Hi, I recently adopted two unrelated cats that had been living in the same house for years. Both are female, one is 8 and one is 7. They’ve gone through a major upheaval; they lived in a house with three sisters (the 8 year olds) and the 7 year old. Two of the sisters were rehomed separately and I took the two remaining so they weren’t split up. When I went to collect them they were in the same room quite happily and travelled back to my house in the same large carrier with no problems. Now they are at my house the older one settled in after 20 minutes and is happy exploring, eating and sitting on my lap. The younger one won’t come out of the bedroom and seems scared of the other cat and won’t eat if she can see her. I’m not sure what to do. I understand they need different times to settle in but I thought they’d comfort each other and provide familiarity
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Adopted Two Cats
- Thread starter kizzycat
- Start Date
When a cat gets stressed as yours are, it is not unusual that they will get testy or not want anything to do with another cat, even one they have known and lived with. I am sure they will eventually regain their friendship but each has to adjust at its own pace. If the younger won’t come out, just make sure she has access to food, a litterbox and water. If the older leaves her alone, I would leave the door open but if the older is coming in and making her more nervous shut the door and give the younger a few days to herself.
I think at
susanm9006
has it right! Just give it some time.
susanm9006
has it right! Just give it some time.- Joined
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Make sure they have seperate feeding areas.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
Thank you for your replies. They have separate feeding areas and the younger one is gradually coming further out of the bedroom but runs when she sees the older one. The older one is behaving more inquisitively and is showing no signs of aggression so I think maybe they just need to readjust to each other and time to feel completely safe here.
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It'll take patience, so just give it time. It is a major upheaval for them as you said. Maybe spraying some Feliway could help difuse any tension?
Then again, my two cats (also unrelated to each other) get on pretty well, but our girl always waits before the boy eats - she won't eat while he's around. So perhaps this will always be a habit for the younger one. Make sure her bowl is in a separate section to the other cat, and maybe play with the older cat while the little one is eating to ensure she gets time to eat without being scared of being interrupted.
Hope that helps
Then again, my two cats (also unrelated to each other) get on pretty well, but our girl always waits before the boy eats - she won't eat while he's around. So perhaps this will always be a habit for the younger one. Make sure her bowl is in a separate section to the other cat, and maybe play with the older cat while the little one is eating to ensure she gets time to eat without being scared of being interrupted.
Hope that helps
