Adopted a third cat, existing cats not pleased.

I adopted a new cat over the weekend. I was quite worried about how my existing cats would react but I'd grown somewhat attached to this cat visiting him in the petsmart shelter and knowing he has not had a great life thusfar. The new cat is about 4 years old, very gentle, scared, non-agressive. I have 2 cats, one a 3 year old female and one a 2 year old male. They get along but have never been cuddle buddies. They play sometimes but the female, Lulu, does a lot of swatting and hissing at him, Petey, when he invades her personal space. 

I adopted the new cat, Bob, on Saturday so today is only the 4th day. I used my bedroom as the isolation room because I thought I could be with him during the night as well as visits during the day. This was a big mistake I think. I'll explain later. There is a big crack at the bottom of the door where they can see each other. Bob makes a lot of noises but no hissing or growling. Just sad meows and chirping. I let him out for a little bit on sunday and monday. It seemed to go okay. Petey and Lulu hissed at him and growled and only once swatted when Bob tried to run past Lulu. Bob was scared and ran back into the bedroom a few times under the bed. Also - I have a 90 pound dog and that went fine, he came up to Bob and wagged his tail and Bob let him sniff him, no problems. 

Then yesterday (day 3) Petey stopped eating. Petey is a fat black cat who LOVES his eats so this was highly unusual and scary for me. I realized he was depressed and/or jealous and it might be because of keeping Bob in my bedroom. Both Petey and Lulu like to sleep parts of the night on my bed and also like to sleep on the bed in the sun during the day or in the window seat. I didn't realize how attached they are to the room but I think that's part of the problem. I put Bob in a downstairs bedroom - not as cozy and he's upset but it's got a comfy chair, a tall cat tree and 2 windows and a treadmill he hides under. Petey immediately went upstairs onto my bed and stayed there all night. Unusual, so I realized this was part of the problem. This morning he ate some and took treaties when I left for work which was GREAT.

However, someone peed on the carpet outside the litter box this morning I am pretty sure, I'm thinking it was Petey because it was in lines, not a puddle. Also, Lulu has been throwing up after she takes her first few bites of wet food for the past few days. She still has an appetite and goes back to it once her stomach settles. 

Any advice? I'm so worried about all 3 of them. I'm at work today and will go home to visit at lunch but it's hard to spend enough time with all 3 of them. I was also thinking of getting a couple Feliway diffusers. But I am worried about the throwing up and the peeing and hoping the appetites stay okay now that the master bedroom is open to them again. 

AW Congrats on adopting!! Oh boy! The woes of adding another cat and how we learn from it. Good that you moved Bob into a different safe room/bedroom. Was not the best choice to lock Lulu and Petey out of your room, their room for the new cat. Cat's are very territorial and adding a new one anywhere in the house in any safe room will cause the resident cats to become extremely stressed about their home and their resources. You took away a big one by not allowing them into your/their bedroom. Hopefully, they will settle back down now. Stress can cause the issues you are now seeing in Lulu and Petey.

PLEASE do not rush this. It is the biggest mistake I see people make when adding a new kitty. Bob will be FINE in that room even for a few weeks. It has to be this way for everyone's sake and if you want lifelong happy and trustworthy relationships to develop.

The pee you saw may have been from Petey starting to stand in the litter box while he finished his business and the pee streamed out the front of the box? Lulu's vomiting is most likely stress related as well with the new addition. It is a total shock when we bring home a new cat and the resident cats do tend to fall apart if intros are pushed and their resources are taken away or threatened due to the new addition.

Feliway is a good one to use inside Bob's room and outside Bob's room. I have also had excellent progress and success with using Spirit Essences - Jackson' Galaxy. http://jacksongalaxy.com/spirit-essences/ It has worked miracles with my bully cat and the victim cat.

Scent swapping is the first stage in the process but I would wait until Lulu and Petey are more settled and feeling better before you start. You can rub them down with a sock to transfer scents, swap out beds/blankets/toys, brush the cat's with the same brush. Make sure to give your resident cats extra loving attention and lots of treats, same for Bob. Playtime for each is also a good relaxer and energy burner. Wand toys are fun interactive games to play with cats. I also would suggest if at all possible to install a temp. screen door on the safe room when you get to the visual stage. First scent swap then visual/sight before initial nose/nose interactions. Slower is better for success. The last thing you want is for them to start off having bad and frightening experiences that may stick with them for a very long time.

I also wanted to mention that adding in another cat always changes and challenges the social dynamics of resident kitties. Petey and Lulu are also going through a "now what" phase and trying to deal with each other's differing way of dealing with someone new in the house. You may not even notice or see the emotional changes in your two but to them they are quite visible and will take time to sort it all out.

Hang in there! This will work out just fine if the proper steps are adhered to. Sometimes I think it is harder on the guardian's than it is on the cats!!! Slow, slow and more slow is the way to go.

Some helpful reading:

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

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/six-surefire-strategies-to-reduce-stress-in-cats
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/potential-stressors-in-cats-the-ultimate-checklist

Thank you so much for your response Feralvr! I am kicking myself hard in retrospect, it was a very bad choice putting Bob in my bedroom, I didn’t realize how attached they were to it but I should have. Since the move Bob has been very vocal which breaks my heart and I fear may upset Petey and Lulu. I think taking him from his safe house and moving him really upset him. He is a special cat likely with an abusive if not abandonment-filled background.

Do you think I should wait a few weeks before even brief meetings/interactions? That seems like a long time, I mostly worry about Bob feeling very isolated. I’m surprised he’s being so vocal since he spent at least the past 2 months in a small cage in Petsmart. The room is large and has 2 windows and a nice tall cat tree which he has already familiarized himself with (he uses the top 2 tiers)  but still he cries a lot, it’s heart-breaking.

Thank you for the links, I will read the articles and checkout the spirit essences. I’ll try anything to ease this process!

I forgot to answer about the pee, it definitely was not a miss. I have a hooded litter box which is actually inside a cat house and the pee was far enough away from both entrances that he wouldn't be able to hit that spot from inside either the house or the box. I'm worried about the pee because I have heard that it is a pungent smell (although I didn't smell it today, I just saw it) and difficult to clean.

Try some of the techniques that Jackson Galaxy uses:
http://jacksongalaxy.com/2014/07/08/cat-mojo-how-to-introduce-two-cats/

Feliway is also a great tool...both diffusers and wall plug-ins.

Love this woman too...Pam Johnson-Bennett
http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/category/family_and_home/intercat-relationships/

I have also read that some cats do not like hooded litter boxes...you can always make your own using a rubbermaid tote (just google for ideas on what people have done).

You might also try to make sure you have enough Vertical Space...cat towers and shelves mounted on walls can help a cat that is shy or scared get out of the way to a safe place.

 

Thank you Suzglo for the suggestions and links! The cat that peed is one of the existing cats who has always used the hooded litterbox with no issues, I believe he was intentionally acting out this morning, I hope it was a one time thing.

I watched Jackson Galaxy's video, it was great! I have a crack at the bottom of the door so they may be getting visuals to early and I probably let Bob out too early as well. I will keep them separate for at least the rest of the week and see how it goes. It's just really hard to hear him crying in there

We "adopted" a 6th cat, Jackson, over 2 years ago and it took over 6 true months to fully integrate him into our home...he was also FIV+ and none of our others were.

In that time frame, we lost the matriarch of our family, Gracie, and that had an affect on the going-ons of the family.  

In the beginning we used a harness on Jackson so that we could keep him from pouncing on the others;  we also used three baby gates stacked upon each other in the bedroom doorway so we could keep them separate...they could see each other and smell each other but not hurt each other.  We would also provide time for each to have access to each other's territory...you know swap them out...let them each prowl and smell without the other being present.  

For us..it was investing in another 6 foot cat tree and being patient...but now, for the most part...we have a peaceful and content 5 cat household.

Pam Johnson-Bennett uses this method... http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/how-to-introduce-a-second-cat/

"Don’t Force the Scent Issue

Some cat parents have been given bad advice about how to use scent to create a peaceful multicat environment during a new cat introduction or when trying to address multicat aggression. I’ve worked with clients who had previously been advised to put one cat’s scent on another cat by either brushing all the cats with the same brush or rubbing one cat with a towel and then rubbing the other cat. This is potentially dangerous and very stressful to the cats. When you put one cat’s scent on another you deny that cat the ability to get away from it. An important and very basic rule in ethical behavior modification is to always provide CHOICE to the cat. If a cat feels she has no ability to escape the scent, it may escalate aggression and will probably interfere with the introduction and integration process. You have to go at the cat’s pace. When you push the issue, the cat will typically retreat.

If you’ve ever been to a department store and shopped for perfume, you notice they have paper strips available so you can spritz the perfume on that instead of on your skin. If you spray the perfume on your wrist and you absolutely hate it, you then can’t get away from it. I remember having done that in the past and could hardly wait to get to the restroom to wash off a terrible perfume and even then, the scent trace still lingered.

This is why I recommend using scent methods that allow cats to move away. I use the sock technique during new cat introductions. I rub one cat with a sock and then place the sock in the other cat’s area. This gives the cat the choice of whether to approach and sniff or back away. I use clicker training  and reward any positive movement toward the sock, but if the cat decides she’s not ready to check out the scent, then that’s ok. I go at the cat’s pace."

 

Thanks Suzglo! Reading that I would definitely not rub the cat's scent on my other 2 cats. I went home at lunch and things didn't go as great as I had hoped. This morning Petey ate most of his wet food and also ate some dry food and was begging for his treaty that I give them when I leave for work. He ate it a lot more slowly than his usual scarfing. But when I got home and gave him a treat he just looked at it and Lulu came over and ate it. That never happens, it is always Petey eating Lu's treats before she finishes. So it looks like his non-eating is still very much an issue. I'm sick to my stomach, I just want them all to be okay. I feel like I'm hurting them by my choices.

Ok. Do not give up yet.
Start from the beginning...go about following the re-introduction techniques as if you just brought the new baby home.

Invest in some Feliway too.

The cats can pick up on your emotions so try to remain positive. Spend individual time playing with both sets of cats. Figure out how to contain the new cat away from your two others; and go through things from a fresh start.

Can you segregate the new guy in a room by himself while allowing your two babies run of most of their original territory? Start from there and re-introduce them following either Jackson Galaxy or Pam Johnson-Bennett.

Be patient. It will take time. Don't get discouraged. There were times we didn't know what we would do with Jackson, but whose going to take in a wild and crazy FIV+ cat that doesn't know boundaries. It was our mission to work with him and integrate him into our home. It takes time. It takes learning on our part. Hang in there.

Thanks for the encouragement Suzglo. As of last night Bob (new cat) is in his own space in the least used room in the house - a bedroom on the first floor.  I thought this had helped Petey since he slept with me last night and ate okay this morning. But refusing treats at lunch is unheard of. Anyway, Bob is in his bedroom with the door closed and a large crack at the bottom where they can see/smell each other. Not sure if i should block that with a towel. Bob desperately wants out and cried the whole time I was there at lunch. I spent a few minutes with Bob but most of my time with Petey, giving him a new catnip banana and lots of pats. He did play with the banana a bit. I also bought 2 Feliway  diffusers. I put one in the living room and 1 in Bobs room. Not sure if the living room is the best spot. Ugh I am not good at this, I'm a worrier.

One day at a time...don't get overwhelmed and just do a lot of reading to see if there are things you can implement to make the situation better.  Feliway in Bob's room is great.  Put the other one where the cats are the most but not by the litter box.  

Get Bob his own blankie and spray it and a toy with Feliway...this way if he is napping on the bed, he has his blankie to snooze on and a stuffed animal to snuggle with.  You might turn on the radio to something soothing or the tv if you have one in that room. If he can look out a window at the birds and other goings-on, that might distract him too.

I've been where you are and no, it's not easy...and yes, we worry.  Give it time...

Thank you so much, it helps to know others have been through this and come out okay. Right now I’m kind of a mess. I was expecting separation, hissing, growling, swatting, anger. I was not expecting my little boo Pete who follows me around the house like a puppy to withdraw, stop eating and start peeing outside his box. I’m worried about him and it’s tough to know he’s depressed/sick because of me.   

I will agree, do not rush! I have been working on integrating my 2 cats for 7-8 months now. Go at the pace of your cats. If you watch them, you will know when it's ok to move on to a next stage because they will stop displaying strong stress behaviors. Better to go too slowly than too quickly.

If you take a look at my thread, called Cat Introduction Woes, you can get a lot of great advice. We've been having such a tricky time with our introduction that I have begged and pleaded and cajoled every tactic and variant on tactics that people can think of, so there is very helpful stuff in there that I haven't seen in any of the guides that I've read.

Thanks Losna, I read part of it, I will go through the rest of it. The part that I'm worried about is the stress is manifesting in physical illness/refusal to eat and peeing in the house. I can only be so patient with that because Pete has to eat or he'll get seriously sick. If it was just aggression/swatting/growling/hissing I wouldn't mind nearly as much.

veronica00 said:

Thank you so much for your response Feralvr! I am kicking myself hard in retrospect, it was a very bad choice putting Bob in my bedroom, I didn’t realize how attached they were to it but I should have. Since the move Bob has been very vocal which breaks my heart and I fear may upset Petey and Lulu. I think taking him from his safe house and moving him really upset him. He is a special cat likely with an abusive if not abandonment-filled background.

Do you think I should wait a few weeks before even brief meetings/interactions? That seems like a long time, I mostly worry about Bob feeling very isolated. I’m surprised he’s being so vocal since he spent at least the past 2 months in a small cage in Petsmart. The room is large and has 2 windows and a nice tall cat tree which he has already familiarized himself with (he uses the top 2 tiers)  but still he cries a lot, it’s heart-breaking.

Thank you for the links, I will read the articles and checkout the spirit essences. I’ll try anything to ease this process!

Click to expand...

Do not be too concerned about Bob and his vocals! I understand that this is a hard process for everyone right now but day by day they will adjust. This is all very common. Absolutely, keep him separated for at the very least two weeks with scent swapping going on all the time and then the visual. Scent swapping IS very important and is not going to cause any added stress but will only help the process along by mixing their own scent with the newbie.

I know of Pam Johnson's recommendations and actually SHE is the one who came up with the sock exchange. Of course, you would not do this on the first day. Usually the scent swapping will begin after the newbie has adjust to his new safe room and surroundings. First you can swap out beds/blankets. Leave the brush that you brushed you cats with on the floor. Rub the sock on the resident cats and leave on the floor in the newbie's room. Things like that before you actually rub the sock on each of them. This could be a few days in between. By that time, it will not cause undue stress and is widely used and successful approach before face to face intros are done. Of course, you do what you think best, I am just sharing my experiences. You will get varying advice and all is good to digest and decide what is best for you, your cats and the newbie.
The room sounds PERFECT. Bob is very lucky and he will soon learn that the room is his new safety and security with lots of happy things going on in there for him. Also you want to make sure that he has a second stool check that is negative before you allow the cats to share boxes. Even is the stool sample was negative on his records - wait two weeks and run another just to be safe and sure.

suzglo said:

Pam Johnson-Bennett uses this method... http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/how-to-introduce-a-second-cat/

"Don’t Force the Scent Issue

Click to expand...

No force should ever be used in introducing cats to cats. There are steps involved as you say in scent swapping to eventually get to the body scent swapping stage. Obviously, most people know not to put the new cat's scents on each other until all cat's have adjusted to even the idea of a new cat in the safe room. Not until all cats are ready for that very important step do you advance to rubbing scents on the actual body of the cat's. Just to clarify. Also - scent swapping IS a very, very important part of the beginnings of introductions to ALL cat's. WHEN and ONLY WHEN the cat is no longer hissing at the scent of the other cat does one apply the actual scent swapping on each of the cat's. First one must allow the scents to be explored all on their own accord as I said via sock on the floor, brush on the floor, bed or blanket exchanges, etc. etc. There are steps involved to scent swapping.

Scent swapping is so very important for successful relationships, IMO, before actual face to face introductions are done. I would rather have the hissing/growling, etc. etc. out of the way or at the very least minimized by scent swapping before face to face begins. It is such a shame when people do force cats to be introduced before they are ALL actually ready.

What about Petey? Should I take him to the vet? He didn't eat dinner tonight or drink water. He ate some wet food for breakfast and some dry but nothing the rest of the day.

If you are concerned, but uncertain, you can always give the vet a call to see what they say. I do that a lot since I am  still new to cat care. They either tell me yes come in, or no, give it a few days. Only once did they say they had to see him to make a determination and that I should decide whether to bring him in or not.

Sinbad is prone to stressing out, so I am very familiar with dealing with his stress health problems at this point.  

I'm very concerned, he's a big eater he does not skip meals. His eyes are completely dilated which I think means he's stressed. Does Sinbad ever stop eating?