an additional cat or two?

[micmit]

i have a spayed female cat who is nearly three

i adopted her when she was 9-12 months old from a shelter

i would like to get another cat or two maybe

but

i tried a few different ones and she seemed to get

bullied away from or attacked in the litter box

or when eating and i even tried a kitten

i have no separate places to try an introduction from

another room as i use all the rooms i have frequently

so the cat will just get out

is this cat just a 1 cat kind of cat or is there

some way of her not having to be chased away

from using a box or eating

im reluctant to try another cat with her as they

were relentless and she hardly gets attention

because the others chase her away from me too

any suggestions?

 

[abyeb]

Some cats take longer to get introduced. You really will need a separate room to keep the new cat. I'd say just be careful with opening the door. When your cats are separated do the standard introduction protocol (scent exchanging, spending time with each cat, before first meeting through a glass door or baby gate).

As for the bullying, you should feed the cats separately (this also allows you to monitor each cat's food intake). You'll just need more scratching posts and litter boxes so the cats won't feel like they have to compete over resources.

 

[flojo75]

I agree with abyeb, you really do need a seperate room with plenty of stimulation for the new cat, preferably a cat tree.
When I introduced a new cat I had a separate room with toys & a cat tree. Each day I used to put the two cats together, initially for 10 mins 3 times a day then increased it to an hour. Within a week both were best buddies & love each other to bits now.
Don't rush things or worry that initially they don't get on, it literally is little & often.
I appreciate that it can be stressful but the new cat will gel with your cat. Although mine only took a week it can take up to 3-4 months before they really get on, you just have to police the situation.

 

[NewYork1303]

A separate room isn't necessarily necessary. We introduced a kitten to our two year old cat by keeping the kitten in a huge dog crate during the introduction process. 

 

[flojo75]

With kittens I would highly recommend a separate room as it is incredibly stressful for a kitten to leave their litter mates & mum. They really need a quiet area to calm them & settle them. Any expert will recommend a seperate room

 

[micmit]

i was very lucky that no out and out fights happened

its just mainly that the new cats all were attacking

my original cat or chasing her away from boxes and food

the kitten was the worst

i really would like to stick with 4years old and up

and i always have a box and food and water dish per cat

i havent tried the idea of separate feeding yet

because i feed free choice but im willing to try it

i have a large dog crate i can use too

i just never thought of it

so the only questions left are the attacking her when she tries to

use a box and they both insisted on using the same box

what can be done in addition to a box per cat

and cleaning them a few times a day?

i tried the hooded ones twice but no one ever used them

i thought of trying to adopt a really old cat so it wouldnt

want to bother with her

would that work?

 

[micmit]

i was also wondering if it was because

my 3 year old cat is so scared

that thats why all other cats can chase her so badly

she is so nervous that when anyone comes in

shes gone hiding in the cupboard until they leave

im so concerned about the other cats not

chasing her because when i was younger

my family had multiple cats and one chased

one of the others so badly it actually starved

to death

im so worried that this will happen to me

with my 3 year old so i want to find out

all i can before i get a cat or maybe 2

and so far with the ones ive tried they all chased her but

she hasnt taken to hiding from any yet and still used a box

despite being attacked while in one

 

[flojo75]

This seems like a dominance thing, your new cats are trying to assert their dominance over your original cat.
I'd try getting another box & placing it in another room & let her know it's there, that way she will have somewhere else to go.
I would try seperate feeding as this will obviously stop the fighting over food.
To be honest you could get the same with an older cat or it could be fine you just never know how they will react with each other.
Also try splitting them up so they have chance to have time apart.

 

[micmit]

sooooo should i try another cat and just

hope they eventually get along?

 

[flojo75]

That's completely your call. If you think you've tried everything with the two you have then you could try another cat but as I said there's no guarantee they will get on also.
It can say a long time for cats to gel anything up to a year. It really depends how much you feel you could/want to persevere .

 

[micmit]

right now im still trying to get

one who will not bully the one i have

then maybe add a third one

can anyone tell me when it would be a time to

figure a second one is absolutely not working out

and would have to "be sent back"

some examples might be?

i really would like to get a second one that will work

at least fairly well

 

[flojo75]

How long have you been trying to introduce the cats?
As I say you have to be prepared to be in it for the long haul as it could take months before the accept each other. It's all down to you & how much effort you want to invest in it.

 

[NewYork1303]

I though of something else. Make sure when you add a cat you also add at least one litter box. Some cats don't like sharing and this leads to aggression. 

 

[micmit]

i tried each one for 1-3 months

and always had 2 bowls and a litter box

per cat and several hiding places if they

want them

plus toys and a tree

 

[SheriB]

A cover on the dog crate will help the new cat feel safer. Also you could try Spirit Essences Safe Space for Cats or Rescue Remedy for pets which helps them feel safe and calm. These both helped tremendously when I brought foster cats into my home. Use them for a few days before you bring in the new cat and for two weeks after, while you are going through the introduction process.

 

[SheriB]

I've just finished reading the chapter on introducing cats in The Cat Whisperer by Mieshele Nagelschneider and it is far mor interesting than I had expected. There's a lot of technique to create a group scent before the two cats ever meet. It might be worth taking a look.