Speeding up the Introductions???

My new cat, Mercy, has been kept in a separate room from my old cat, Frances, for 8 days now. Mercy wants out of his little room so badly, it breaks my heart. The whole time I'm home in the evenings, he's crying and scratching under the door to get out. I've locked up old cat Frances and let Mercy walk around the house for an hour or so, getting used to the scents. I have 1 1/2 inch gaps under the doors, so I know that the 2 cats know each other's scents now. I spend as much time with Mercy as I can but I can't be in there all night!!! Sometimes I'll carry Mercy around the house, and old cat Frances just hisses a little.

Can I speed up these introductions so that Mercy can be out of his little room? I hate locking up Frances, since it's just in a half bath and he cries the whole time HE'S locked. up.

Thanks!!!

I think you need to go at the pace your cats dictate. If they seem to be comfortable, then you can start introducing them more. But don't rush it, it may stop the crying in the short term but it'll undo all your good work to date if they start fighting. Just keep with it, it won't last forever

We got Ziggy a week ago tomorrow. He is in the main part of the house with the rest of the "herd" - they hiss a bit from time to time - but overall they are AOK with each others presence. I agree with Purity - don't rush it, but don't drag it out either. Let them determine the pace.

Sounds like it's time to move to the next step...letting the cats interact but without the possibility of them intruding on each other's territory. One way to do this is to open the door just a crack...about an inch should be sufficient. You might have to stand there and hold it. Then with cats on each side of the cracked-open door, watch them to see how they interact. If they display curiosity about the other cat, that's good. Attempts to nose-bump are also good. There might be some paw-swiping through the crack...that's O.K. But if there are signs of fear or aggression....hissing, growling, dirty looks, running away, etc., then close the door and try again tomorrow.

I tried that last night...and while new kitty was totally laid back about it, my old kitty backed up...hissed...and growled. I'm worried that my old kitty will never get used to the new one! What if he never adjusts? I will NOT get rid of either of them!!!

Originally Posted by julia123

I tried that last night...and while new kitty was totally laid back about it, my old kitty backed up...hissed...and growled.

I'm worried that my old kitty will never get used to the new one!

What if he never adjusts? I will NOT get rid of either of them!!!

Click to expand...

Some hissing and growling on the part of the old cat is to be expected. As long as they're not fighting I wouldn't worry. Don't be discouraged! As the others have said, just give a little more time for the cats to work out the boundaries of their relationship.

Originally Posted by julia123

I tried that last night...and while new kitty was totally laid back about it, my old kitty backed up...hissed...and growled.

I'm worried that my old kitty will never get used to the new one!

What if he never adjusts? I will NOT get rid of either of them!!!

Click to expand...

I'm going through the same thing right now with my new kitten. Serena backed up and hissed a bit; I think she's scared of the new kitty! I just keep telling myself that this happens most of the time when introducing cats to each other. With Max and Serena, I let them duke it out. As long as they aren't growling or hissing excessively, then it's okay. If your new little one is very young and tiny, I'd be wary of letting them work it out for themselves. It would be very stressful for both of them, and for you.
I know that it breaks your heart, listening to the new one cry in it's room. I feel your pain. It's hard, just listening to them cry and not being there all the time. What I've taken to doing is setting up a schedule. Basically, I'll go in the new kitty's "room" every 3 hours or so to make sure she eats and has some water, and I'll spend about an hour with her. After that, I'll spend some time with my other cats.
What I've also done, and what may help you, is I keep on the clothes I wore while in with the new cat, and that way the other cats can get used to her scent. It's also good that they can smell under the door, and play "footsies". Once they get used to that interaction, things may start to go more smoothly. The best thing to do, and the hardest, is: don't rush it. Even though it may seem like it'll be easier, it really may only make matters worse. Give it a while, and listen to the great advice from the other wonderful people here. Lots of them have been through the exact same thing. The way I look at it is it's like having kids. You learn the most through trial and error. And don'r forget: have fun! Good luck!