Now that my phone line is back, I can post an update. As you may remember, in September I took on Cinders, my mother's 9 year- old cat, as she could no longer cope with her needs and my 93 year-old father's dementia. Cinders has always been a difficult cat, peeing indiscriminately on floors, rugs, beds and cushions, despite several rounds of vet treatment and a behaviourist.
When she came to me I first kept her in a large disused bathroom, which I made comfortable for her. She used her litter tray OK and gradually began to come out to me. But when I tried to extend her territory to include the gite (none of my cats are allowed in that part of the house), she peed on the sofa and a chair. After my daughter arrived to stay with me at the end of September, she took her into her bedroom, and they both enjoyed the company. We cleaned the furniture with enzyme detergent and the peeing stopped. But the introductions to the other cats were hard - it took a long time before I could even let them smell her without them flinging themselves at the closed doors.
After Faith left in early December I let Cinders into my part of the house and she is basically living in my bedroom. She seems happy in there, sleeps on her own blanket on my bed, eats and pees/poops OK and spends time on the windowsill. The others know she is there and are unhappy that they no longer have access to my room and their usual sleeping places, but do not try to get in. I now allow Dushka in to sleep curled up with me as she is used to, and apart from a few growls from Cinders, all is OK. They mostly ignore each other. The real exception is Ellie. She will not tolerate even a glimpse of the intruder, and goes nuts if the door is open. She lies across the doorway in hope. I have taken Cinders downstairs a few times to sit with me while watching TV, and I have to lock Ellie away. The others are passively hostile - growls and hair rising, but no attacks.
I can only hope that the situation will improve - I have tried vanilla to no effect. It is really hard on all of us living in these conditions. My house is open plan for the kitchen, living room and study; there is only the bedroom and bathroom that I can shut, unless I let the cats into the gite - the part of the house that is the holiday rental. And that I want to keep clean and cat-free if possible for visitors who may not like cats or who are allergic. At least Cinders is not now peeing everywhere - she had a round of antibiotics in October, and maybe that has cured the problem.
When she came to me I first kept her in a large disused bathroom, which I made comfortable for her. She used her litter tray OK and gradually began to come out to me. But when I tried to extend her territory to include the gite (none of my cats are allowed in that part of the house), she peed on the sofa and a chair. After my daughter arrived to stay with me at the end of September, she took her into her bedroom, and they both enjoyed the company. We cleaned the furniture with enzyme detergent and the peeing stopped. But the introductions to the other cats were hard - it took a long time before I could even let them smell her without them flinging themselves at the closed doors.
After Faith left in early December I let Cinders into my part of the house and she is basically living in my bedroom. She seems happy in there, sleeps on her own blanket on my bed, eats and pees/poops OK and spends time on the windowsill. The others know she is there and are unhappy that they no longer have access to my room and their usual sleeping places, but do not try to get in. I now allow Dushka in to sleep curled up with me as she is used to, and apart from a few growls from Cinders, all is OK. They mostly ignore each other. The real exception is Ellie. She will not tolerate even a glimpse of the intruder, and goes nuts if the door is open. She lies across the doorway in hope. I have taken Cinders downstairs a few times to sit with me while watching TV, and I have to lock Ellie away. The others are passively hostile - growls and hair rising, but no attacks.
I can only hope that the situation will improve - I have tried vanilla to no effect. It is really hard on all of us living in these conditions. My house is open plan for the kitchen, living room and study; there is only the bedroom and bathroom that I can shut, unless I let the cats into the gite - the part of the house that is the holiday rental. And that I want to keep clean and cat-free if possible for visitors who may not like cats or who are allergic. At least Cinders is not now peeing everywhere - she had a round of antibiotics in October, and maybe that has cured the problem.