Need help

I'll try and make this short. I've had a cat for almost 3 years. He is best boy kitty, gentle and calm, not a talker just a lover. Anyway I have been wanting another kitty. Hubby at 1st kept saying he didn't want share his love with another cat. Fast forward...he hears about a cat at the Humane Society he's about 4 yrs old his name is Ketchup (he needs a new name)...only has 3 legs.. which is fine with us. I go and check him out (Sat) and he's a sweet cat and everyone says how gentle he is what a great cat he is. Much smaller than the guy we have now. I get home and my cat hisses at me and runs and hides...I figure he smells the other cat or the many cats I have been in contact with. Today we both go to look at the cat..my hubby says let's bring him home....I also took a towel so my kitty could smell it see how he reacts...today he didn't care about the smell... So I have not gotten the cat yet...I think I will get him on Tues...Anyway I really hope they get along. I have been told and have been reading on how to introduce cats to each other. I'll have to seperate them and let them get to know each other. I hope it does not take long and no cat fights or hissing going on or fur flying....I don't want to be stressed too but I'm sure that will happen. I stress over little things very easy.

I'm afraid I'll stress my 1st boy out...I guess I should just go and get him and see how they do together...I would just have to hate to take the new kitty back...that would break my heart!

I guess I'm just looking for someone to help relive the stress for me I have only ever had 1 cat at time. I'm hope everything works out for the best.

I have one that acts the same way and am currently working a new one into the household. It really depends on both cats personalities as to how fast you can go with introductions. If you want to go slow and proper, go for it. No harm can usually come from that. There are some very good threads on this forum about this.

I did the opposite. Scent doesn't seem to be my Tomas's biggest hang up - actually seeing the new cat is. So having a shut door between them won't help Tomas adjust. None of the cats are dominate or remotely aggressive towards other cats. So I said forget it, let them work it out. Tomas hisses and growls but was sitting next to Sherman on the table earlier... watching the neighbors., They were also in the kitchen side by side earlier begging for some of my lunch. . They'll work it out. I still put Sherman up when I'm away and at night.

I just got a 2nd cat for the first time a couple months ago and I too feared the worst but didn't really want to have to keep them seperate for so long. So I set up a room just in case it was really bad....but I brought him home and let him sit in the carrier for a few minutes while my resident cat smelled and yes, hissed...then I let him out. He walked around checking everything out and couldn't have cared any less about Zoe's hissing. He acted as if he'd been here all his life in about an hour. Zoe hissed and growled at Harley for about 3 days before she stopped. I did also put him in his safe room when we left or at night for a week or two though just to be safe. They live together fine now though.
It can be stressful, but just try it and try to stay relaxed as possible about it. It's fun to watch them play and yep play fight now too
Best of luck if you decide to do it and let us know how it goes.

Same here...introduced Phoebe to Wayne.....then Max to Phoebe....then Samson to Phoebe....finally Cameo to both Phoebe and Samson (Wayne and Max had passed away).....and sure enough Phoebe hissed and growled at the new ones.....but it passed.....Samson hissed at Cameo, but it passed and now everyone is the best of friends.....I've had Samson since June, and Cameo since August.....and they were all fast friends..the two young ones play together...and all three sleep curled up together.

It seems scary at first....but it's alot of show and some jealousy....the new one usually doesn't react....he's just happy to be in a loving home.

Do separate the new one if you leave the house early on in the relationship forming...just for your peace of mind. I'm sure they will be good friends once the 'resident' cat figures out that 'Ketchup' isn't going away and that he won't be missing out on any love, food, etc.

Good luck, and bless you for giving a three-legged cat a loving home....

I was all set to do 'proper' intros with our two. Hubby was totally against that--so after being in the house 2 hours we first locked up the current cat and let the new cat explore the house on his own--this failed miserably because the new cat was so shy--he didn't act shy when we met him but we found out after we brought him home that he'd lived in the shelter for four months and previous to that was a stray. He'd never lived in a house and for all I know had never been in a house.. We still opted to just let the two meet. There was hissing and thats it.

It has been 7 months and I'll admit they dont groom each other rarely sleep together, but they do play and do lounge together occasionally.

It has taken 7 months we feel for our first cat to 'forgive' us. He was our #1 priority, light of our life, 'first born' etc for 7 almost 8 months. He was lovey and slept on my pillow every night and that all ended with Harley coming here. In the last 2-3 weeks he has just started to be that cat again. He cuddles on the couch, in the recliner, when I nap in bed--isn't sleeping on my pillow but does sleep on the foot of the bed now. Again we feel he forgave us and is now going to totally accept and love Harley.

Never once have a regretted bringing Harley here--he needed a furrever home, 4 months in a cage is too long--we love him. Jack will always be our 'first born'--even though Harley is older.

Leslie

^ Hm, Tomas and Sho are far from pleased with the new addition to their home but neither has changed their habits. Tomas still cuddles up near my neck and sleeps there most of the night. Sho still lays on DH or I's legs. Both are still a couple of shameless pigs who beg for food.

All three are getting plenty of petting and holding, so I guess no one feels left out.

Ok so I get the new cat home on Friday let him get use to/play in the basement while the old cat doesn't what is going on. Than I put the new cat in the bathroom while the old cat still does not know whats going on. Let the old cat out he figures out someone is here. Does not like it and hisses at me and hubby. He smells the door he is frighten..so I get him to go downstairs with me. I can tell he is stressed (like me) I pet him and give him love seems ok but not like it was...so I sleep in the basement with him...comes out this morning goes up the door again and hisses at me...I have not introduced them yet. I figure maybe tonight put the new boy in his cage and let the old boy sniff him. Or should I wait till Sunday.

Thanks for any advice! and somthing to calm my nerves!

What a terrific thing to do is open your home to a special needs kitty. Anytime YOU are ready you can introduce them, today or Sunday. I have 9 cats, there is always some spitting hissing growling for a while after introductions. Most often they learn to live with each other, they work it out. Some become the best of friends and some just tolerate each other. It will work out with time and patience there will be peace in the household. Are they both neutered? Intact males are more aggresive. Good luck. Let us know how its going.

Update on my situation. Everyone has been out together for days now and are getting along. Tomas and Sherman actually get along very well now, especially since Tomas figured out that Sherman being a younger cat means that he has someone who's more likely to race through the house with him.

Good luck. Hopefully by this time next week you have good news for us too!
It may seem impossible now, but they'll work it out.

update we've have the new cat for a week. Old cat has hissed at him many times. New cat is in the upstairs bathroom and old cat has run of house. When old cat is sleeping I take the new one down stairs and let him explore wit the door shut. I let the OC (old cat) sniff the new cat (new cat) when in the cage.. OC didn't really come close to the new cat. I have a dog/baby gate at the top of the stairs so they can see each other..when I'm at home with them I go with NC and OC comes and check's out....finally on Sunday the sniffed each other nose to nose yea and no hisses..YEA!!! so I go with the NC today and OC comes to the top of steps and just watches...Hubby wants to introduce with no gate I say give a few more days....I want to be able to leave them with gate up for alittle while alone and not supervised.

Thanks for the help!

I'm glad to hear that things seem to be going well. They will have to eventually figure out who's who as far as status in the house. So don't be too upset when this happens.

Update: We have been using a baby/dog gate to seperate the NC and OC.. No hissing going on OC courious about the NC and sniffs and just looks at the NC.The OC has been putting his paws through the holes and really sniffing the NC is it time to let them sniff in person?

I think you could give it some more time with the gate, but if you feel comfortable letting them sniff without the gate, i dont see a problem since they seem to be checking each other out with out hissing. I didnt have to do any of that, when we brought Mittens home, we held them up face to face so they could see each other, and would kno the other cat was present in the house. I wanted to take it slowly, because Mittens was acting completely NOT like herself, hissing, growling, bc of Monster being here & bc it was a new place. Monster wanted to play with her right away, no hissing or anything like that on his part. i think her being shut in a room for a week (thats how long i wanted to wait before letting her out) was cut short when BFs mom just took it upon herself to let Mittens out of the room. Things went GREAT, Mittens didnt hiss at him then & now she only hisses at him when he chases her.. He tortures the hell outta her anymore, and she puts up a fight

Another update: Friday New Cat (NC) pushed gate opened and met Old Cat (OC) we were in the kitchen when it happened. So we went with it...OC was sniffing NC...NC was backing away and OC was walking after it...OC looked like he wanted to play NC wouldn't have any part of it...Sat we put the 2 together again...OC actually licked the NC which I thought was good sign. ..now is where the question comes in. OC looked like he was boxing and gonna take a swipe at NC I thought OC was just playing no growls or hisses either. NC goes running...and then we sperated them. Not sure if we should have done that or not. Sun we had them together again OC is smelling NC and licks him again he is really smelling him tail and body with his nose is this normal? NC does not seem to be intrested in OC and runs away and OC follows. Mon we had together again NC still not interested..OC follows him and they run get behind a chair and both look like they want to box. So we seperate them again. I take NC upstairs and leave OC in the basement..Then I put NC (and he has a little meow while I'm holding him kidna like he doesn't want me to hold him or scared of OC not sure which) in the basement and take OC upstairs now both are at the door trying to get two each other. I don't if I ever said this OC weights about 12lbs NC 6lbs we don't want the OC to hurt the NC either . To me it seems OC wants to play with the NC but he wants nothing to do with the OC both are boys about 3 yrs old and fixed. I just want them to get along. Are we doing the introduction correct? By the way neither of them meow, they both cack nothing loud at all.

The original cat feels like this is his home, he's dominate. The new cat doesn't seem interested in this position at all - which should make it easier for them to work out once given the chance at it.


I've since learned that my Sherman is a more dominate cat, but only barely as he seems absent minded most of the time.

Update: The cats have been together....OC is licking NC is that a good sign?
He keeps sniffing NC and licking. NC doesn't seem to mind. OC will chase the NC, NC runs away. When I put the NC in his room at night OC will sleep close by and when the NC meows he right there. I'm thinking the OC like's the NC but the NC is afraid of him..I hope I'm right