A house full of boys!

[sparkie]

So if you've read my story in the Ferals forum, we've kept one of the sweet rescued babies. We thought she was a she, but after a checkup at the vet, found out that she was a he!

The question is, I have two male cats already, a year apart in age. The oldest cat is almost 3 years. The two male cats, Apollo and Storm get along great. They play together, lick each other's heads and eat/hang out together.

I've kept the new arrival, who we've named Romeo, in a separate room with food, litter, etc. They've been able to smell and see each other through the doorway thanks to a large gate I've put up. I've given the two boys treats near the door.  I also have a Feliway diffuser going near the door, as well as in Romeo's "safe room".

Is there anything else I can do to make the transition a bit smoother? So far, Apollo and Storm have growled/hissed at Romeo and seemed a bit tense, naturally, but they always come to the gate to sniff each other.  Romeo doesn't seem afraid of them at the slightest. In fact, I think he'd pounce on either one the first chance he got!

What else can I do to make the transition easier on everyone?

 

[shadowsrescue]

The best advice I can give is to start slowly.  Take it at the cats pace not the human pace!   Most of us rush the process as we dearly want our fur friends to quickly get to be fast friends.  I would start by doing scent swapping and then move to sight swapping.  Allow the resident kitties some time in Romeo's room while he is safely elsewhere.  Do this for awhile.  You are ready to move to the next step when there is no growling, hissing, posturing, yowling, tail swishing, ears going flat or other signs of aggression or hostility.  After the room swaps, you can start to feed them on either side of a closed door.  You may need to start back quite a distance on each side.  Gradually move the food closer and closer so they are right up close to the closed door.  Next use a baby gate that is covered by a sheet.  You may need to stack two baby gates at first or you a cheap wooden screen door ( if you want to see a picture of this let me know).  Just keep it covered at first.  Then move to taking the cover off.  All of these steps could take a few weeks to a few months or more.  It just depends on your cats. 

When you are ready to allow them time together be sure to have lots of treat rewards on hand.  Reward them often.  YOu want them to associate each other with something really tasty.  I often used plain cooked chicken.  Be sure you have lots of vertical space so that the cats can get up and away if needed.  Also keep Romeo's safe room open and allow him to be there whenever he needs.

When I brought my feral/stray cat Marvin into the house, it took he and my resident cat one year to coexist.  At about the 7 month mark, Marvin could be out of his safe room during the day with supervision.  When no one was home, Marvin was put back into his safe room.  He also slept there at night with the door closed.  Gradually the cats got used to each other.  I had many Feliway diffusers around the house and used Comfort Zone phermone spray where I did not have outlets.  I also used Composure liquid max calming supplement.  Marvin was a bit aggressive at first and scared the wits out my my resident cat.  It helped Marvin to pull it together and my resident cat to feel less afraid. 

Here are some great articles on cat to cat intros with some of the steps outlined.  Also here is a video from the Cat Daddy, Jackson Galaxy.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/the-ultimate-yet-simplified-guide-to-introducing-cats

http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/a-simple-little-trick-to-use-during-new-cat-introductions/

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/introducing-your-cat-new-cat

http://jacksongalaxy.com/2010/10/01/cat-to-cat-introductions/