Will this work as an introduction??

krz

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Hi Marilyn,

I have been enjoying this forum and learning alot. I will tell you my situation and hope you can help. I have 4 house cats, Isabelle, 9 year old female, Shelby 6 year old female, Rudy, 5 year old male, and Gracie, 3 year old former feral female. Isabelle is the boss of the group, no question. For the most part, things go smoothly. Rudy and Shelby have learned to stand their ground when Isabelle is in a mood, at times she goes after Gracie, but most times I find them sleeping in the same room. I recently rescued 3 part Persian cats, I believed they were just dropped off, two were adopted and I still have one, a male, 2 years old and neutered about a month ago. I have tried the blanket method, leaving it on the floor in the new cat's room and one where the resident cats are. I switched the blankets after about a week or two, and no reaction from any cats. Because of fostering other cats in separate rooms, right now it is difficult for me to keep my cats and the new cat, Tobey, just a room away. Today I tried putting Tobey in a dog training crate with a litter box and some toys and just letting him in the same room as my cats. The first introduction a few weeks ago was a mess, Tobey went after Rudy, no injuries, just flying fur!! Do you think this is a wise way to introduce them, and how long should I do this. I can keep Tobey separate for as long as needed, but I would love to keep him and give him a home as all of our shelters are so overloaded right now. Are there some times when bringing another cat into the home is just not a good idea? As a side question, I have tried the Feliway plug-in, and although I have heard great results and my vet highly recommended it, it seems to me that it made Isabelle very aggressive. Is that possible? Thanks in advance for any advice and for taking the time for this forum.
 

thecatcoach

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This afternoon I started a thread and attached a .pdf that gives step by step instructions on introducing cats to each other. Essentially, all of the recommendations are aimed at the cats having positive experiences and associations with each other before they meet nose-to-nose.

You may want to try some of the suggestions, such as the pheromone exchange, eating on each side of the closed door, and encouraging mutual play under the door.

It needs to be a slow introduction...
and to answer your question: yes, sometimes there are cats that just don't get along, just like there are people who don't get along with certain people...

Marilyn Krieger, CCBC
 
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