Cat Introductions: How long did it take?

Hi everyone! Just curious to see the varying amounts of time it took to introduce your new cats to resident cats, and when/if your cats became friends. Thanks!  

I normally adopt seniors and have had it take as little as a couple days and as long as 6 months or more - and in one case there was never a lasting peace.  It really depends on the cat's personality.  If they are total snits then it takes a long time for them to accept a new comer.  If they are easy going and laid back then there can be peace almost immediately.  I had an old girl that was constantly antagonized by a new senior I adopted.  The new girl, Coco was on PURR-fect behavior for the first few weeks, then it seemed all heck broke loose and she would ambush the old girl and cause all kinds of hate and discontent.  We finally had to resort to medication to take the edge off Coco's bad ambushing behavior.  

In all my years of adopting seniors, I've only had a couple pair up and become friends.  No biggee.  I do tend to accept things as they are and I don't try and force a friendship.  

Thank you! My resident cat used to love other cats, but had a really bad experience with another cat recently and now seems terrified of the cat we brought home a week ago.

She never hissed or growled before, but that's what she does when she sees our new cat through a crack in the door. She was even able to swat the new cat in the face. The new cat is super laid-back and just turned around and walked away.

I'm wondering if the bad experience will prevent her from trusting another cat again.  

A week is not nearly long enough to let things settle!  Growling does not bother me, hissing does not bother me.  Posturing does not bother me, it's the all out fur fight that I can't take and that is very rare.  Give it time.  Just ignore the snittyness they show each other.  I keep a can of pennies nearby and rattle it when they get too close to each other and with ears back and posturing.  It breaks the mindset.  They will get used to being around each other and eventually it will all work out.  One day you will wake up and realize it's been awhile since you sensed stress between them.  Just ignore things until then.....if you can.  Try not to stress.  They can sense stress and will react to it.

Will do! I won't let them near each other until the hissing and growling stop.  The new cat is still in a separate room, and will be for as long as it takes. I did some room-swapping today, but that's it.

It depends on age and the personality of the cats. Leroy was 6 months old when I brought home Emma, also 6 months. Leroy just wanted to play right away. Emma growled and hissed a few times over the next few days but quickly settled in and got along with Leroy just fine.

I'm currently going through the same thing with my cats. I recently adopted an 8 week old girl into the family. My 3 year old male is a gentle and docile cat. I expected there to be some irritation with the new arrival, but in just 6 days, they're able to eat together, be in the same room, and he will engage with social grooming. I've even caught her following him around from time to time. Sure, there are time where he can get a bit too rough with her (like pinning her down too long, being dominant or being rough in general. He'll back off if she yells though), but these are normal behaviours, and given that they can do all the aforementioned things, I believe it's going well. As for how long it takes before they can totally get along, that's up to your cats, really. I think it comes down to them and their personality, and you in regards to how you handle it. I don't think it's ever a good idea to force contact, as it just makes the cats stress out and can cause resentment, and as a cat owner, you don't want that, do you?

I kept the newcomer in a room with the door closed for a while so that my male could get used to her scent, and whenever he was outside for the day, I'd let her out and explore. Once he got comfortable with that, I allowed five minutes everyday of 'viewing time" where he could see her (supervised by me, of course), and when I felt things getting even a little stressed, the door would go back to being closed. After that, it was ten minutes of supervised interaction, and once I could see that there was no aggression, and that they were both comfortable enough with each other, they're now both free to wander around the house. I still keep an eye on them, because they're not quite buddy-buddy yet, but they're pretty close.

Thanks, everyone! Hopefully my resident cat doesn't hate all cats now after her negative experience. She is normally so laid-back and docile. The new cat even more so.

Update:  I was able to get the two cats in the same room together!!!

I had the door opened a crack and my resident cat wanted to come in. She wasn't growling or hissing so I opened the door all the way and sat between the two cats. I got them within a couple of feet of each other! First with treats, and then when I was playing with them. The resident cat only hissed a couple of times when the new cat got a bit excited with playing and got too close. I should mention that the new cat never reacts and is very laid-back about everything.

We'll see how things go today. I'm a bit nervous about them getting really close and touching noses, etc. I always have a blanket in my lap in case I need to use it. What is acceptable in the beginning? A bit of hissing? Is growling okay or is that a bad sign?

A bit of hissing and low level growling is acceptable. They're just feeling each other out.

Normally there will bit some chasing and wrestling as they figure out who will be the dominant cat is the household.

Certainly step in if one is trying to get away but the other does not let this happen.

Best of luck! But it looks like you're doing everything right, so I think this is going to work out.

Thank you! It will probably freak me out to see them wrestling in the beginning, to be honest. I know it has to be done though.

Whenever the resident cat hisses or growls, I distract her. Should I just let her? Again, the new cat doesn't react at all.

Just let her growl and hiss. It's how cats communicate with each other. She's telling the newbie that this is her territory. He's just trying to figure it all out.

It's normally all good unless the fur literally starts to fly. He seems calm which is good as many say females are more territorial.

How old are they?

They are both female. Resident cat is about 4 years old, new cat is about 2 years old, maybe younger.

Sorry! I thought I read a 'he' in one of your posts.

One week is a pretty short period of time for adults being introduced to one another. Patience is key and you're doing a great job!

Hopefully both are spayed.

Yes, they're both spayed. It'll be two weeks on Monday, but both cats are very gentle, sweet, and docile.

I adopted a 2 year old from a shelter, stray; most likely had been at least semi feral- my daughter had a now 8 month kitten; he was 5 months old when I brought home my new one. It took 3 months of careful and slow introduction using what I read on this site. Now, they are fine. They play chase, pawsies etc. Not grooming each other, but they are good! Well worth the time it took.

I have 3 cats, and run the spectrum of time for introductions.

Sinbad and Bêlit were cuddling and grooming each other in a matter of days. I don't remember how many precisely but it was definitely less than a week.

Bêlit and Tempest were able to get along right away, although they don't cuddle, just sit a few feet apart.

Tempest and Sinbad however, are going on 2 1/2 years and she still flees at the sight of him and mostly stays in her safe room to avoid him. She only comes out when she's certain he's asleep somewhere on the other side of the house.