Decisions, decisions. . . re: Morrell

I adopted a new cat (Morrell) from the Humane Society in early August.
He is approx. 3 years old. He never really had a normal life. . . . was a stray. . . . a barn cat. . . . returned to the shelter. . . . spent at least a year confined to a cage. . .

He has really come around in the short time that we've had him. He is very affectionate (loves to head butt). . . . is very vocal. . . . playful. . . . sweet for the most part . . .

My problem. . . . he wants to be the alpha cat. Molly, my 11.5 year old is terrified of him. I have to keep them separate. When she's in the house, I have to keep him in the basement or keep a watchful eye out. As soon as he sees her he becomes fixated on her and no matter what I do or say he chases her wildly. If he "catches her" there's hissing, growling, scratching (Molly has no front claws and has lost most of her teeth! so is not in any position to fight it out with Morrell).

I've tried a Feliway plug in, cat nip, gently & slowly introducing them, the vanilla/perfume trick. . . . and now just patience and time.

They have "kissed noses" a few times. . . . usually when one is going out and the other coming in. It's a rare occasion.

It is getting colder out. My cellar gets cold in the winter and I do not want to leave Morrell down there. What's worse, Molly's litter box which she uses in the winter time is down there too! My house is very tiny and I don't want a litter box upstairs if I can help it.

The question is. . . . how long do I give Morrell to settle in and be nice to Molly?

Molly used to walk around with her tail high. . . . sleep in her favorite sunny spots in the living room. . .

Now she cautiously walks (tail down). . . . and is very jumpy. . . and never sleeps in open spaces anymore.

I feel so bad for both cats.
I would feel like a shmuck if I returned Morrell to the shelter. I can't possibly do that.

I know that Molly's years are numbered. . . . and that Morrell will one day be the only kitty. . . . but I don't want Molly's last years to be lived in fear & terror.

Any suggestions? Any one out there have a similar situation with a happy outcome?

Had the same problem years ago when I introduced an adult calico to my adult grey/white boy. They were at each other for about 6 months, then settled into a mutual tolerance. They were never friends, but learned to share the bed with me if they slept on opposite sides.
It took a lot of comfort and attention from me for both of them to learn to accept that there was room for 2 in my 1 bedroom apartment. I used a lot of reassurance on both of them thru their adjustment period.

I'm currently adjusting my indoor/outdoor cat Bob to be indoors only (for the last 3 months). He was alpha cat outside and Stumpy is alpha male inside. There is a great deal of wrestling between them (not to the point of blood, just a test of strength). I talked to one vet that suggested a mild tranquilizer to get them thru this adjustment period. I haven't given it to them, as they are getting better with each new day. Just a thought to throw out there to you.

Sorry don't have any other ideas here. This is a tough one!

Momofmany-

Thanks so much for the encouragment.

It's almost like having children (sibling rivalry) isn't it?
If I pet one, I have to pet the other. . . . or I get the evil eye!

As I write. . . . Molly is outdoors. . . . Morrell is sprawled out in a sunbeam in the living room. I tried to call Molly in a short while ago. . . . she came to the door. . . . and so did Morrell to "greet" her. She backed off. . . . ran back outside.


Sigh. . . .

Originally posted by George'smom

It's almost like having children (sibling rivalry) isn't it?
If I pet one, I have to pet the other. . . . or I get the evil eye!

Click to expand...

LOL Yes it is! We need to find an evil-eye smilie for these moments!

oh yes oh yes. The evil eye! I get that all the time!

That's a really tough situation.

You may have already tried this, but is there a particular type of treat or canned food they're both very fond of? Perhaps you could make it a point to give them something they're really fond of when they're standing near one another and Morrell isn't behaving in a threatening manner. Don't expect them to get too close for comfort at first - just in the other cat's sight. I did that (along with all the other suggestions) when introducing Mr. Underfoot (who is VERY territorial) to Oreo (Mr. Mellow - if there's conflict he'll just leave the area). The ONLY time they got the special treat was when the other cat was nearby - they eventually started to associate the other cat's presence with yummy stuff and became more accepting of each other.