Next Step for Cat Introduction

chaimustang

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Hello, first time poster, but it's the first time I've ever been at a complete loss with cat behavior!

About 2 1/2 weeks ago, I brought home Nymeria, a 1 year old, 3-legged female cat.  I felt like I did enough research to ensure a smooth introduction with Tybalt, my resident male (about 5 years old, has all his legs). Tybalt seems totally fine with the new cat. He will eat right up against the door with Nymeria on the other side and not react at all, and even with the door cracked slightly he will just look curiously but then go back to eating. As far as I can tell he is eager to meet Nymeria and is ready for the companion. He is absolutely the chillest cat and has shown none of the warnings signs of feeling like his territory is being infringed upon. 

Nymeria is a completely different story, she certainly isn't "chill" with Tybalt. She was brought into the animal shelter in December and was spayed at that time, then in early January she had the surgery to remove her left back leg, so I know she's had a tough couple of months. As far as I could tell from the shelter staff, Nymeria has never had full use of her leg and she gets around great without it and is just a sweet love bug to me. She has warmed up to me so much in just the few weeks we've had her, laying in my lap and purring constantly, looking for pets and attention. However, for the first week whenever Tybalt would come up to the door she would hiss aggressively and usually run away, although once or twice she charged at the door. Tybalt never hissed back and just meowed confusedly, occasionally pawing at the door but then walking away. After a week of feeding them on either side of a closed door, Nymeria was able to eat right up against it with Tybalt on the other side with no hissing or growling. I thought this was great progress for her! I figured the next step would be to back the bowls up and crack the door open very slightly to allow them to see each other just a bit when they're eating. We're in this stage right now and we're making progress with getting Nymeria close to the open crack in the door when she eats, but if she looks up and sees Tybalt she'll hiss and run away. (Tybs, again, doesn't care, except that he seems a little uneasy when he gets hissed at, but doesn't respond anyways). 

However, last night we had a little "incident." I knew Tybalt couldn't get through because he's much to large (12 pounds, to Nymeria's 5), but apparently Nymeria could! I suppose even if I knew she could fit through, I certainly didn't think she would WANT to get out with Tybalt roaming around. Apparently I was wrong because I woke up to screaming bloody murder and violent hissing. I sprung out of bed and saw Nymeria huddled up against a chair in the living room and Tybalt sitting a few feet away. I think she was trying to get into the bedroom where I was sleeping but Tybalt intercepted her (if we don't let Tybalt sleep with us, he makes sure that we don't get any sleep at all, so we lock Nymeria out at night and let her have it during the day). I wrapped Tybalt up in a blanket and as soon as I picked him up Nymeria ran into the bedroom and jumped onto a window ledge she likes to sleep on. I checked over Tybalt and he was a little bushy, but otherwise had no aggression at all. He didn't hiss or claw at me or even try to get away, he just seemed confused by the situation. I checked him over and made sure Nymeria hadn't hurt him then I want in to check on Nymeria. She seemed a little rattled but also had no aggression. She didn't hiss or move away from me, and I was able to pick her up and move her back into her "secure room." I gave her some love and she started purring and cuddling up with me again.

So now I'm really confused on what steps to take next. From everything I've seen, neither cat is really wanting to fight or be aggressive, but Nymeria just keeps hissing and yelling at Tybalt, which makes him come over and investigate. I'm also worried that if we just let them meet Tybalt could hurt her due to his size and also that the area of the amputation is still almost completely shaven, so she doesn't have protection from potential claws or teeth. I know this hasn't been a lot of time for them, but I just want to know I'm on the right track! I can keep feeding them with the door cracked, closing it when they're unsupervised, but a part of me feels like I should do something to get them to interact face to face and this might get rid of Nymeria's fears faster than keeping them separated since I don't think either wants to fight and Tybalt isn't having any territory issues. Maybe I should introduce a gate or screen in a couple days? I'm just totally new to this whole introducing cats thing!

As a brief aside, Nymeria has an odd habit of randomly hissing and yelling (like she's going to fight another cat), but then spinning around and going after her tail. She stops after a few seconds and hasn't done any damage to it, but it really freaks me out! I looked up feline Hyperesthesia but she doesn't seem to have any other symptoms. Her skin isn't twitchy, she doesn't mind having her back and tail pet, and doesn't harm herself in any way. I'm not sure if this is some misplaced frustration at not having a leg? Or maybe she goes after her tail because she forgets and thinks it's another cat? This is just one really strange cat, but she is just so loving I couldn't help falling in love.

I appreciate any and all input, I know it's been a lot to read bit I figured the more info I put, the better advice I can get!

Thank you!

Here's Nymeria showing off her shaved booty!

 

MoochNNoodles

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Welcome to TCS! 


Poor baby!  She really has had it rough.  Tybalt sounds like a sweetheart!  I think she just needs more time.  A gate or a screen door is a good idea; but take your time.  Patience is worth it when it comes to cat introductions.  Rushing it usually means people have to back up if not start over.  It sounds to me like you are doing good; but maybe this stage will take longer.  It's completely normal for the introduction process to take a few months; sometimes longer.  
 
 

Keep us updated! 
 

catpack

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I wonder if Nymeria is having a type of phantom limb syndrome? Certainly something to consider.

Also, what type of living arraingement did she have at the shelter? Just wondering if she had direct contact with other cats while there? Did the shelter say anything about the leg having been injured that was causing her to not use it?
 

shadowsrescue

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It really can take months and months for some cats to learn to live together.  When I brought a feral/stray into my home, the cats took a full year to get along.  It was stressful, but we managed. 

I would back up a bit and be sure they do not have any unsupervised face to face time yet.  They are not ready.  Cats are very territorial.  The space in your home belonged to your resident cat and now he has to learn to share it.  They will each need to carve out territory to call their own.  Vertical space is often great to have especially if you have a cat that likes to be up high.  Cat trees work well as does vertical shelving.  You can take a look at Jackson Galaxy's Catification ideas.

Do you have any feliway plug ins?  They might help too.

Make sure to continue to move slowly with the introductions.  What you might want to do with the feedings is to try a baby gate and feed them on each side.  You might need help or at least full time supervision. 

Some people will stack two baby gates on top of each other so the cats can't jump over.  I used a cheap wooden screen door from Lowes and attached it to my door with tension rods.  It didn't deface the door.  I did put a baby gate in the door as a bit of added protection.  This was helpful during the day when someone was home.  The cats could see and smell each other.  Also the new cat who had a room of his own could feel a bit a part of the household. 

Keep up the good work. 
 

losna

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I will emphasize what ShadowsRescue had to say. 2 1/2 weeks is nothing.  2 1/2 months  is still very little time. I'm actually envious of your progress - at nearly 3 weeks you're at about the same stage that I'm at with my 2 cats, and I'm nearing 10 months. 

What you use depends upon your cats. We use 2 baby gates stacked on top of each other, with a home made shelf that fits on top around the doorframe because Tempest gets upset if she can't get out but Sinbad is able to scale just 2 stacked gates.

The most important thing is to pay attention to the cues your cats display, and ignore any timetable. There is no timetable - some cats get along within days (lucky!!), others take months or years. Move forward in incremental steps, based upon the stress levels of your cats. It is far, far, far better to move too slowly than too quickly. 
 
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chaimustang

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I wonder if Nymeria is having a type of phantom limb syndrome? Certainly something to consider.

Also, what type of living arraingement did she have at the shelter? Just wondering if she had direct contact with other cats while there? Did the shelter say anything about the leg having been injured that was causing her to not use it?
I was also thinking phantom limb, but since she's my first tripod kitty, I just don't know much about how that would manifest in her behavior. I actually recently started volunteering at the shelter I got her from, so that's how I fell in love with her. When I was taking her out as a volunteer to do TLC, she was never bothered or hissing at the cats in the other kennels, but she was also kept in a kennel by herself, so no direct contact. According to the shelter, when she was born her umbilical cord had caused damage to the leg, meaning that she could put some weight on it, but never had full use of it and often chose not to not use when she was getting around.

Thanks again for all your input and help! I just want a happy cat family!
 

bonepicker

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I have two ferals, the girl came first. It took almost 4 years for her not to run into another room every time he came into it. She is just now, 6 years later, finally sitting in his cat tree and not hiding from him. He is 3 times her size but declawed. Some cats just take a long time. She never did like any other cat. I have thought about that every time I have considered getting a friend for the male.
 
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chaimustang

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Hello again,

I've got another question that I could use some expertise on. I'm planning on setting up a screen door or baby gate sometime this next week or weekend. In the meantime, I want to work on doing a little more "site swapping" for Nymeria, so that she isn't as afraid of Tybalt's area. The first time we let Nymeria out to explore Tybalt's part of the apartment, she walked around and was generally pretty curious. But as time has gone on, she has obviously become more and more aware that the area beyond her door is "Tybalt's domain," and every successive attempt to let her explore the rest of the apartment has been met with resistance. She hisses and growls a little bit and generally hides, just expecting that Tybalt will be out there. Is there a better way to encourage her to roam around more? I've tried playing with her to bring her out, but she will only swat at a toy or string a few times before she goes back to hiding. Today, we opened up the door to Tybalt's area and she really wasn't having it, so I took out her bed (it's like a fabric sack with a ring at the opening to keep it open, so I figured it would help her feel more secure). I was able to set her in front of her bed and she did crawl in and lay down, but she hasn't moved since! I don't want to make her stressed by forcing her into an area she's not comfortable with, but I've heard that site swapping is an important part of the introduction process. (Tybalt, for his part, is fine in Nymeria's area. He sniffs everything and is curious, but otherwise just gets upset that he's separated from me when I go check on Nymeria).
 

betsygee

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Is Nymeria motivated by treats at all?  We use treats to encourage a cat we're trying to integrate to explore more areas.  Our kitty loves her Greenies treats and will follow them anywhere.  
 
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chaimustang

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I haven't tried Greenies, but so far she has not been motivated by treats at all. We tried some regular Whiskas style treats (I don't know the exact brand, but they were kinda cheap and available in the grocery store, we give them to Tybalt and he just loves them), but she absolutely had no interest in them. Then we got some of the freeze-dried shrimp treats, which she was skeptical of at first, but she does actually eat them as long as she is in her safe rooms. She used to wait until my back was turned to eat them, but now she gobbles them up just about as soon as I put it down, so I know she likes them! However, she doesn't seem to like them enough to come out of her safe area to eat them. This time when she was laying in her bed I did try putting a treat right in front of her and then walking away, just to give her something positive to associate with. She looked at it but did not touch it at all over about 15 - 20 minutes, even when she wouldn't have to leave the comfort of her bed to get it. 
 

betsygee

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They're all different...I have two cats who LOVE treats and two others who won't touch them.  Have you tried giving her the calming treats?  They might help her be a little less anxious if she will eat them. And here's a thread about different calming agents that might give you some ideas if you want to try something like that:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/292533/what-is-your-favorite-calming-liquid

Site swapping is what we're working on now, too, integrating one cat to the area that the other three are already in.  It could be that it will just take Nymeria more time to want to explore.  It sounds like she hasn't been with you very long.  As others have said, the process can take months.  
 

shadowsrescue

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Site swapping for my guy was really hard too.  He was so afraid and the smells of my resident cat really freaked him out.  It took weeks for him to get more comfortable.  I just tried it every day for short periods.  I let him be the guide on how long he wanted to be out.  I left his safe room open too so he could get back to it if needed.  My resident cat was in another room. 

After a few weeks the new cat did get more comfy being out and I was able to play with him.  At first he was hiding or constantly looking over his shoulder. 

Just take it slowly.

I did use Composure Liquid Max.  It worked well.  I tried the treats, but the cat needed to eat 3 of them to have any affect.  After a few days, my cats didn't like the treats.  They start off nice and soft, but once opened even with the bag tightly closed, they get hard and crumbly.  No one would touch them.  The liquid was easy to mix into wet food 2x a day.  I doubled the dose in the morning since that was when my two were most active. 
 

buffy2011

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I've had my feral since November 2013 and I still have problems. She is in the bathroom with the door open at all times now. I have one cat that seems to want to stalk her and chase her. She will sit outside the bathroom door and wait to see if she comes out. Then she will chase her back in. And she does this to the other cat too so the feral isn't the only one she chases.  But when she finally goes down for her nap, the feral will come out and venture into the dining room. Now she will get up on the chair under the table.  We are  making progress but it is slow. The other cat either ignores her or chases her back, but the feral is new to her and scared so she runs. If she would just stand her ground things would be ok. But the progress with me is going slower then I thought. I can pet her and be right beside her now, but I have never tried to pick her up yet because I think she would try to claw me to death. I thought for sure we would be further along then we are now. But I chose to take her in so I have to give her the space to come around. Good luck on yours.
 

ritz

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I am introducing Ritz (female, around 5.5 years old) to another cat for the second time (male, I think a year younger than Ritz.) Ritz never adjusted to the first cat who I was fostering.
I don't think there is such a thing as too slow of an introduction; introductions can certainly be done too quickly. As I've read on this site and in articles, ignore the advice that tell you specific times/days for introduction. The author didn't interview cats for their opinion--take your clues from the cat. You after all know your cat better than experts.
I removed Hercules from the small community cat colony I take care of; he has always been inordinately affectionate since I TNRd him in May 2012. I did the sock exchange; neither cat had any reaction. I can pick up Hercules (cannot pick up Ritz unless I have to), so about 10 days ago I put him in the master bedroom and let Ritz explore the cat room/safe room. Hercules was more timid than I thought he'd be. Recently I've let Hercules explore the big main living area with Ritz behind closed doors; the first time he was quite timid and retreated to his safe room. Today he bounced out of the cat room and did some exploring.
A week ago, my handyman (who has a cat) installed a plain pine screen door from Home Depot that cost around $40. He replaced the screen with cat-proof screening (again, he has a cat, he knows.... :) The door fits purfectly in between the door casing (?). No hardware is required to keep it in place, I just push it in place., and the solid door is still in place. I leave the screen door open during the week (I am gone about 11 hours because of my work schedule) and generally close it at night.
The first time Ritz smelled Hercules, she growled. When she saw Hercules for the first time behind the screen door last weekend, she growled and hissed; Hercules backed away, face forward, and then found the birds outside much more entertaining. Today, two weeks later, Ritz just looks at Hercules through the screen door not saying anything, more curious than anything. I need to take Hercules to the vet for a wellness check before I let them touch noses or butts. He is negative for FIV/FeLK and has been dewormed (I volunteer for a cat sanctuary and they gave me the appropriate dewormer for giardia and Revolution.)
Depending on your comfort level and if the cat has been fully vetted, you could have them share food bowls, containers, fed separately, so they associate a good thing (food) with a questionable smell (scent of other cat). And when I had to give Hercules Flagyl (giardia) I put the tiny pill in cream cheese and just to make sure Ritz didn't feel left out, jealous, I have her some cream cheese (without the pill of coruse!)Although I haven't spent a lot of quality time with Hercules, I am sensing that he is more active than Ritz, prefers the ground/under the chair when threatened, and is not food motivated (all opposite of Ritz). Hopefully, opposites attract!
Good luck, it will be worth it in the end.
 

save our paws

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Phantom pain is a great suggestion.  Nymeria's behavior could also stem from the left leg area feeling too exposed to her causing her to feel helpless around Tybalt.  Sounds like you have gotten a LOT of Great advice.  Keep up the good work.  It will all work out in the end. 
 

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When I introduced a stray, Ludger, in December to my apartment, he had a hard time feeling comfortable since it was all my other cat, Deimos' domain.  I did a lot of site swapping and supervised interactions for the first few weeks since I live in a small apartment, but their fights were never too violent.  (I would be pulling fur out of each others claws sometimes, but there was never any blood).  Ludger was afraid of upsetting Deimos and would run from him a lot, but Deimos never hurt him.  I think I was the biggest factor territory wise.  Deimos didn't like Ludger near me, especially while I was sleeping.  I stopped bringing Ludger into my bedroom because it was creating mixed signals for him.  If Deimos let him in, fine, but I think it was most important for them to develop a social structure amongst themselves before I tried forcing it.  Only in the last few weeks has Deimos allowed Ludger on my bed, and a lot of times, he still kicks him off if he feels like it. 
 

deimos

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Also,  when I brought Ludger in, he was sick, and not much able to defend himself.  I tried to keep them separate as much as possible in the beginning so that he could recover some while getting used to a new environment.
 
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chaimustang

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Hello again, I thought I might give a small update. Since my first post we have kept doing the feedings through a cracked door, and we have gone a couple days now where Nymeria has been eating food and clearly been able to see Tybalt. She has even looked directly at him a few times with no growling or hissing. She does eat hesitantly, sometimes running back from the door crack after grabbing a few morsels to eat in privacy, but the feedings have been going really well I feel. Besides that, she seems to be more confident and now that her hair is growing back on her butt, she hasn't had any more incidents with attacking her own tail.

We have not been quite as successful with site swapping, but my boyfriend and I decided that it might be time to put in the baby gate and let them start seeing each other a little more. So far it's only been an hour or so since we got the baby gate secured and have just partially opened the door so as not to be too much sensory overload for Nymeria. My boyfriend is in Nymeria's area playing with her and giving her love while I am staying out with Tybalt for the time being (Nym seems to like him better than me, and Tybs has always liked me better, so it works out). From what I've heard, Nymeria has only been willing to play from the safety of her bed and did give a small hiss when she saw Tybalt as she ran past the door. From my end, Tybalt has been very curious about the gate, laying in front of it and meowing and staring inside at my boyfriend, but otherwise has shown no signs of aggression or stress.

I know it's super duper early into this new stage of introductions, but I'm wondering if maybe I should try and keep Tybalt away from the gate more? It seems like at this rate Nymeria is just going to stay in the closet that has her bed in it and never come out and get the chance to see Tybalt. But I also worry that actively shooing Tybalt away will make him associate negative things with the gate (and Nymeria). I just want everyone to stay happy!
 
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