Cat Integration - Need support!

[jennx]

Hi everyone!

I am having some issues integrating our new cat into our household with our existing cat and was hoping I could get some words of wisdom here.

Around the end of November, we decided to adopt a new cat that stole both our hearts.  At the time, we had just one cat, Sweetie, who has been the sole cat in the house for about the last 4 years.  Before that, she had a roommate, for about 6 years.  Both of those cats got along, with the occasional little fight, but nothing serious.  Sweetie is not yet taking well to the new guy, Squirt.  Squirt is a VERY chill cat, and very affectionate, so we didn't think it would be much of an issue, but Sweetie is proving to be a tough nut to crack.  Sweetie is a great cat with us, but she's never been super friendly to (human) strangers, and has taken a swipe a visitor once, but usually just does her own thing.

Before I get into the details, I *do* know that cat introductions can take a long time, and require a lot of patience.  I am mostly looking to see if there's anything else we can try, or do better so that we can work towards peaceful household.   It can be hard to keep our patience and spirits up (especially since my husband is starting to run out of patience) when the progress is so slow.

So, we definitely made some mistakes from the get go.  The first time we did a cat introduction, it was over in a few days, so my husband did rush things, unfortunately.  We started with putting Squirt in a safe room with lots of comforting things. Sweetie responded by puffing out her tail, hissing, and growling, and then hiding under the bed.  My husband rushed things and we let Squirt out the second night, and of course it was a disaster.  There was a huge, fur-flying fight.  We went a little slower, but 2 more cat fights occurred.  No blood, but lots of screaming and yowling.  It was awful. 

I then took control of the process. Again, I made a few mistakes, but I've kept them separated and only let them see each other under controlled circumstances, with lots of treats and praising. 

This is where we are at now:  I've set Squirt up in the basement (which is better than it sounds) with lots of toys, food, furniture, etc.  I work during the day but visit with him for a little bit in the morning, and spend about an hour with him in the evenings playing and snuggling (we like to watch old episodes of House together on Netflix. ).  Sweetie has the rest of the house.  I have a Feliway difuser on each level of the house, near the cat's favourite spots, and the safe room.   I feed her on the other side of the basement door, and she no longer seems bothered by Squirt.  We've done room swapping and scent swapping, and Sweetie no longer seems upset or even interested by his smell. 

We have done a few introductions by holding Squirt in our arms and Sweetie will look at him, but not get upset or all that interested in him.  The problem is when we are not holding him.  We have tried putting him in a large puppy crate (which is doesn't really enjoy), or by cracking open the door to Squirt's room, and that's when Sweetie gets really upset - hissing and growling, and running upstairs to get away.  Most of the time, Squirt just lays there.   He's never hissing or growled, unless they were in a brawl.

I've been off on vacation for the last 2 weeks and have been head counsellor at "Cat Camp".  I spent my days setting up a room for Squirt in the top floor where he could spend the day, and watched for when Sweetie would walk by so I could give her treats and praise her and perhaps open the door a crack.  Sweetie is sometimes a little tentative and spooked when eating by the door, but no hissing or growling.  I've tried opening the door a crack.  Usually if Sweetie sees Squirt, she will hiss and growl and I will shut the door. 

So that's where we are now.  It's difficult when we both work full time to do the crack-open-the-door sessions except in the evening, but that's my plan moving forward.  It's awkward to do the sessions at the basement door, so it works better if I move Squirt upstairs.  My plan is to do that in evenings.  My biggest fear, though, is that the hissing won't stop, and I am terrified of another cat fight breaking out.  I also have a husband who is, while supportive, just wanting to get on with it, and be able to enjoy our new guy, and have all of us living together peacefully.  I worry that this may never happen as Sweetie just seems so resistant to accepting Squirt, and he just seems to want to be friends.

This was all over the place, but I'm hoping there will be some helpful advice here, or at least some words of encouragement.  Glad to clarifying anything if it wasn't clear.  Thank you all in advance!

 

[calicosrspecial]

Hi,

I think you are doing a very good job. 

My advice is to just take it slow. Keep trying to associate each cat with good things (like food). Any time they have an interaction (either through scent or sight) and nothing negative happens it is a positive.

I would work to continue building Sweetie's confidence. Get her to play then feed either treats or a meal. Encourage her to go up in the world (on cat trees, looking out of windows, etc) and give her love ( as long as you are not at risk of being scratched or bitten). A confident cat is less likely to attack. Also work to build Squirt's confidence in the same fashion.

Scent swapping really works well. Associate the scent with good things.

In my experience it is very common for the existing cat to have the most difficult time to adjust to the new addition.

If there is any way you can get a sturdy high gate or baby gates that can allow them to see each other but can't get to each other that can help (but it can be difficult to get the right set up). 

There will be some hissing but if you get that try to distract with something the hissing cat likes (like food or play).

I too do the hold the new cat while the existing cat is around. But we want to make sure that the existing cat is getting something good like food or play or love (again as long as you know you will not be hurt). Again associating the cats with good things. 

I would say the most important thing is to just take it slow. It is like building something. If you do it slowly with quality the end result will be better and you will not have to deal with issues. It can take a month and sometimes it can take a year. It just depends. But the more confident the cats are the less likely there will be fighting. And once Sweetie realizes that Squirt doesn't want to hurt her then it should work out.

We'll figure out when it will be best to let them together without any barrier, holding etc. But that is down the road, no need to rush. Any time they are interacting and there is no negativity it is a positive.

Most people go through what you are going through so it is perfectly normal. And most introductions work out.

I am happy to help you through the process. Hopefully I have addressed everything but I am in a bit of a rush today. SO please feel free to ask anything anytime and I am happy to help for as long as needed. Keep up the good work adn don't worry. I haven't heard anything to think it will not work out.

 

[Animal Freak]

I know what you're going through. I have a cat who hates change and is very skittish when it comes to strangers. She doesn't even like it when I give the other two a bath. I did just about the worst thing I could to her and got a dog. It was rough and I began wondering if I'd have to give up my dog. I intentionally brought the dog in when I'd be home a lot so I could keep an eye on them, but there was nothing to see. The cat hid in my bedroom and wouldn't come out for quite some time. When she did start coming out, it was constant spitting, hissing, and slapping. Eventually, I realized the cat never used any claws and I didn't get terrified of a brutal fight after that. She just slapped and ran.

I can't really give you a whole lot of advice. I almost gave up myself. They mostly solved things themselves. I can tell you that play helps a lot. ​The more energy you work out during play, the less they have to exert onto each other. Once I started it, I found that it calmed my cat by quite a bit. Of course, things weren't perfect, but it got better. Just look for the little things. Even if there's only the slightest change that only you can see, it's still something and it means that they can continue to improve. It took all of summer and then some for my cat to accept the dog and we still have some issues. They're continuing to progress and, as long as you don't push your cat too much, I think things can get better for you and your cats. They might not become best friends, but they can come to tolerate and accept one another.

 

[jennx]

Thanks so much for the thoughtful reply!  It is hard to keep up the energy to a consistent routine of exposing them to each other - I call it Cat Camp.   The frustration and the guilt is often the hardest to deal with, and sometimes I don't put in as much of an effort as I know I should.

I haven't been able to find a good setup to allow them see each more than cracking open the door.  I haven't been able to find any baby gates and putting up a screen door isn't feasible for us, so I'm going to stick with the cracked-open door.  I have tried the puppy crate a few times, but Squirt does not like to be in there very much, and Sweetie just ends up hissing and running away.  When were' all at the door, Sweetie at least seems interested (she will stare intently at the door), and more calm (she will finally eat a treat when the door is cracked open).  Sometimes Squirt will stick out his paw because he wants to come out, other times he just lays down and has a nap.  Sweetie will come and go..  Most of the time she will sit a few feet away and stare at the door, but she did go all the up to the door the other day, which was new for her.  She hissed and growled, but I think that's progress?   

Another question for a little further down the road - When we were making all our mistakes at the beginning of the introductions, we had both cats in the same room, and things were going well for a little while.  Sweetie watched Squirt, and did her low-to-the-ground slow walk until she would get up a few stairs and watch him from a safe distance.  Then, Squirt charged at her.  It didn't seem to me to be aggressive, more that his was excited to meet her and wanted to play.  Sure enough, a bad fight broke out.  My big worry, then, is that is he will do this again when we eventually get to that point of having them loose in the same room.  Is there anything we can do to prevent that?  He seems so chill the rest of the time he is faced with Sweetie, but he seems to be a close talker when it comes to face to face introductions.

Thanks so much for your support!!  It means a lot!

 

[cmerrell]

Hi JennX,

I don't have any great words of wisdom, but just thought I could at least commiserate as I am currently going through the same cat intro process. 

My new cat has been the territorial, resistant one in my equation.  I feel that we've made some progress but its definitely been baby steps.  I'm ~2 months into the process. Like you, I've got a feliway diffuser running and I do daily scent swapping.  I let the new kitty out into the main living area for about an hour each evening (with the 2 resident guys shut away in my bedroom).  After her playtime in the living room, I put her behind stacked baby gates and let the boys out of my room so that the cats can all see each other without any physical contact.

I've followed CalicosRSpecial's excellent tips for positive associations and everyone has easy access to cat trees, scratch posts, toys, food, water and litter boxes. 

We have progressed from the new cat frequently hissing and charging at the friendlier of my 2 boys through the stacked baby gates, to the point where she'll mostly ignore him or just watch him fairly calmly.  Sometimes they'll even play 'footsies' under the door to her room.  Just last night, we did have a small incident where she swatted at him and looked ready to give chase while I was in process of getting everyone ready for bed and had the baby gates down for a minute, so I know we're not ready for face to face interactions yet.

Like you, I feel sort of guilty that Natalie (new girl) spends so much of her time locked away in the spare bedroom.  I work full time so an hour of personalized attention and play time each night is about all I can spare.  Also, it sounds like my Vinnie is a little bit like your Squirt in that he doesn't understand personal boundaries very well.  Early on, this led to Natalie aggressively chasing him out of her "space" a few times.  At that point I really slowed down the whole introduction process so that they wouldn't stress each other out.

I have the added challenge of trying to include an older, slightly crotchety cat with a some health issues into the mix.  So far, he's chosen to mostly have nothing at all to do with the new kitty and mostly stays in my bedroom when the baby gates are up. 

I am trying my best to be very patient and calm through the whole process, but it is difficult at times.  We so want to have a peaceful, happy, contented home, and these troublesome felines are not always on the same page with that game plan!

Hang in there!  I'm trying to do the same!

 

 

 

[calicosrspecial]

Jenn,

Please do not feel guilt, you are doing a great job.

Cats can take on our emotions so please try to be as calm and confident around the cats as possible.

The cracked door is fine. We want to get to the point where Sweetie doesn't care about what is on the other side, doesn't fear what is on the other side. We want to associate the other cat with good things so please feed by that door even if it is treats. When Sweetie sees Squirt or smells Squirt through the door etc and doesn't care we'll know we are in good shape. It just takes time. The first step was to get Sweetie to the door and nearer Squirt now the next will be for her to not worry about Squirt. Keep feeding by that door so they can associate the other cat with good things (food).

The face to face interactions are a bit tricky. I always take it slowly and use that cracked door, and scent swapping, and associating each other with good things to get to the point that they are like "yeah, I know that cat and they are not a threat". There will be some hissing when they meet face to face and some movements but it really is a process. If we can show the cats that the other one is not a threat it will lessen the risk of a fight breaking out. And it is really important that the humans keep calm and confident when around the cats as cats do take on our emotions. We also want to build their confidence with food, play, height and love ( as long as there is no risk of being hurt in anyway). A confident cat is less likely to feel threatened and therefore to attack.

Please keep us up on what you are doing, how they are reacting to each other etc. And I am happy to help throughout the process. And please feel free to ask anything anytime. And finally PLEASE do not be so hard on yourself. You are doing a great job. It is not easy but I can sense you can do this. I don't see any reason why you will not be  able to get them to be together. But please take it slowly and I will be here for you throughout the process. 

 

[jennx]

Hi there!

This is a bit of an emotional rant and may be more relationship related than cat related, but I wanted to reach out regardless.

Sweetie was napping in her tree and I thought it would be a good time to bring Squirt up to his crate so she could watch him from a safe distance. My partner thought it would be a better idea to let Squirt come up on his harness. Predictably, Sweetie hissed nearly immediately, and Squirt moved forward to "play" with Sweetie. Then Sweetie ran upstairs, probably to never be seen again for the rest of the night. She stopped hiding under the bed a few weeks ago, but guess where she is now?

I got completely exasperated and tried to calmly explain the process and what I was doing, but my husband thinks that the door, the door, none of that will make a difference because eventually Squirt and Sweetie will have to be face to face and Sweetie will have to deal with Squirt running up to her. I said it that doesn't really matter since we can't get them into a room together anyway, and at least what I was doing, she was learning to stick around.

Ugh, I'm feeling so defeated. He told me to just keep doing what I'm doing, but I'm so frustrated that he doesn't get it, and that my life has been these two cats since we got Squirt, and I'm just as anxious as him to have everyone living together. Argh.

I don't expect a reply to this one, I just needed a space to vent. .

 

[calicosrspecial]

I totally understand. I am here for you.

I would try to explain it this way. When two people meet the don't just move in together. They date, get to know each other. Learn that the other person is not a threat, that they share the same interests, etc. Then as time progresses they feel more comfortable and they start to really appreciate the other person. And they start to bond. And then they start to know that this other person is someone I want to spend my life with. If one person rushes things it can push the other one away and the relationship can be in danger. It takes some time even when it is love at first sight.

Substitute cat for person and it is the same. The cats need to realize that they aren't a threat, that they share the same things like food and play and sleeping and watching the birds and squirrels etc. And once the realize the other one is "cool" they will live together happily.

Cats can take on our emotions so the more stressed we are the more stressed they can become and that can impede the introduction process. I am so glad to hear that you calmly explained it to him.

I think you know exactly what is best and he did say "to keep doing what you are doing" so he must kind of "get it". I get a sense you are getting through to him more than you think.

I am highly confident you will succeed in introducing them. The resident cat is usually the tricky one because the new one is coming into the territory on the resident cat. We just have to make sure they know the other cat doesn't want to hurt it and that they aren't losing territory but adding a buddy. So associating the other cat with good things really helps.

I'll be with you every step of the way so please feel free to post any time with anything. You really are doing a good job. Hang in there.

 

[jennx]

Hi again,

Just wanted to provide an update on how things are going with Sweetie and Squirt.

I think my husband finally gets it a bit more so is not pushing as much. He will still bring Squirt up and hold him and let Sweetie sniff the air a bit, but doesn't put them any closer than 4 or 5 feet away from each. So I feel I have more control over this, so that's good.

We've had a few crate visits where I will bring Squirt upstairs and feed them both yummy food together. The crate is in the bathroom and I leave the door only partially open so Sweetie can see him if she wants. I have to keep the food pretty far from the door to get her to eat. But I've been moving it closer each time. When she does get close enough to see him. She'll usually hiss, and go upstairs, but sometimes she'll come out of her hiding. Again, she doesn't seem to have any problems with the smell, but the sight of him still seems threatening to her.

An interesting thing happened tonight. Since Squirt has been living in the basement, she usually doesn't get any closer than the top step where she can watch us enter and leave the basement. Sometimes we bring Squirt out in her arms to see him, without much of a reaction. Tonight, I was preparing Squirt to come up for some crate time, and there was Sweetie at the bottom of the stairs, on the other side of the basement door! Squirt got a little wiggly and I didn't want to risk an incident, so I closed the door and put Squirt back on the floor. I started giving both of them treats, but the was some hissing from Sweetie and Squirt pushed both his arms under the door. Without thinking I said no and moved him from the door since I was afraid of someone getting hurt. Perhaps I shouldn't have done that but it was an instinctual move.

Anyway, that seems like a bit of progress. I had given up trying to feed her down by the basement door since she was just no having it and I was worried about her no eating - I lost a cat from fatty liver disease and she stopped eating so I'm mindful not to restrict her food too radically. But I may try to ease her closer to the door since perhaps she's getting more brave. . Or maybe it's just a full moon. .

If you got any great insight or advice or encouragement, I welcome it! It is really helping this loooooong process. .

 

[imaginewizard]

 
When two people meet the don't just move in together. 

Huh - that's exactly what I did with my flatmate last year.  

 

[calicosrspecial]

Well done with your husband. So glad he understands and is with the program.

As long as he isn't at risk of being hurt that is good. To let them be together but not actually having access to each other. When this happens associate with good things (treats, play, etc).

It is ok to have the food apart and great that you are slowly trying to move it closer. Just take it slow with the visual. It is great that after she runs away she comes back. She is starting to realize he is not attacking her etc. She feels safer. That is the key, that she knows he will not hurt her or be a threat.

What happened last night was fine. I am not sure I totally understood what happened. I think Sweetie actually went onto the stairs leading down to the basement? Then you closed the door and Squirt was sticking his paws under the door then you ended it. That is fine. The hissing is normal. As long as Squirt's feet weren't attacked it is fine. And you gave treats. Saying no is fine, you handled it well.

It sounds like progress, that Sweetie is getting more brave or getting more comfortable. That is the key, that she feels like he is not a threat. Once they feel safe they don't have to worry so they will be less defensive etc. Less risk of a fight.

It can be a long process but I think you are doing all the right things. Things should work out. I am confident in your abilities.   

 

[darkmavis]

Interesting reading. I wasn't sure if I should start my own intro thread since there are lots, or join in one. I might still, but yes, we adopted a new cat today, and resident cat Rose is very upset. Our previous 2 intros were fast and cool, but then my Genever was super cool. (1st cat in both intros; first 2nd cat died and then we got Rose the second 2nd cat, and then Genever died in September, so Rose is it now)

Rose is having the biggest literal hissy fit. We have the litter boxes in the spare room (2 bedroom one floor house), so I put one box in the main bathroom and food/water and toys and new cat in there. We put the boxes in our room when guests stay in the spare room so maybe I should put a box in our room and put new cat in the roomier spare room? I feel like this is going to take a long time.

Like the original poster's husband, my boyfriend insisted on letting new cat out after a few hours. Rose puffed up, hissed and charged at her. New cat hissed back a bit but was not too upset, but Rose was so I picked up new cat and put her back in the bathroom. She's really mellow, but wants to get out of the bathroom. Not yet! Rose is hissing and growling at my boyfriend now, her daddy.

I know it's only been about 6 hours but I guess since I've had easy, chill cats in the past, I'm worried. I keep thinking what if we have to be horrible and take back new cat? I'm not one to give up on cats. Ever. Gotta do the scent sock thing for sure.

I need encouragement! And if if should start a new thread, let me know.

 

[calicosrspecial]

DarkMavis,

Let's start a new thread so we can work with you throughout the process and whatever happens during the process. It will be easier to address your situation directly. I am happy to help for as long as needed.

But it is very normal what you have gone through so far. It is way too early to tell if there will be a problem so no need to worry right now.

There is some good advice (if I may say so) in this thread that should help you.

Here are some links to help with the process as well. I highly encourage starting from the beginning and working through it. It really does help ease the transition.

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/

Please feel free to start a new thread and let me know the thread and I will help you every step of the way. The fact you care about them getting along combined with the process suggest a high chance of success. Don't worry, just take your time and work through the process and feel free to ask anything anytime.

 

[darkmavis]

Thanks CalicosRSpecial, I'll post a new thread. And maybe copy and paste my post from here as a start. It's actually kind of way better this evening than yesterday, but it'll take some time. I appreciate all the support!

 

[calicosrspecial]

Sounds great, I will look for your thread. Thank you

 

[jennx]

Wanted to give another update and ask a few more questions!

We are still trying out feeding in the evening with Squirt in his crate.  I moved Sweetie's dish closer to the crate and things went pretty good!  When he moved from his dish and moved a bit in his crate, Sweetie hissed once and slowly walked away from her dish.  She was mostly finished her meal, but it still seemed to bother her a bit. 

After mealtime, I closed the door to my bedroom (where Sweetie was) and let Squirt out in the house a bit so we could play.   I was cleaning out his littler boxes in the basement at the time, but I think he did go upstairs to where Sweetie was.  I'm not sure if there was some hissing through the door or not, but I do know what when I brought Squirt back down to his room and went back up to open Sweetie's room, she was hiding under the bed.  She came out fairly easily, but she still seems pretty spooked by him.

We are still doing some brief exposures where we hold Squirt in our arms and bring him around Sweetie.  She doesn't seem bothered by this at all.  She looks, and sniffs, and will still eat treats.  That feels like a good sign, but I wish she wouldn't hide or get spooked so much anymore. 

I assume the advice is to keep being patient and doing what we are doing - which we will do.  

I feel like we are still a ways off for this, but I'd like to ask anyway... How do you know when it's time to risk a face to face/both down on the floor type of meeting?  I am still terrified of a fight breaking out so I know *I'm* not ready yet, but what are the signs that the cats are ready to be in the same room without any barriers between them? 

Oh, one more question - I am trying to get both of the cats used to meal times, but Sweetie still a grazer.  If I put her food out, it still may take her an hour or more to eat it.  Squirt tends to eat when he is fed, and I'm worried that once they are co-habitating, he will eat Sweetie's food as well.  Any tips?

Thanks in advance for all your wonderful support! 

 

[bengalx2]

Hi JennX

I read your post with much interest as we are going through exactly the same thing.

We have Dixie, a 4 year old spayed female Bengal, who has been very spoilt - to the point where we felt she needed a playmate and so we introduced Lola, a Bengal kitten who is just a sweetheart.  Like your Hubby, mine wanted to rush things and brought Dixie straight into the room when we brought Lola home.  Despite her being in a huge cage and being so very tiny (just 10 weeks old), Dixie took one look at her, hissed, screamed and ran away.

After a few weeks we took Dixie to have her claws clipped a little so that if they did meet accidentally, she wouldnt do any harm - it just made me feel a little easier about them meeting.

We are still having daily battles!  Things have got a little easier as they do just chase each other around and I think it sounds worse than it actually is.  They have each had their own spaces, eat and poop in completely different areas of the house etc, but as soon as Dixie sees Lola, she hisses at best, but generally 'screams' at her.  Lola tends to roll over as if to 'submit' and Dixie kind of slaps her (no claws).

But the last couple of days, Lola (who is now 6 months) has been a little more daring and has been running at Dixie, Dixie has been freaking out big time.  We have a Feliway diffuser on each floor but it doesnt seem to have much effect.

We are due to take Lola for spaying and Im hoping that things will calm down afterwards,..

 

[calicosrspecial]

You are very welcome, I am happy to help.

Just take it slowly feeding together. It it perfectly normal for Sweetie to be a little skittish when he moves. We just want to keep up feeding with him near. Start a bit away and you can slowly move the food closer. When Sweetie realizes she is not at risk (that he is not a threat) and she associates him with something good (food) it will help her feel more comfortable and safe around him.

If we can try to make any interaction with them positive it would be good. You were busying cleaning the litter box and he probably went up there, she sensed he was there and got scared. The fact she hide is not surprising. We have more work to do. She just had him by the door, making noises, etc. She felt threatened. We want to try to associate them when together (via smell or site) in a positive way. If she had been playing or eating that would have been better. But it is unavoidable. It just means we have some work to do still. The fact she came out from under the bed quickly is a positive. I am not too worried.

GREAT that she is fine when he is being held. Anytime they are together and it is positive (looks, sniffs, eats treats) and she isn't bothered it is great. Just be careful that Squirt doesn't scratch etc. Always be ready to distract with play or food. 

Exactly, please keep up what you are doing. It is a process, it does take time.

Also, please try to stay as calm and confident around them as possible. Cats take on our emotions so the more calm and confident we are the more they are.

I typically look for a few things to let me know that they are ready to meet. I like to see that they don't have any negative reaction (staring, cautious walking, any negative body language) when they are near each other in a visual setting (no physical access). That they can be easily distracted by food, play or words when the other cat is near). If they have their tails straight up when they see each other across the gate etc. I can help you during the process to help interpret,  Any time they seem to feel comfortable with each other. That helps increase the odds of a successful meet.

On the feeding question, I think others may be more helpful. I just am not sure I can offer the best advice. I have found that if a cat feels like food is plentiful then they don't tend to eat everything in sight but if they worry about their next meal then they may eat everything. So in my mind it depends. But I think there are a lot of experts that could help you regarding the food question much better than I can. I would just start a new thread at some point in the future. A lot of great people on here that I am sure can help. 

Just keep up the good work and please be patient. I think you are on the right track.

I hope I answered everything, please let me know if you need any clarification or have any other questions. I am happy to help. I'll be here fro you as long as you need.

 

[calicosrspecial]

Bengalx2,

What you are experiencing is normal. They have meet too soon in my opinion. It would be best if you would like to start a new thread so we could help you out. That way we can be attentive to your questions.

I am happy to help. Just message me with the new thread or with any questions.