Wondering what ways people have used to get a cat into a room that you intend to keep it in alone for a while.
We are in the middle of working on integrating two new cats and we keep both separated most of the time at this point. (Were seeing some anxiety/aggression issues in one so slowed down the integration process...) We are doing brief daily interactions with both of them, and then we alternate the times that one or the other gets to roam the house. This is the fourth week of having them, and both are starting to get smarter and smarter about knowing when we are intending to keep them in a room. I don't want to build up negative associations with toys, which I must admit I've used to trick them into chasing and then closing the door. Food or treats can work, but often don't if they aren't hungry. At this point, when we pick them up and take them to a room they will frequently just run out as soon as we put them down. They have learned quickly!
The younger cat is about 8 months, and if you do not trick him somehow you have to physically pry his little paws off the door in order to close it. He does *not* want to be alone. (Feels so bad hearing him cry when you close the door...)
The older one, three and half years or so, has some sixth sense about when we want him to go into a room and simply will not go in to the one we want sometimes. He'll just lay on the floor, sprawled out, looking at us as if to say 'just try and pick me up and put me in that room. go ahead and try.'
Love to know what strategies others have used to cajole a cat into a room.
Thanks,
William
We are in the middle of working on integrating two new cats and we keep both separated most of the time at this point. (Were seeing some anxiety/aggression issues in one so slowed down the integration process...) We are doing brief daily interactions with both of them, and then we alternate the times that one or the other gets to roam the house. This is the fourth week of having them, and both are starting to get smarter and smarter about knowing when we are intending to keep them in a room. I don't want to build up negative associations with toys, which I must admit I've used to trick them into chasing and then closing the door. Food or treats can work, but often don't if they aren't hungry. At this point, when we pick them up and take them to a room they will frequently just run out as soon as we put them down. They have learned quickly!
The younger cat is about 8 months, and if you do not trick him somehow you have to physically pry his little paws off the door in order to close it. He does *not* want to be alone. (Feels so bad hearing him cry when you close the door...)
The older one, three and half years or so, has some sixth sense about when we want him to go into a room and simply will not go in to the one we want sometimes. He'll just lay on the floor, sprawled out, looking at us as if to say 'just try and pick me up and put me in that room. go ahead and try.'
Love to know what strategies others have used to cajole a cat into a room.
Thanks,
William
