Transitioning Domestic And Stray Cats To Live Together

[SuzanneHope]

I have a male stray/feral cat that’s I have been feeding and looking after the past 6 months. And i would like to move him to my home. However, i have a female cat and dog at home. And I am Worried that my cat will become territorial and urinate all over my house. She’s kinda prissy and dominate over her space.
Here is a bit of background on Jax as I call him. I be Him to be about 1.5-2 yrs old.
I work for a self storage facility and see cats roaming quite often. (My current house cat came from here as well. I found Her when she was just a week old and abandoned.) Jax showed up about 6 months ago. Scared, hating humans and hungry. For 3 months I could Not get near him. He would hiss and swat at me when I tried To feed him. One day he just decided to change his mind and he has not left my side since that day. He waits for me to pull into work and then meets me at my car. He will even attempt to jump in the car with me. He spends his days sitting on my lap in the office (as long as the boss isn’t here). I think I could Easily make him into a indoor cat and bring him home.
However, my ca (Luna) at home is very territorial. To the point where if the dog lays on a blanket she will spray the blanket. We set puppy pads down for the dog and the cat immediately pees on it. Will bringing a new cat into our home cause this behavior to increase? My boss isn’t going to let me keep Jax here much longer and winter is upon us here in Michigan. Any suggestions or thoughts would be great. Thank you all!

Here a picture of Jax he seems pretty happy when he is inside.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Thank you for wanting to help this sweet one.

The first step is to get him to the vet. He will need an exam, vaccines, tests for FIV and FELV and please be sure to get him neutered. You will also want to get him wormed.

Once he is neutered and deemed healthy, the process should go much smoother. He will need a room of his own, separate from your other cat and dog. Be sure to cat proof the room. THis means if the room is a bedroom, the bed should be flat on the floor or removed. Under the bed is the first place a cat will run to and it's almost impossible to get them out. You also want to block under and behind large furniture. You can give him a safe place to hide like a hiding box on a cat tree or even just a cozy box or cat carrier. You really want him out in the open.

Feliway plug ins really help to calm a cat. I also like to play a radio that has soft music as well as some talk. This gets them used to hearing other voices. Be sure to have 2 litter boxes to start. I like to use Dr. Elsey's Litter Attract, as it really gets cats to use the litter box quickly.

Visit him as often as you can. I always suggest short visits throughout the day as often as you can. Be prepared for him to throw himself against the window or try to get out of the room. He may yowl, howl and make lots of noise. This can go on for a few days. Yet, he will calm down. Many people freak out and want to release the cat. Just give it time.

Do not attempt any introductions until he is used to living inside. One hurdle at a time. This can take a few weeks or longer depending on the cat. If he needs to be neutered his hormones will take a few weeks to shut down. This will make life so much easier for him.

When you are ready for introductions, you can come back for advice then. The key is to not rush the process. Most issues happen as the owners so want all the animals to get along and they process is rushed. This will only lead to back tracking and take much longer. It can take weeks to months to many many months for cats to adjust. The first cat I brought inside took one solid year to adjust to my resident cat. Yet, the second feral cat, adjusted much quicker.

Be sure to get him right to the vet for his checkup and neuter. You will be his special angel for helping him.

 

[Kieka]

I fully agree to not introduce until he is vetted and comfortable in the house. When he is comfortable slow introductions benefit everyone and will really set you up for success.

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide

 

[SuzanneHope]

Thank you both. I have an appointment Monday to have Jax seen by our vet. I am hoping to place him in my basement until he is comfortable in the house and ready to join everyone upstairs. Should I lock him in a room down there? I have 2 bed rooms, a laundry room and a bathroom that I can place him in. Or will he be fine with free roaming of the basement. He cant be hurt down there as it is set up the same as my upstairs. Also, Jax has never been around children I have a 13 and 11 yr old. He is just now getting to the point where he will not dash out the back door of the office when someone walks in. Should I attempt to keep them away from him or will it be ok for them to accompany while I snuggle and cuddle with him in the basement. He has quite a fear of almost everyone except me.

 

[shadowsrescue]

He would do best in a bedroom. Just be sure that the room is cat proofed. Allowing him to free roam in the basement is just too much space all at once. A small confined space is best to start with.

After he has been in the home for a few days and is settled, it would be fine for your boys to accompany you. Just be sure they use a quiet voice. It's also best to sit on the floor so that you do not loom over the cat. Just sit and talk quietly. Avoiding direct eye contact is best too. Tell them to try to avoid quick movements and just move slowly around him. If he is nervous with the boys there, just wait a bit longer. Having the boys bring a yummy treat is often helpful. Bring something extra delicious and Jax will learn to associate them with something good.

 

[dustydiamond1]

I have a male stray/feral cat that’s I have been feeding and looking after the past 6 months. And i would like to move him to my home. However, i have a female cat and dog at home. And I am Worried that my cat will become territorial and urinate all over my house. She’s kinda prissy and dominate over her space.
Here is a bit of background on Jax as I call him. I be Him to be about 1.5-2 yrs old.
I work for a self storage facility and see cats roaming quite often. (My current house cat came from here as well. I found Her when she was just a week old and abandoned.) Jax showed up about 6 months ago. Scared, hating humans and hungry. For 3 months I could Not get near him. He would hiss and swat at me when I tried To feed him. One day he just decided to change his mind and he has not left my side since that day. He waits for me to pull into work and then meets me at my car. He will even attempt to jump in the car with me. He spends his days sitting on my lap in the office (as long as the boss isn’t here). I think I could Easily make him into a indoor cat and bring him home.
However, my ca (Luna) at home is very territorial. To the point where if the dog lays on a blanket she will spray the blanket. We set puppy pads down for the dog and the cat immediately pees on it. Will bringing a new cat into our home cause this behavior to increase? My boss isn’t going to let me keep Jax here much longer and winter is upon us here in Michigan. Any suggestions or thoughts would be great. Thank you all!

Here a picture of Jax he seems pretty happy when he is inside.

He sure does! What a sweetheart

 

[dustydiamond1]

Have you done any research into reducing Lunas territorial spraying? Is it some sort of stress or is it normal behavior for her breed?

 

[SuzanneHope]

Have you done any research into reducing Lunas territorial spraying? Is it some sort of stress or is it normal behavior for her breed?

I have done some research on the breed but not a ton, I will make sure to do more. Luna is different than any cat I have ever had, she is a Ragdoll Siamese mix. However, her personality is of neither breed. She is very much a leave me alone type of cat. She is miserable when around people, being petted, heck even looking at her upsets at times and she runs off and hides out. The only person she will tolerate is 13 yr old and she only tolerates her, she doesn't actually enjoy my daughters company. Luna was no more than 2 weeks old when she was rescued, she is now just over a year. She was found in the woods behind my work, she could just barely walk. We searched for more kittens, none were found. Then watched for hours for mama cat to come back for her but when the work day ended no mama to be found and I knew she would not survive the night so I took her home and bottle fed her. One would think this would make her love her humans even more but she really wants nothing to do with any of us.

She has been vet checked and the cause for her spraying is not medical. Doctor believes its behavior, I have attempted a few tricks but so far nothing works. She has been fixed and is an indoor cat. we have changed her litter, gave her a great space of her own, but she still like to spray anywhere the dog may go. She is famous for spraying the furniture, we had a recliner that the dog loved to lay in that we had to throw away because Luna went on it. Now that I have removed the chair the dog has moved to the brand new sofa, and so has Luna's bad habit. I have placed a blanket over the spot where she always seems to go and she will not pee on my blanket, my dog also will not lay on it. But I know she is going someplace, I can smell it. I just have not figured out where she has moved on to now.

 

[kittiekate89]

I just want to share my story/experience and say when we did.

We took in a male stray about 3 years ago. Took him to the vet, got him checked out and fixed. We tried to slowly introduce him to the group (we had 4 other cats at the time) but it went very bad. Bad as in he attacked 2 of my males. One he actually bit soo bad the would was down to the muscle. And it was the most docile cat he attacked.
We got some advise from a few pet rescuers and our local vet. A woman gave us a huge cage with 2 stories. We put him in the cage for a month in the main room in out home so he could get used to the other cats scents and being around them but not in a way he could get to them. We would let him out periodically and monitor him.
No joke, a month later he was a completely different cat. The male he attacked is now his best buddy.
Though the cage would be expensive, it's a suggestion to help ease the progress and keep them safe at the same time.

 

[bigbadbass]

I used a temporary screen door between Bugs' safe room and the rest of the house. Bug and the domestics were introduced through the screen, looked, sniffed, were curious. It somehow brought Bug out from his weeks long hiding...instantly stimulated him. Short, then longer sessions (always in human presence) brought us to the point the screen was up during waking hours.....with no hissing or violence from anyone, even the family dog, a Yorkie. Eventually, Bug was introduced into the rest of the house...room by room (parental guidance always) .... without incident.

Note this process was started 6 weeks *after* neutering, when Bugs' hormones had returned to normal.

Prior to that, he was a hissing, batting, unpredictable nightmare. You've got to ascertain the right timing.

Luna is a very pretty kitty!

 

[kittiekate89]

Yes!!! A big one is waiting for the hormones toner turn to normal after being neutered.

 

[bigbadbass]

The hormonal thing whacked poor Bug out big time...I'll never forget him rubbing against my legs...purring, then hissing then batting me within 5 seconds, instantly returning to purring again.

Bug being my first feral adoption..I thought *I* was doing something wrong, but didn't quite comprehend the extent and depth of the hormone thing at the time. Gotta give the big feral males plenty of time to normalize after neuter.

A perfect gentleman these days, not a hint of violence.

 

[dustydiamond1]

I have done some research on the breed but not a ton, I will make sure to do more. Luna is different than any cat I have ever had, she is a Ragdoll Siamese mix. However, her personality is of neither breed. She is very much a leave me alone type of cat. She is miserable when around people, being petted, heck even looking at her upsets at times and she runs off and hides out. The only person she will tolerate is 13 yr old and she only tolerates her, she doesn't actually enjoy my daughters company. Luna was no more than 2 weeks old when she was rescued, she is now just over a year. She was found in the woods behind my work, she could just barely walk. We searched for more kittens, none were found. Then watched for hours for mama cat to come back for her but when the work day ended no mama to be found and I knew she would not survive the night so I took her home and bottle fed her. One would think this would make her love her humans even more but she really wants nothing to do with any of us. View attachment 209959

She has been vet checked and the cause for her spraying is not medical. Doctor believes its behavior, I have attempted a few tricks but so far nothing works. She has been fixed and is an indoor cat. we have changed her litter, gave her a great space of her own, but she still like to spray anywhere the dog may go. She is famous for spraying the furniture, we had a recliner that the dog loved to lay in that we had to throw away because Luna went on it. Now that I have removed the chair the dog has moved to the brand new sofa, and so has Luna's bad habit. I have placed a blanket over the spot where she always seems to go and she will not pee on my blanket, my dog also will not lay on it. But I know she is going someplace, I can smell it. I just have not figured out where she has moved on to now.

Yikes. You are such a wonderful cat mom with such patience for a psycho kitty. Your whole family is also fantastic for dealing with this beautiful girl.