House move plus cat introductions.

logonia

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Aug 30, 2015
Messages
2
Purraise
1
Hi
I've come looking for help as I don't know what to do now.

My cat, Logan, is a six year old neutered male. I've had him since 10 weeks in the same home. He's always been friendly and soft, likes being stroked, comes to greet me home, rolls onto his back etc. Although he is quite a loner, having been used to me working long hours so he often chooses to sit on his own somewhere too, coming for affection when he wants it.

Anyway a month ago I moved into my boyfriend's. BF has a cat too, neutered male, about two years old. (Jack). He is the friendliest softest cat in the world, who loves playing.

We read lots of advice about how to introduce and followed it. Logan was kept in his own room, we fed other side of door etc etc. anyway we got to the point of them co-existing. They live in the conservatory, where the cat flap is. We shut them in together at night but the door to the living room is open when we're there. They have separate feeding dishes/areas. They both go to the toilet outside.

Logan is very different to how he used to be. I understand it's been a lot of stress for him and he's been improving all the time. But he's still acting really strangely. When I come home he'll be excited , let me stroke him, pick up up, which was always our routine. But then he'll get really touchy and run away, tail flicking. It's hit and miss now wherever he'll want to be stroked at any time or whether he'll go for you. He's never clawed or bitten me, more a warning gesture. He's never been aggressive to me before. I always go to him first, give him more attention than I give Jack so he knows he's top priority to me. He often stays sat in the conservatory tho while Jack comes kn and sits with us, despite all our encouragement.

Jack and Logan aren't getting on that well. There was ignoring at first, then a few bats and gentle hisses from Logan and a bit of them both chasing each other, then Logan has got a little more aggressive, just now took a swipe and more aggressive hiss, and has shown some signs of bullying, blocking doorways.


So there's two parts to this, although probably intertwined. How do I get Logan back to normal, affectionate, friendly and wanting to be with us?

How do we get the two cats to get along better. I understand they may never be total friends tho.
 

gunblade

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 26, 2015
Messages
49
Purraise
5
Hi,

From your post, you have done a lot of the recommended introduction work. Can you give a bit more info though?

Do you have places off the ground for both of them like cat tree, perches, tall shelves, top of refrigerators?

Do you walk Logan outside? How long has it been since you moved in? could other outside cats be stressing him?

When Logan is behaving abnormally, do you attempt to soothe him or do you ignore him? I have a 1 yrd (Gun) who has some similarities with Logan. Gun as recently become an indoor only cat when I moved and is sharing a small studio with 5 newborn kittens. Like Logan, Gun's behavior has changed and I have gotten more success by giving him love and treats when he shows stress signs. Gun still daily meows as if he is stuttering:


and jabs (without claws) at the kittens, gently bites them and grooms them. Gun never hurts them but he definitely wants his space.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

logonia

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Aug 30, 2015
Messages
2
Purraise
1
Is that Gun? He looks cute, similar patterns to Logan but different colouring. Logan doesn't meow like that but he acts in a similar wary manner. That's another thing, that Logan isn't vocal like he used to be.

There are two high places on the conservatory, a table and a cabinet unit thing. Neither cat seems to go on them. There's a spare room with boxes piled up and Logan likes to go in there now and then, and to the top of the pile.

Logan spends most of his time sleeping on his bed on the floor.

I moved in a month ago. Logan goes outside himself and is free to come and go. He was confined in for the first two weeks and he was even unhappier then!

There are few other cats in the area and I have seen him fighting with one. That was last weekend and I've not seen the other cat since

Mainly I've been persisting with him when he starts acting abnormally. Talking soothingly, encouraging, treats, etc. I've changed now to leaving him alone, thinking he must want space. So I stop stroking instantly and leave him to calm down. I'm hoping now to leave him wanting some attention so he comes to me and re-integrates himself with us, rather than me forcing my affection on him.
 
Top