Cat not adjusting. worried.

Hello. I have a 6 year old calico that I have had to move with me a lot lately (5 times in the last few months). The car ride always seems a bit traumatizing and then the initial shock to the new place but after about 3 days she usually seems herself again. This time there is another cat at the residence to begin with and things are not going well. They hissed at each other from the start and have since separated to two different halves of the apartment.

     It's been about 2 days now and she's worse than I've ever seen her. She walks around screaming for me to let her outside and then plants herself by the door and won't stop crying. She won't let me hold her and she''s making these growling sounds I've never heard from her any time she smells a strong scent from this other cat. I let her outside a few times and followed her around and it did not look like she planned on coming back. I'm afraid that I've permanently broken her spirits or something. 

     Should I let her out to explore and walk around (with me watching of course)? Should I just ignore the crying and hope she gets used to this place and that cat? Everything I've done so far seems to make it worse.

If anyone is familiar with this type of situation I would appreciate some advice.  

Your cat has been through a lot of stress.  Her first instinct is to try and return to her former home.  If you let her out, she will go to try find.  Please do not let her out unless you have her in an enclosure or on a secure harness.  There are proper ways of introducing a cat to its new surroundings.  Yet it takes time or she will bolt.

The other stress is the other cat.  Cats are not pack animals like dog and usually prefer solitude.  When cats meet it is normal for them to hiss, growl, yowl and sometimes fight.  Cats are very territorial.  You moved your cat into another cats territory.  This too takes time and patience.  There are techniques to use to help the cats adjust.  It can take a few weeks to a few months.  Some cats learn to live together and enjoy each others company quickly while others take a long time.  This is something you and your housemate will need to do together.  I will post a few links and a video of cat to cat introductions.

Also be sure that both kitties are spayed/neutered!

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats

http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/a-simple-little-trick-to-use-during-new-cat-introductions/

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/introducing-your-cat-new-cat


Welcome to the forums.  Ask lots of questions when you need more help!

Shadows,

Thank you very much for replying. Last night was a nightmare. No matter what I tried she was in distress and could only fixate on leaving. I will not let her out unsupervised as per your advice and I won't even do that until I feel that she's comfortable here. I feel much better after you saying it just takes time. I was, sort of am, fearful that she'll never be quite the same affectionate, happy cat that she was. 

I will be reviewing the videos you posted as soon as I hit 'submit' here. Thank you again. 

Kris

I would also suggest getting a feliway plugin for the room she spends the most time in.  You can also try some flower essences.  Spirit Essences from Jackson Galaxy are awesome.  I also really like Liquid Composure Max.  It really helps to calm the cat and help the cat to focus instead of being so fearful.  You can find this product on Amazon.

Also are the cats spayed/neutered?  This makes a HUGE difference.