Advice with cat introductions!

Hello! I was hoping to hear some advice about introducing two cats! 

Just some background; Charlie is a 10 month old male grey tabby who has been in my home for about 8 months now. He was an only cat and not going to lie, a spoiled little guy. He does bite a bit, never anything harmful or aggressive, he just bites a bit when he plays. Which leads to my first question, how will this play out when bringing in a new cat?
Today I adopted a 6 month old female tuxedo cat to accompany Charlie. I felt he was lonely and could use the company. She is a real sweet heart who had been returned 3 times by previous owners. 

I looked up all the cat introduction articles I could but none seemed to cater to only cats. 

I have Jasmine isolated in a bathroom for the time being as the shelter said she is very shy and needs to be introduced slowly or else she will hide and we will never be able to find her again.

Advice would be helpful (:

linawaary,

Thank you for saving your new cat. You are awesome.

Here is a link that I think could be helpful.  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-successfully-introduce-cats-the-ultimate-guide

I have introduced cats often and am doing it right now.

You want to go about it slowly. Given your new girl is shy you want to build her confidence. Treats, play and love really help in that. If the bathroom is big enough. 

You'll eventually want to feed each of the cats on each side of the door starting a distance and moving them slightly closer everyday (with the door closed). I like to play with the existing cat just outside of the door of the room the new cat is in. Then play and give treats. 

I then get each others scent on something like an old shirt and put it in areas where the other cats spend time playing and eating and eventually sleeping.

Then I slowly start visual introductions with the door only cracked open and then slightly more. Then I have a baby gate. Again food and treats and play. And see how things are going. Then I will do a site swap where they are in each others area without them being together and again using play and treats/food.

There will be hissing when they eventually see each other and meet but if you do it slowly and correctly and make sure they realize they are taken care of and loved it should work well.

The link is a much better guide than what I have written but let us know if you have any questions. Given your new girl is a bit shy just take it slowly and make sure you build her confidence with play, food and love. A confident cat is much easier to integrate.

Good luck and let us know if you have any questions.

Thank you @CalicosRSpecial  for the article! It's really helpful

 I may have rushed things a bit!

I had her isolated in the bathroom with a bowl set up outside her door by about 3 feet. My cat Charlie (who i thought would be upset) seemed curious about the new friend in the home. He actually slept outside her door all night and they would occasionally play from under the door a bit. Jasmin was really sweet and she purrs like crazy when I enter and rubbing herself on me and being friendly. Neither seemed bothered by the other so I allowed them to meet a little through the door and when it seemed to go well I let them meet. Charlie was really sweet and interested but Jasmine interested at first eventually cowered and hissed and kinda squished herself in the corner of the wall.

I thought maybe it was too soon and i separated them once more.

Fast forward 8 hours she seemed comfortable and sweet and nice so I opened it up to my bedroom. I thought she would be happy with the room because she seemed lonely and meow a lot until someone came in the bathroom and sat with her. But when I let her out she was exploring at first and then hid under my bed. 

Sorry for so much information but it just leads back to my question, should I put her back in the bathroom and try to play and hang with her more or keep her in the bedroom?

linawaary,

Sorry for the delayed response.

I should have brought up this first. Does Jasmine have all her shots and has she been checked out for worms, parasites, etc?

If she has all her shots and does not have parasites, worms etc then I would say it is ok to put her in either the bathroom or the bedroom but still isolated.

I do feel like the meeting was probably a bit rushed even with the positive response from both.

Both Jasmine and Charlie are going to have their reservations so taking it slowly is good. Do you know why Jasmine was returned 3 times?

It is very normal for Jasmine to meow for the first few nights that she is in a new home. Totally normal. It is new and she is probably a bit afraid given all that is going on. Also, it is totally normal that Jasmine hissed and cowered after meeting Charlie. She just needs to get comfortable, the poor thing has been through a lot.  The fact she hid under the bed in the bedroom as also very normal. They need to understand where they are and what is happening and until they do they will hide. She will need to get confident and feel like she owns the territory and then she will not do that. Getting her to play, giving her treats, feeding her, loving her, letting her go up in the world all will help build confidence.

She sounds like a really good and nice cat but she needs to feel comfortable since it is a new home. The fact she is rubbing on you is great. Getting her scent on you and wanting to be loved. So far I have no idea why she was returned three times.

Now Charlie's reaction so far has been great. Wanting to play under the door.  Sleeping there. Did he hiss at all (usually they do finding this "intruder" in "my" territory, But once they find out the cat is not a threat (to territory or food or love) then it works out.

So I would probably take it a bit slower. Make sure you keep feeding them on each side of the door. Try to play with both of them (if possible on each side of the door). Use scent swapping at some point. You may want to also do some site swapping. With play and treats/food. 

You always want to associate the cat with the other cat with good stuff (play, treats, etc). That way the scent equates to good stuff (things they like).

I am not exactly sure where Jasmine is right now. If she is in the bedroom and under the bed then I would try to set up everything in there (food, water, litter box, toys, etc). Now does Charlie use that room a lot? If so, maybe the bathrooom would be best if possible. We don't want Charlie to feel like he is losing territory.

And try to give each a lot of attention and love, a lot of play, some treats after play etc.

Try to give Jasmine a lot of love so she feels loved and comfortable and wanted. When she gets her confidence she will be in a better position to integrate.

And thank you so much for taking this girl in. It sounds like she has had a rough ride so far in life and I hope she has now found her forever home. It sounds like she is a great cat. Just take it slowly and it should work out. 

Please let us know if you have any questions and again I am so sorry for this delayed response. I wish I could have gotten to this sooner.

Thank you for the response!
From what the shelter said she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time each time. She was returned once because she was at a home for a month with her brother and the people did not even bother touching her, she came back with the same ribbon around her nick that differentiated her from her brother. The second time she was returned because the family was moving and changed their mind about a cat. I can't remember why the third time was. Sadly each time it was not her fault. Surprisingly she is still sweet after all these experiences but she is terribly shy. 

Charlie has not hissed at all. My family tried introducing them again and they two fought so I feel like we really took a step backward. Charlie is still being a team player, still sleeping outside her door, he is so calm and patient. Jasmin is still being a scaredy cat 

Just a question, Jasmin loves to come out and play on her own and perch herself on my window, but whenever we make a move she scurries back into her hiding spot. She comes out when i'm sitting in her room, but when I move a little she gets scared. How can I enforce this behavior? I can't really give her treats or pet her or play with the da bird because she gets frightened by my movement. How can I help her feel more comfortable with me being around while she is too?

Thank you so much by the way @CalicosRSpecial  

linawaary,

Poor Jasmine, what a tough way to start. But I am so glad she found you now.

What was the fight like? Who instigated it? What were the circumstances behind it? It doesn't sounds like either cat is mean so I am not sure it is a big setback.

Charlie's behavior sounds good. The key is that he feels like she is a positive for him so keep loving him and playing with him and feeding him by the door and giving treats etc. You want to associate the scent of Jasmine with good things. 

And Jasmine coming out and playing and going on the window is great. This is wonderful behavior.

Now it is normal for her to be skittish. Especially because of what she has been through with the different families.

A few things on getting her to get comfortable and being less skittish. Try to speak to her very softly and quietly and try to be down on the floor on her level. Try not to be above her. I often either sit with my legs crossed on the floor or if I am working with an outside cat I crouch down to get as low as possible. And I speak to them very softly. They will at times be skittish but the more times they realize you will not hurt them the more willing they are to try to interact. Food is usually a very good motivator. Something stinky is good, warm chicken tends to work really well but can be a bit messy. If you can get a treat close to her without her lashing out or running away that would be good. Then she can associate you with something good (a treat).

The fact she does come out when you are in the room tells me she is on the way to socializing. Just try to do the above when she does come out and you are sitting there. Just take it slowly. First few times just sit there and talk to her. Then progress from there.

Also, cats can sense a persons energy. Try to act normally. I know you want to move slowly and be careful not to scare her but she can sense that you are a little different so she probably gets a little more cautious. So sometimes if you act more normally (confidently) then she can feed off of that.

It really sometimes take time. Just take it very slowly with the introductions. We have to get Jasmine to be confident and then have Charlie feel like he isn't losing any territory or attention but gaining a new friend. When that understanding it reached they will coexist nicely. They both sounds like great cats so it should work well. But just take it slowly. I think you are making progress. Jasmine has just been through a lot so it is understandable that she is cautious but show her you love her and do the above (play, treats, height, etc) and I think she is going to be a wonderful addition to the family.

I hope this helps, please feel free to ask anything and please let us know how things are going. 

To answer the earlier question, the fight was started by Jasmin. My resident cat Charlie was the one who came up to her, she was under the bed with her head sticking out to see him, as he walked up to her in seconds Jasmin began to hiss and a fight had began. It was mostly meowing and clawing at one another but as soon as I clapped they stopped. I took Charlie out of the room. He was still growling as I carried him. He has been calm since. I haven't seen problems from him.

Update: Things are moving very slowly and feels like no progress has been made. Jasmin still remains hiding under my bed. When I reach in and pet her, she cowers away but 2 pets later she is rolling everywhere and brushing herself on me wanting more pets. I try to reward this behavior with wet food. I free feed dry food and try to give her a half can of wet food as treats when I am around. I have also been putting my t-shirts that are covered in Charlie's scent and mine with a bit of wet food over it hoping maybe she will associate the scent with something good. 

I'm just worried because my family is growing impatient. Charlie is coddled and spoiled and the fact Jasmin hasn't warmed up to him yet makes my family upset and they are thinking of returning her and trying a new cat. I of course am opposing this. No way am I giving up on this poor girl. 

Anyways, my question is, why is it when I pet her she gets comfortable and walks every where and rubs herself on me wanting more pets, but as soon as I leave the room and come back it is as if she doesn't even remember and she is cowering once again. Not sure how to mark her progress when every step forward is another step back 

Sorry if i'm asking silly questions just trying to do my best and help Jasmin become more comfortable in my home

Thank you so much for the replies @CalicosRSpecial  

Cat introductions can take weeks or months. You have to go completely at their pace. They will get there, but they need to go through a process! Please keep them entirely separated until they are ready.

Just got to be patient!

Honestly they seemed ready because they both slept on the opposite sides of the door and played from under the door. I thought maybe they will get along, but I guess I misread the situation. Just got to give it time haha, hopefully they will come around @talkingpeanut  

That's why you do the slow progression. It's feeding on opposite sides of a closed door, then a covered gate, then uncovered gate. Jackson Galaxy has a great video.

linawaary,

Sorry for the delay in responding.

Jasmin probably felt trapped and felt like she needed to defend herself. It doesn't sound like too bad of an encounter. She couldn't really flee so she had to fight. If that would happen again try to bring out Charlie's favorite toy and get him to focus on that toy instead of Jasmin. Once Jasmin realizes he isn't after her then she will not fear him.

Jasmin is warming up to you, this is progress and it is great. The fact she is rubbing on you letting you pet her is great. Rewarding that behavior with food is exactly right and having a shirt with Charlie's scent by where she eats is great. Why she cowers when you enter after leaving is because she still doe not have the confidence she should have but you are building it. Imagine having three homes and no one seems to want you. You would be cautious as well but she is warming up to you and she does trust you. It just takes a little time. Just try to spend time with her, talk to her, play with her, get down on her level, give treats, pet her if you can, try to get her from under the bed (not by force but by food, or play or petting) on her terms. Try to get her high in that room, on a cat tree or a window sill so she can look out.

Please talk to your family and tell them it is best not to return Jasmin. She has been returned 3 times and she is a fine cat from what I can tell. It just takes a little time and it will with any other cat you would bring in. Trust me, it just takes time  and you have made progress and you are nearer to having them coexist every day. I don't think you are far away. Charlie sounds like a good cat as well so it will work.

Can you play with Jasmin in the room so she is not under the bed? I want her to feel like she owns that room. Can go anywhere. Playing in there especially when she comes out and is following you everywhere would be great. We want to reinforce that confident behavior. Do you have a cat tree in there or somewhere she can go high in there?

We don't know what she has been through but I can tell you that she is bonding with you and trusts you. She is on her way finally to having a great home. Just keep spending time with her. At some point we may want to block up under the bed. We want her confident, up high, owning that room not under a bed with low confidence. Play and food and love will help a lot.

I think you are a lot closer than you think. Just take it slowly. Charlie sounds like he is a good cat and Jasmin sounds like she is a great cat so it should work out.

You are doing a great job and THANK YOU for sticking up for her. She deserves a great family and you are hers.

Please do not ever apologize for your questions, they are not silly at all. Your questions are terrific and you love Jasmin so we'll do anything to help you. I hope this does help. You are awesome for loving Jasmin and for giving her the chance she deserves. Please explain to your family that what you are going through is totally normal and that Jasmin really deserves a forever home. Babies take time to be able to grow and so do cats in feeling secure. But you are doing the right things and I do think you are having progress and I do think you are going to have great success.

Ask anything and again sorry for my delayed response, I deal with ferals and have been quite busy but that is no excuse for my delayed response.

No, don't worry about the delayed responses! 

I have been able to get her out from under the bed to come out and play. If it is very quiet and still, she will come out and she allowed me to pet her. She then proceeded to play with me and a string toy. It made me happy to see she is slowly coming out of her shell!

But then things took a very sour turn. As much as I try to have my family understand cat introductions, they are impatient. I tried my best to control the situation and keep her isolated for a little longer but I was out numbered 4 to 1

Yesterday they decided to open the door to my room and allow her to roam the house with my resident cat also roaming the home. I was up all night keeping my eye on the things Jasmin has been doing just to make sure things are okay. I could hear the bell of her collar all night as she zoomed through the house. The only problem was, she decided to stalk my resident cat Charlie. She would follow him all over the house as if she is trying to run him out of his territory. If he was in the kitchen she would stalk him into the kitchen, if he goes upstairs she would follow him upstairs. She was very aggressive. At one point Charlie was sleeping in my parents bedroom and as Charlie heard her bells, he scurried under my parents bed and she followed him down there. Eventually after 3 hours of this, I heard the cats get into a fight and I ran downstairs to break it up. We put Charlie in my parent's bedroom (with the door still open) and Jasmin remained roaming the home until she entered my bedroom once again and I shut the door. For now she in her room alone again. 

I tried to keep this situation from happening but my family expected Jasmin to instantly take to my house and my cat within a few days. 

I feel truly bad because it seems like Charlie is slightly sadder than usual. Even after this whole ordeal, in the morning Charlie slept outside her door and meowing at my mother to open the door. He is a very sweet cat even after living alone for his whole life.

I was wondering, how should I interpret this situation? I'm hoping tonight when it is quiet i'll play with her and feed her a little bit of wet food try and soothe her and build more trust. I just hope she isn't different after last night.

Sigh.  There is no way to interpret this except that this is majorly rushing the introductions.  Both cats are uncomfortable and unhappy, and someone is going to get hurt.  They need weeks or months apart, at their pace, so they can be fully integrated.  

That's what I keep telling my family. I think after last night they may be more cautious towards letting the cats out 

linawaary,

Thank you for understanding about the delayed responses.

It is great that you are able to get Jasmin to come out from under the bed and play and if it is quiet you can pet her. This is great, she is trusting you. please keep playing with her with the string toy and when she is done playing make sure you give her a little treat or food. And pet her when possible without petting too much and love her. 

I agree with talkingpeanut that the introduction has happened too quickly but I am not as worried (though I am worried) about the situation. Here is why.

You could hear Jasmin's bell all night as she zoomed around the house. Now maybe she was being chased and/or maybe she was trying to find a secure spot but just maybe she was checking out the territory and she is more confident. I would have to get a better picture of how she was going about running around. 

How aggressive was Jasmin towards Charlie? Can you describe the body language? How was Charlie's reaction? Stalk has some negative connotations. When you see this you can always pull out a toy (the strong toy that she likes) and get her attention away from Charlie onto the toy. Was she really stalking? What were her ears like, what was her tail doing? What did Charlie do, did he run away, walk away slowly? What was his body language? What was his tail like?

What was the fight like? Was anyone injured? Where was the fight?

It sounds like Charlie is lacking confidence more than Jasmin. I did not really expect that to be honest. But he was outside her door after the fight. Not exactly behavior that is total fear.

I really would like to do a slower introduction, feeding at the door, eventually having a baby gate or something that they can see each other but not get to each other with feeding and playing on both sides of the door and then the gate. And then do the scent swapping where you have an old shirt with the other cat's scent on it in the bed they sleep in and also next to the food they eat. You want to associate the other cat with good stuff (food, treats, play). Then you go to supervised introductions and then it should work out. I have gotten introductions as fast as a week and as long as a month in one case. BUT it depends on the cats personalities.

If your parents insist on getting them together then try to monitor there interactions and when you see staring and a possible confrontation or chase, pull out the toy and play with the aggressor. You want the aggressor to find something more interesting than the other cat. Getting them to play can direct that energy and attention to something good (a toy) rather than the other cat. Also, can you tire Jasmin out by playing A LOT? If she is tired she will not chase and if she doesn't chase Charlie will feel more secure.

Also, I would like you to try to build Charlie's confidence. Does he like to play? If so, play with him anywhere and also outside the door Jasmin is in. And then give treats or something he loves. If he likes petting then pet him outside the door, try to get him to purr. Show him love and attention. If they are together try to get him high on a cat tree and let him watch you play with Jasmin below him.

Also, cats take on our energy. Try to be very calm and relaxed by him and Jasmin. If you are confident they can take on that confidence, same with being calm.

There are two different tracks your family may take so it is hard to describe what to do under either scenario. But hopefully I helped with both scenarios a little. It is really about confidence and about feeling secure and calm and if things start to escalate to distract with something like toys or food/treats. I hope the family can take the introductions slower but either way we will get through this. I really need to understand Jasmin and Charlie a bit more so any additional info about there body language and behavior is very helpful.

I actually don't think you are that far away so hang in there and I do think you know what you are doing, you have a good way with cats. You are making progress with Jasmin and if you can build Charlie's confidence a bit more that would be good. And then it will be how you handle the face to face introductions eventually (which I think you will do great).

We want Charlie to walk around with his tail straight up in the air and we want Jasmin to be the same. When Jasmin realizes Charlie is confident she'll play and not stalk (assuming it wasn't her way of playing) and it sounds like Charlie should be fine with her. If Charlie holds his ground and holds his tail straight up we'll be in a good place. But it does take a little time and confidence building.

You'll get there. Please let us know if you have any questions.

talkingpeanut, please feel free to correct anything I have written that you feel is not best. All I want is Charlie, Jasmin and the family to be happy for a long time and your help is appreciated. Thanks.

Thank you for such informational replies, you have been so helpful thank you!
As for Jasmin's night actions, she has been exploring the house and getting to know the area. 

Jasmin has been very aggressive with Charlie. When she was following him she would be following him she looked like she was about to pounce. Ears flat to her head. Charlie looked scared kinda backing up on all floors with his body close to the ground. Charlie really lacks the confidence to take a stand with Jasmin, partially I think it is because he was never exposed to other cats. 

I did keep them separated when I am home, I am swapping scents as much as I can, playing with Jasmin and rewarding with wet food. I was previously feeding from both sides of the door but it is tough because Charlie's food has always been fed in the same spot and he seemed to like it there better. 

Although I am able to engage Jasmin in a bit of play, she seems more disinterested. She will stalk the toy a bit swat at it and get bored. Maybe I haven't found the right toy yet. She seems more interested in being pet. On the bright side, she has not been running away when she sees me anymore. When the house is quiet and it is just me, she comes up to me meowing and when I pet her she literally rolls in joy and her but flies up so high in the air when I stroke her back. She also has the cutest cooing noises.

Sadly when I was at school,  my parents once again allowed the cats out. Jasmin hid under my couch for the most part. Charlie walked by and saw her under the couch and hissed from what they told me. Since then Charlie has been hiding under my parent's bed all day. He seems very depressed. I think it is because he was so excited to meet a new cat and make friends and the fact Jasmin hasn't been friendly and she is intruding on his territory, he is upset. He does not want to play anymore, he does not want to be pet, he won't even look at me. He was acting very normal up until this afternoon. 

I once again isolated them. I have told the family they cannot keep opening the door and allowing them to figure it out on their own

My family is growing impatient and have given Jasmin until the end of May when kittens start flooding shelters and then they will return her and get a 2 month kitten to raise on our own

But fear not! Jasmin did come from a no-kill shelter and is promised a safe home for the duration of her life until she dies, but I do not want her to spend her life in a shelter. Hopefully by the end of the month of May she warms up to the family.

Sorry if I rant a bit, it's just been a bit exasperating since my family won't listen. Once again thank you so much for the advice!  

Sorry another question!
I noticed Jasmin has been scratching her ear quite a bit and I suspect it is because her ears are very dirty and need to be cleaned to relive that uncomfortable feeling she has been having.

I have a liquid that is for cleaning animal ears and when i put it in I need to wipe around with a cotton ball to get the dirt out, Problem is Jasmin hates being carried or held and doesn't sit on laps. When she is comfortable around me, it is when I am petting her but she literally rolls when she is being pet. 

I really want to clean her ears because same thing happened to my dear Charlie and he ended up scratching off his skin resulting in a vet visit. I don't want it to get too dirty. How can I get her ears clean? Should I just wait a while until she is more comfortable with me or hold her down a bit and try my best?

She may have mites. I would recommend bringing her to a vet for proper assessment.

linawaary,

talkingpeanut is correct, it would be best if Jasmin could see a vet if she is scratching a lot. I am not sure you want to hold her down and try your best as she might scratch you or even bite. We just don't know. Cleaning ears in a new cat is pretty tough even for people experienced. Ask your vet on how best to proceed.

You are making progress building trust with Jasmin so I don't want to take a step back here especially given the timetable we are working on. 

To the interactions, the ears flat is not good when stalking. Charlie needs to get the confidence and to stand up to Jasmin (hold his ground). Once he does and gets the respect from Jasmin it should go better.

I really would like for you to continue working with Jasmin, you are doing great building her confidence. But we really need to get Charlie to be a confident cat, no more hiding, no more being afraid of Jasmin, he really needs to stand up. We need him to go high, to walk around with his tail straight up, to own his territory. So we need to keep them separated for now. And try to make sure you feed him by Jasmin's door or at least pet him there. Anything to get him comfortable with her scent around. Can you get Jasmin's scent on things and put it where he hides? I would like to block under the bed if possible. We don't want him hiding, we want him confident. It would be much better if he was up in the world. And make sure you show him love and attention. He needs to feel confident and comfortable.

We have to start with slowly introducing them and building Charlie's confidence. He needs to feel like he will be ok and Jasmin will not hurt him. It was good that he was playing with her under the door at the beginning and that after that fight oyu mentioned he was outside her door. But things were rushed and that can lead to these situations. It is always hard for an existing cat that owns the whole place to know learn to share. Now he also needs to know that she will not hurt him. I am kind of happy (if that is the right emotion not sure it is) that Charlie walked by Jasmin under the couch and hissed but I don't like that he then hid under the bed. And I don't like that Jasmin was hiding under the couch.  I fear there is a lot of negative energy in the house and Charlie is talking that in and being a different cat. 

Please try to go through the introduction process again. please work with Charlie and get him more comfortable and happy and confident. The introduction process went too quickly. But it si not too late but work needs to be done. And try to be positive, and really try to show Charlie love and attention.

I hope this makes sense and please understand you are doing the right thing, you are doing great. You are really getting Jasmin to be comfortable and confident. We need to work that magic with Charlie as well. Please keep us up on how things are going. Hang in there and we are here to offer advice anytime.  Good luck.

Charlie is starting to be a bit more comfortable in the home! I have been having play sessions for about 20min each a few times through out the day and he is walking around the house and no longer under the bed as often! I wasn't able to seal off under the bed because it's a huge bed and I didn't really know how to.

Although Charlie dislikes it, I moved his food and water bowls upstairs and outside Jasmin's room. I noticed he did not eat as much as he usually does at night, but he is eating an adequate amount so I am not really that alarmed about it!
But here is where I am concerned, yesterday I decided to swap scents a bit differently than I usually do. I typically leave the sock or shirt with Charlie's scent somewhere near where Jasmin typically hangs out. Mayd i'd leave the sock where she sleeps or eats. But yesterday I decided to rub Jasmin down with the shirt, I then rubbed Charlie down with the shirt, and went back to Jasmin's room and rubbed it all over her again. At first she was fine and she accepted the rubbing and was happy I was petting her. I then left the t shirt on the floor and placed her food and water bowls on top of it. 

In the morning when I woke up, I saw her kinda biting at the t-shirt a bit. I distracted her from biting the t-shirt. I was wondering how should I interprit this? She wasn't growling or yelling, she just was sitting there biting the edge of it. Is this meant to be mean and angry towards Charlie's scent or was she playing? And if it is angry, how I can make sure she is associating happy things with the smell? I feed her near his scent, I play with her near scent, and I pet her near the scent. What else could I do?