2 Cats Same Shelter 2 Weeks Apart

Bridget has been with us for 2 weeks , she was in the open cat room at the shelter with a cat we brought home today named Tessa. They lived together for a year.

They are acting like they have never met... do cats really have that short of a memory that 2 weeks can make that big of a difference?

Both cats smell different now. New kitty smells like the cat room, which may have added cats or removed cats, so a new smell, and old kitty smells like your house.

In a manner, no they don't know each other anymore.

Originally Posted by Forensic

Both cats smell different now. New kitty smells like the cat room, which may have added cats or removed cats, so a new smell, and old kitty smells like your house.

In a manner, no they don't know each other anymore.

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well that answeres that lol

my cats have been together their whole lives, if one goes to the vet overnight and comes home the other hisses at it for up to a week!

Its possible, but I agree on the "smells" - even when a cat is overnite at the vet's and comes home, the other cats will act like its a stranger.

Try sprinkling both with cornstarch baby powder and rub it in their coats or a dab of vanilla extract on their nose/chin and base of tail.

Mine were fostered together for a few days right before I brought them home and reportedly got along fine. Got them home (together -- same time) and they acted like total strangers who hated each other on sight for days. Got them settled down & settled in & about 5 weeks later had to take one and just one to the vet -- we were gone maybe 2 hours, since an emergency came in just as we arrived -- and then we came home to no fewer than 3 days of non-stop hissing & growling from she who had stayed home. The hostility level was so high I actually called the vet back and asked for advice, as I had previously been just a single-cat household & wasn't adequately familiar with the multi-cat dynamics associated with a *short* trip to the vet. And that's exactly what the vet's office staff said -- she smells funny, should be fine soon. 3 days seemed a little long to me, but it did pass.

If tensions remain, you may want to try a Comfort Zone by Feliway diffuser, which sprays feline facial pheromones (the ones that make them feel happy & at home) into the air every little while. I can't smell it, but they can. Mine developed other issues after a serious fight and the issues lasted for about 6 weeks before I finally broke down and tried Comfort Zone that had been recommended to me and I was *stunned* by the difference it has made. The things aren't cheap, but they are cheapest, from what I've seen, on Amazon. And while I was a huge sceptic, I do think they work.

Good luck!