An Imposter In The House... Years Later?

[Crystal G01]

We adopted a new cat a few years back and quickly noticed that two of our other three cats did not get along with her. A few times they rumbled in a ball and even caused her to use the bathroom wherever the fight happened. We decided to keep her in our bedroom with the door closed. She got along with our oldest that has since passed. She is now the only one in the bedroom, but I would like for her to have run of the house as well. She is petrified of the other two and the stalk her relentlessly. I have kept her in the living room while watching them with spray bottle in hand, but this is not working. I believe we should have gone about this differently, but can it be fixed now? Any help is appreciated, please!!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - there are other folks here with more info regarding introducing cats, but my first thought is to wonder if you've tried any of the calming products, including feliway and there's a treat type called Compose et al, on them? Is everybody spayed and neutered?

 

[Crystal G01]

Hi - there are other folks here with more info regarding introducing cats, but my first thought is to wonder if you've tried any of the calming products, including feliway and there's a treat type called Compose et al, on them? Is everybody spayed and neutered?

Hello, I didn't check other posts because there are so many and I was just wanting to see if maybe there is something specific about my case that will help give an answer. I have not thought of the calming things, I will try that thanks! Also, everyone is spayed/neutered.

 

[Furballsmom]

I was just mentioning other TCS members because I don't have a lot of experience introducing, or re-introducing cats but I do have experience with an easily stressed out feline . Thinking about it some more, something I've read is that if you take blankets or other portable (and maybe even not so portable in this case) thing that each cat sleeps on, and swapped them around to the other sleeping places. Particularly a couple of bedroom cat's things out to where the other two sleep, to get them more (sort of forcibly) re-acquainted with each other in an in-your-whiskers kind of way?

 

[Crystal G01]

Yes I will try that too, though she sleeps on the bed hehe. I am going to put a small blanket on the bed for a while then switch it out with the one we keep on the couch for the others. I am also going to keep putting her in the room with them while I watch so she can see that they are not going to attack her if I am there, but does this maybe make them think they can get her later on if I am NOT there? This is so difficult

 

[Furballsmom]

See, you're on the right track already . I think supervised time is a good idea, and hopefully that comes to the point where you can relax and have some unsupervised time, and so on. No I think if they're going to gang up on her they'll likely do it whether you're there or not. Oh, and another important thing try and stay calm through all this (difficult I know!) so none of them pick up on any stress from you.

 

[Crystal G01]

Ok thank you for your help! I'm still open to any suggestions!!

 

[Furballsmom]

One other thought, have you tried having her in a room with just one of the other cats? Is the ruckus being instigated by a gang mentality or more by one of the other two being all alpha dominant and then the other being pulled along onto bedroom cat? If you try this and find it's more being started by one of the other two, maybe then it would be time to consider a little stronger calming product for that particular cat.

 

[Crystal G01]

Ah ok yea one of them is more high strung than the other and the other I think really just wants to exchange smells with her because he is the boy. The other girl is very high strung and attitude. Has been that way since adolescents. Thanks so much!