I have been a single cat (and my first cat) owner for more than 8 years, and 4 months ago for the first time in my life I added a second cat to the faimly. Here is my progress thus far and I'd like your opinions from your experience with multi-cats.
Both cats are female spayed domestic long hair. My older one (calico) is 9 year old and the new one is about 6 (all black). I know, not ideal by all means (younger, different sexes etc).
Now since the day I brought the new cat in, they never really "fought", i.e. actually getting on each other with claws and bites etc. I did follow the guides on internet regarding introducing a new cat, including containment first etc. At first my older cat was nervous, jealous and mad at me of course. The new cat on the other hand is actually a very calm cat and just kept her distance (she lived as a stray for about 3 years). When they crossed path, they would both growl and quickly ran past each other. Occasionally they would do a quick nose to nose sniff then followed by a growl and an attempted swipe, you know the drill.
As time passed by things got a little better. They simply ignored each other and stayed in different parts of the house. My older cat liked to stay on my bed in my bedroom, and the new cat usally slept on the sofa in the living room. I arranged their feeding places to be about 8 feet apart so they could see each other when they ate. They seemed to be fine with it though my older cat liked to frequently stop and stare for a few seconds when she ate. When their paths crossed, they still do a quick growl and run away. When I attempted to pick up one cat and bring her to the other they both got nervous and growled, so I gave up on that idea.
It has been this way for 3 months, and I'm almost giving up on the hope that they would one day cuddle and lick each other all day long like the youtube videos I've seen. Vets and internet articles told me that some cats just never get along for life, though I don't know if it's true or not. I mean in my mind how can you live with someone for 10 years without being at least friendly with each other.
Then two days ago a little change occured. The new black cat jumped onto my bed (which she never did before, and my earlier attempt to bring her onto the bed resulted in her running away immediately) and settled on a spot that's about 24 inches from my older cat. The older cat was nervous at first, and left for a little while. But later she returned and they eventually both fell asleep, with their backs facing each other. Neither one tried to get any closer in distance. The new cat still spent most of the time in the living room. But for 3 days they did this for about 3 hours a day. Usually when I'm on the computer.
So is this hope my fellow cat lovers? Have your cats been through similar stages and later became grooming buddies? Is it normal to take more than a few months for two cats to befriend each other? Any suggestions you have to further improve this situation? Thank you.
Both cats are female spayed domestic long hair. My older one (calico) is 9 year old and the new one is about 6 (all black). I know, not ideal by all means (younger, different sexes etc).
Now since the day I brought the new cat in, they never really "fought", i.e. actually getting on each other with claws and bites etc. I did follow the guides on internet regarding introducing a new cat, including containment first etc. At first my older cat was nervous, jealous and mad at me of course. The new cat on the other hand is actually a very calm cat and just kept her distance (she lived as a stray for about 3 years). When they crossed path, they would both growl and quickly ran past each other. Occasionally they would do a quick nose to nose sniff then followed by a growl and an attempted swipe, you know the drill.
As time passed by things got a little better. They simply ignored each other and stayed in different parts of the house. My older cat liked to stay on my bed in my bedroom, and the new cat usally slept on the sofa in the living room. I arranged their feeding places to be about 8 feet apart so they could see each other when they ate. They seemed to be fine with it though my older cat liked to frequently stop and stare for a few seconds when she ate. When their paths crossed, they still do a quick growl and run away. When I attempted to pick up one cat and bring her to the other they both got nervous and growled, so I gave up on that idea.
It has been this way for 3 months, and I'm almost giving up on the hope that they would one day cuddle and lick each other all day long like the youtube videos I've seen. Vets and internet articles told me that some cats just never get along for life, though I don't know if it's true or not. I mean in my mind how can you live with someone for 10 years without being at least friendly with each other.
Then two days ago a little change occured. The new black cat jumped onto my bed (which she never did before, and my earlier attempt to bring her onto the bed resulted in her running away immediately) and settled on a spot that's about 24 inches from my older cat. The older cat was nervous at first, and left for a little while. But later she returned and they eventually both fell asleep, with their backs facing each other. Neither one tried to get any closer in distance. The new cat still spent most of the time in the living room. But for 3 days they did this for about 3 hours a day. Usually when I'm on the computer.
So is this hope my fellow cat lovers? Have your cats been through similar stages and later became grooming buddies? Is it normal to take more than a few months for two cats to befriend each other? Any suggestions you have to further improve this situation? Thank you.
They may never be best friends, but that's not a big deal and it doesn't mean they can't both be happy. It may just be their personalities. I do wish you luck though! 
