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HELP new cats

post #1 of 6
2/5/11 at 9:46pm
Thread Starter 
Zorro and Luna are two cats that we had adopted for my father three years ago. He passed away only a year after we had gotten him the cats, and they became a bit depressed after that. They were fond of him. Regardless they were still sweet and were just fine in our big apt.

A year ago I moved out with my then fiancee, my current wife, and we adopted a stray kitten who became the sweetest cat on the face of the planet earth.

My brothers could no longer take care of Zorro and Luna, and my wife and I could not bear to let them return the kitties to a shelter. So we took on Zorro and Luna to our MUCH SMALLER APT even though we already have Lou (who's grown a lot since six months ago) but HOLY MOLY Zorro is PIIIIISSSSSSEEED...... Luna is a small siamese kitten so she just shies away behind a curtain all day. But Zorro is a big old black cat and he hides deep in the closet.

Lou who is a trouble starter that she is....goes out to the new cats and hisses like no one's business..

WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE EVERYONE GET ALONG????

I can't risk losing blood to Zorro to try and clip his claws so he doesn't kill Lou if she starts a physical fight with her..... cuz he's been upset, and I don't want to press my luck with him. But he hides all day...

It's only been three days since we've had them here... help..
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post #2 of 6
2/5/11 at 10:31pm
Hi Arthur, thank you so much for taking them and not sending them back to the shelter!
You really need to introduce them slowly, here is how you do it:
http://www.thecatsite.com/Behavior/49/Id-like-you-to-Meet...-Introducing-Cats.html

http://www.thecatsite.com/Behavior/49/Id-like-you-to-Meet...-Introducing-Cats/2.html

I know you said you are in a small apartment, but there are ways to separate them, even if in the bathroom... A week or two of separation, proper introduction, can mean a lifetime of good relationship in the future... Take a deep breath, it is going to be alright!

We will be here if you need us!

Good luck!
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post #3 of 6
2/5/11 at 10:49pm
I moved to this Behaviour where you should hopefully find some more help.

Good luck, I hope you have some luck - the links Carolina provided will help. One of the most important things, especially in a small apartment, is to provide lots of vertical space. Cat trees, ways to get on top of bookcases, attach shelves to walls etc.

If you can, get out ASAP and buy some Feliway diffusers to run through the apartment. They are $$, but worth it.
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post #4 of 6
2/6/11 at 2:17am
I agree, that sounds pretty normal. Good luck with the cat intros.
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post #5 of 6
2/6/11 at 12:49pm
You should also try Feliway.
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post #6 of 6
2/6/11 at 8:03pm
I think you are a very kind person to take in these two cats Luna and zorro. it really would help to keep them separated somehow just for a few days from Lou. Do the scent transferring according to the links Carolina listed. You can use cat beds too and blankets. Anything to transfer their smells back and forth is so important to prepare them for their first interaction. Vertical space is a great way to add extra safe spots for cats to call their own. A couple of those tall cat trees don't really take up too much room. Get some interactive wand toys to play with the cats together. This gets them focused on the toy and they might forget about being hissy at least for a few minutes. The more positive experiences in the beginning will help speed up the process. The hissing and growling is normal in the beginning. It is really out of fear and distrust but in time they hopefully will all become great friends. It does take a bit of time and patience till they settle into a new routine and feel safe again.
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