Re-introducing my two cats...

Hi folks,

I have two cats who have lived together for about a year now and were recently separated from one another for a few weeks. If you'd like to know, my long-term girlfriend and I broke up; she took 'her cat' and I took 'my cat.' Her roommate isn't a fan of cats and their apartment is very small, so I took Penny back. They were both living with me at my parents house while I was apartment searching for about a month.

I moved in on the 1st and only brought one of the cats 'cause I only had one pet carrier at the time. Between work, school and not having a car it was pretty difficult to go back home and get Penny, so she was at my parents house for about two weeks.

Well, about 10-12 days ago I finally brought her here to the apartment and I was really excited to have her back. I was NOT expecting what happened next. As soon as my cats saw each other they reared their ears back and started hissing at each other like mad. It's been the same ever since; they're either hiding from each other or hissing and chasing after one another.

What gives? They were only separated for a little more than a week and now they hate each other! I'd say that Roscoe is just defending 'his' apartment, but Penny is the one actively pursuing Roscoe and causing the bulk of the problems.

Any ideas? I've tried keeping them isolated from each other but I hate keeping one of them locked up in my room for days at a time. I've been alternating the cats in my room, hoping they'll get used to each others scents and whatnot, but there's been no progress.

I would just be patient and re introduce them as two new cats, ie swapping blankets for smells, letting them sniff each other under the door, just the general things you would do if you brought a new cat home.

Hey folks,

The two cats are still at it and they got into a fight last night. I'm very close to getting rid of Penny, but I really wish there was another way to make this work...

I agree with reintroducing them. Slowly. I'm thinking I'll have to do that here as well. I brought a new kitten home about 7 weeks ago. For the first 3 weeks he was in the bathroom. Once he tested negative for FIV, FeLV I slowly introduced them to my two resident cats. Everything went normally. Hissing here and there but nothing too aggressive. Well, the new guy has been living full time with the other two for 3 weeks now and my female cat has a UTI because of the stress she's under from this guy. (Note: It also probably doesn't help that my fiancee also left for marine bootcamp at the same time I let the new guy out full time.)

It is emotionally difficult to separate them but it's a short-term situation for a long-term solution.

Good luck with your two. Give little Penny a chance. I read this the other day: We, as humans, can choose our friends. Cats, as our pets, are expected to live with the new friends we bring home....

I think a lot of this is just due to all the stress from all the changes and moving and different homes and whatnot. But, still, if you're going to do a reintroduction,

but I hate keeping one of them locked up in my room for days at a time. I've been alternating the cats in my room

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then you've got to be prepared to take as long as it takes, and it's going to take more than a few days. And DON'T alternate rooms. Each cat needs to establish its own safe territory. You can let one cat into the other cat's room when the cat that owns that room has safely been put in hiding somewhere. And visa versa. But then they go back into their own rooms. Each cat needs to have their own safe room and they should not see each other at any time until they're settled in to their own safe room.