Trying To Introduce A New Cat

[The_littlest_cat]

We have a twelve year old girl named Honey. I got her as a kitten when I was a teenager, and she lived with my parents three boy cats who were brothers. The boys got along great, but she never really accepted them and would occasionally fight with them. After I moved out she's happily been an only pet, (though we did get a pair of hamsters a few years ago, and she got along great with them,) but recently we've been wanting another cat. Two days ago we adopted a very sweet little boy from a shelter. His name is Mr. Fluff, he's two years old, has had his shots and is fixed (as is she.) Knowing how my cat is, we've kept them apart, he's currently in the bedroom and walk-in, and she has the rest of the apartment. They've seen each other for a quick second when the doors been opened (she hissed and growled at him.) I'm worried she may never accept him. When we went to the shelter we tried to pick someone who we thought she'd get along with, we tried the sock trick recommended (rubbing the new cats scent on a sock and then bringing it out for her to find and sniff.) It's only been two days but I'm worried that Honey is very set on being the only cat, though he seems very interested in her and has rubbed against the things we've given him with her scent and purred happily. Does anyone have any tips for introducing a new cat successfully with the original one?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Only two days is, in their feline world and language, not very long at all

Try some of the things in here:
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide

Do Cats Get Jealous? (and What To Do About It When They Do)

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. It may be that Honey is too old and has been alone long enough that she will not come to accept Mr. Fluff. But, you never know... Overtime, Honey could surprise you. And, even with younger cats, two days is nothing in terms of how long it can take to get them used to each other.

See if you can use this TCS article, in addition to the ones Furballsmom provided you, to help with introducing the two cats. Even if Mr. Fluff is 2yo, some of the information will still apply.

How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS.

I agree that 2 days is no time at all in a cat's world. Continue to keep them separated. But also put Honey in another closed room occasionally, and let Mr. Fluff roam through the apartment leaving his scent around. Then put him back in the bedroom and let Honey back out into the rest of the apartment.

There's more tips in the articles Furballsmom and FeebysOwner posted.

Hopefully you won't need this one, but there's also How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction

Good luck. Keep us posted.

 

[The_littlest_cat]

Thank you all for the helpful articles! Going slowly is definitely what Honey needs. She's become curious and now sniffs and stares at the bedroom door without growling or folding back her ears so that's progress. I'll update again after about a week.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am hoping to hear some good news and some progress with your next update!!

 

[The_littlest_cat]

For the last few days Honey has been going over to the bedroom door more and sniffing without growling or hissing, she seemed to be making progress. Today we let them see each other. We opened the bedroom door and let Mr. Fluff come out into the living room. Honey immediately began growling and ran under the couch, while Mr. Fluff seemed unbothered and began to explore. After a while Mr. Fluff began moving closer to her, and got within three feet of her, (we stayed close to them the whole time just in case.) She just stared at him and growled. Though she never pushed back her ears or really showed any extreme signs of aggression. The second he was put back in the bedroom she hopped back out and went over to her food bowl meowing and seemed fine. She also then went back over to the bedroom door sniffing and looking under with zero signs of aggression or anger. I really don't know what to make of it. I can't tell if she's actually upset by him since she keeps going back to the door. It'll be a week tomorrow since he's come, I'm really hoping for them to one day peacefully get along even if they're never friends. Any suggestions for what we should do next?

 

[rubysmama]

Have you been occasionally putting Honey in another room, and letting Mr Fluff out to wander the apartment? That is how he will leave his scent everywhere, so she will get used to it.

Also, if you can, eventually you may want to set up the stacked baby gates at his doorway, so they can see each other, but not touch more than paws. Then you can start feeding them both treats at the same time, but of course each of them on their own side of the baby gates.

Here's a pic of the baby gates setup (from the How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide article)

 

[The_littlest_cat]

We have been switching them, ( though Mr. Fluff doesn’t get to spend a lot of time in the other rooms so maybe it wasn’t long enough) and we’ve also let them lay on shirts and then switched them out to the other room. Honey was originally sniffing and growling at the scented clothes and after he would walked around the other rooms, but she’s seemed to become more accepting of his scent (since she’s stopped growling). We may try the baby gate although we would need to buy one.

 

[rubysmama]

Less growling is good.

One baby gate might not be enough, as either cat could either jump over it, or climb it. That's why the pictures shows several stacked totally blocking the doorway, which probably isn't practical except in extreme cases.

If you have, or could borrow a dog crate, that can work too. Just put one cat, probably the new one, in the crate for a little while and let the other cat come up to "meet" the new cat.

You can also use a cat carrier to let them meet, but since carriers are small, you can't really keep the cat in it for too long. But it does give the 2 cats a chance to get close without being able to really touch, and definitely not get into a fight.

 

[di and bob]

I agree with the dog crate, that way they can see each other without actually being together. Then switch them out every other day. It will take months since they are grown, but eventually they will accept each other.
Honey is actually acting like a female should. They are the manners teachers, they set the rules and the limits in a household. They rule with an iron paw. Two boys will become friends and pals, a male and a female have a more distant grownup relationship, more like a grandmother and grandson, rather than two brothers or two best friends. A 'different' relationship. They still love each other because they are family, but don't necessarily like each other at times. Females hissing, swatting, and growling at males is perfectly normal and acceptable behavior fro her. Actual full blown attacks that bring blood are not, that is extreme hostility. He will learn to avoid her, if he does no, she will teach him what her limits are. Make sure she has high up places she can escape to that she can defend, my Chrissy spent a year on top of a fridge. My two sons and their mother STILL squabble, almost daily. She is screeching for them to stop jumping on her, fur flying, and in a few minutes is licking the top of their head. And they have never been apart. She starts growling at them at times when they are three feet away!
Your little girl will act like she hates the newcomer, but he is providing her with something interesting to break up her boredom, someone to teach manners/limits to, and that is something she wants really to have, what she is emant to do.
Everything sounds normal right now, and will get nothing but better. They are both learning. There will be setbacks there always are, but they have already progressed to a point well beyond what I have been through, my two families of cats took a year to get along! As long as there are no out and out brawls, (have a piece of stiff cardboard ready to stick between them) they are learning to share territory, to accept each other, and in time they WILL learn to be family with all it's darma and dysfunctions. It just takes time, one day at a time......

 

[The_littlest_cat]

Update time! So unfortunately Honey is still struggling to accept Mr. Fluff, but we have gotten to a point where we can now leave on of the bedroom doors open while were home so Mr. Fluff is able to come and go supervised. Honey got sick a few days ago, (probably stress related to Mr. Fluff.) She didn't eat for a day and a half and spend most of the curled up in a ball sleeping. Now when she sees him she gives a lot of small groans and still the occasional growl. The thing that seems to upset her the most is seeing him get attention, but thats always been an issue with her, even though she gets a ton of attention. It's been difficult, but Mr. Fluff still seems as eager as ever to be friends with her. Still hoping for the best.

 

[rubysmama]

Sounds like it might be getting a bit better, though the not eating wasn't good. She's back to normal now, right.

Keep telling Honey you love her. That's she's your girl. And that Mr. Fluff is not replacing her.

Have you tried Feliway or calming treats? Some people find they're helpful.

 

[di and bob]

Poor Honey, you have to feel sorry for her. Although most females I have had are ALWAYS 'growly' towards the boys, it is just something about being female. Even my mothers growl and slap at their own grown sons when they come near! It may be more normal than you think. It also hasn't been that long, my cats ddin't accept each other fro almost a year! yoru two are doing fantastic if compared to that1

 

[The_littlest_cat]

I finally got them to play together. It was super brief, (I dragged a string back and forth and they batted it), but it seemed like progress. Of course immediately after Honey went back to hissing at him.

 

[rubysmama]

Progress, though.

 

[The_littlest_cat]

 

[The_littlest_cat]

This is as close as I can get them without growls or hisses from Honey.

 

[rubysmama]

It's not nose touching or head bumping, but that's still pretty close.

 

[The_littlest_cat]

Completely unrelated to my recent post about the litter box issues. I thought I'd show a positive pic of Honey and Mr. Fluff interacting.