treats so we use those with her but the boys don’t really like treats and they like catnip okay. Kind of indifferent toward everything.
Yes, it sounds like Coraline is still very upset and nervous of these 'intruders'.
Cat intros are never really straight-forward, or progress forward in stages like we humans might want, or think.

They rather go into what seems like steps forward, and then pauses...or more time for adjustments, and to us humans they may look like steps back, but they are rather 'very slow, glacial-like progress towards every cat becoming comfortable'.

You can go back to door meetings, like Furballsmom suggests, and use 'cat food/treats or play' to entice each cat to come near to the door.
If you can set up your screen to have limited visual access, then you can possibly raise a bed-sheet (stretched across some chairs, or onto the gate, if strong enough,) or cardboard with larger cut-outs a little more each day, so that Coraline does not get overwhelmed with the visual sight of seeing one of the cats. It's very scary for her, to suddenly see one of the cats.

Choose one of the boys, and work with them, and then choose the other, and see how each cat reacts.

It would help you if you could film the interactions, and play them back for yourselves, and look for any minor body language movements from any of the cats, which the cats may interpret as threats. You're looking for any staring, paw movements, fur standing up, ears twitching, and intense alertness.

What you want to do at the gate or door, is lower these cat-reactions, to the point of where the cats actually start to look very bored.

If you can find a favourite food that the boys might like, and use this, or even use their favourite cat toys, and play with them,...then as long as each gate/door interaction ends in a positive association...it will help to build upon more positives, and better feelings amongst the cats.

Also, after Coraline gets more relaxed and comfortable,... can you somehow, divide your place up, with the screen, so that all the cats have equal access to most of the places.
For instance, if the gate or divider can be placed in a hallway, then the cats, ...especially Coraline may feel that she is not losing any territory or space to the boys. Likewise, you'd still be doing room swaps, and site swaps,...but using more rooms, if the divider were in a hallway.

For now, though, cut down on full visuals, until Coraline is less stressed and more comfortable.
Open up the visuals in small increments.
Use treats/food and Play for Coraline, and Play or favorite food for Dexter, or Bandit.
Video tape and watch the videos back, to notice if and when Coraline is getting more relaxed.

These steps takes a lot of time, and patience. But you'll be doing a lot of cat observations, ...so that's the fun part. :blush: :lovecat2::hellocat::tabbycat:
 
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That’s really excellent advice! We tried a blanket but they couldn’t even sense each other so I guess that’s why you said a sheet :lol:
We’ve been meeting back at the door and we’ll try the sheet this evening and see how it goes.
 

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That’s really excellent advice! We tried a blanket but they couldn’t even sense each other so I guess that’s why you said a sheet :lol:
We’ve been meeting back at the door and we’ll try the sheet this evening and see how it goes.
No, actually, the only reason I said a sheet, was because it is lighter, weighs less, so I figured it wouldn't tumble the gate over.
But let's now go with your idea, since it makes better sense. :blush: :thumbsup:
(Hmm...maybe we'll have to revisit the 'blanket idea'...since having the cats not reacting is a good thing, in the first stages of getting them to approach the gate. They won't fear the gate. Your way might actually be better, here. I guess we'll see.):think:

I totally forgot to mention the importance of continuously doing more 'Scent swaps'...and "Site swaps".
The only way cats really get to know each other, and get comfortable with each other...is through Scent.
The visuals come much later, when the cats have been so exposed to the new scents, that they don't really find them new or strange.

I went and read back your thread, and realized that you had only started the cat intro's since Feb.1st...so really...technically you shouldn't be on the visual stage, yet. (please don't shoot the messenger. :fear:...since I know how hard it is to want our cats to become friends a lot faster than the cats want to, or are able to.) It's just that if you rush things, before each cat is ready, then you may run into situations that are harder to come back from, or rather they are just harder to settle, or take longer to undo. I hope that makes sense.

The problem is that since Coraline is the resident cat, she has the more difficult position of Accepting the two cats into her territory.

You have to look at it from all the cats' perspectives...in that Coraline feels threatened, and insecure, that her territory is being invaded.
You'll build up her Confidence through Play, Food/Treats, Attention/Affection, and allowing her more time to roam around the home, while the boys are in another room.
Basically a lot of 'site swaps',
with added times, and more time for all the cats to soak in the scents, and mark their scents everywhere.

She needs extra time, to get familiar with all the scents of the newcomers, ...so that eventually, the scents are familiar to her, and then she'll feel like they were always there, and that Dexter and Bandit are okay to be in the same area that she is in.

At the same time, the male cats have to also feel more confident, which is again through 'site swaps' and Play, and not come to fear Coraline.

Are all the cats also spending equal time out and about with their humans?
If you can set up a routine, where they rotate and spend equal time, then that would be good.
It builds their confidence up, and does so with love, play, food, and the ability to roam/explore. Things that all cats need/enjoy.

So I guess what I'm suggesting is to hold off opening up the visuals with the sheet, tonight,...until you are at a place where you see that all the cats are very comfortable, relaxed, and bored by being in each other's spaces.
You can still use the sheet and the gate, but don't let the cats see each other, just yet.

*Site Swapping and further scent swapping with exchanging cat-beds, cat blankets, boxes, towels, t-shirts will be the key in your cat-introductions.
(If there is anything that doesn't make sense, then just feel free to ask. There is always someone here, on TCS, to answer.) :catrub:
 
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Excellent, thank you so much! Coraline does well when we site swap. She does a lap around the room and smells then just lays down and waits to go back out.

We try to give them equal time when we are home. Coraline is out during the day except during lunch. My bf comes home for lunch and lets the boys out. Then in the evenings we give them equal time out. And at night he sleeps in their room with them and I sleep with Coral.:catlove:
 

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Excellent, thank you so much! Coraline does well when we site swap. She does a lap around the room and smells then just lays down and waits to go back out.

We try to give them equal time when we are home.
Coraline is out during the day except during lunch. My bf comes home for lunch and lets the boys out. Then in the evenings we give them equal time out. And at night he sleeps in their room with them and I sleep with Coral.:catlove:
That actually sounds pretty good.

It's interesting how in many cat-intros, the cats always seem to do their 'one lap around the perimeter of the room' and then just lay down, and yeah...'wait to go back out again'.
It's almost like they do the one-time smell around, take the new scents in, but then have enough,... and would like to be let out. :tongue:
I think our cats hate to be placed inside of rooms, or basically anywhere with closed doors.
(Probably in the ' ideal cat-world' ....doors and dividers would never exist. Everything in their world would be 'open door policy'.)

If you can be there with her, and get her to Play, and then Treats, and relax, and have her stay longer in the room, then that might help her to become more accepting.
*Watch to see if she also walks around and scent-marks the room, using her paws, cheeks, tail, or shoulder rubs. :bluepaw:

Also if you can get your bf to also stay with her, so she gets more used to him being with her, his voice, the way he moves, he can read to her, give her treats and food, then Coral will associate further good things with him, and become more accepting of everyone's scents being mixed. Plus he'll have the boys' scent on him, and when he gives her treats or food, she'll associate that with good things, too.

The whole idea here, is to make things that Coral likes...like play, food, security, just hanging out,...to become associated with anything having to do with Dexter and Bandit.
That's why taking something that smells like Dexter or Bandit, (t-shirt, towel, sock) and placing it near Coral's food dish, and watching what she does, may get her to lessen her automatic negative reactions to their scent.
(As long as Coral does not react too badly, and avoid her food. That you don't want to happen.)

(Remember to have extra litter boxes placed around the home, too, so that every cat will always have access to one, whenever you do your room/space swaps.)
 
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