I took in a stray several months ago. I have followed the guidance on this website about how to introduce him to the resident cat. The process worked. Everything has gone well but I am having one issue and I'm wondering if this is normal.
We are at the point where the two cats have met and spend most of their time outside of their safe areas. ( When we are gone they are separated) The new cat seems pretty calm and docile. The resident cat seems more stressed than normal but tolerates the new cat. They can walk by each other, sit in the same vicinity and touch noses without incident. 99% of the day everything is quiet.
Each evening around 8 PM, the resident cat seems to get more stressed and eventually ends up chasing the new cat through the house. The new cat doesn't seem too bothered by it. He will occasionally swat at the resident cat but overall he doesn't seem mad. The resident cat is very stressed though. He is puffed up, his tail switches and he is just very perturbed, stomps around and in general acts like he is mad.
I don't think they are playing. I also think the new cat is more socialized to other cats so that this behavior doesn't bother him very much.
My question is whether this is normal given that we are only a few weeks into this?
Should restrict the new cat more so that the resident cat can have more time free of him? Any ideas on what I shoudl do to prevent this or to stop this in progress would be appreciated. I've never done this before so I don't know if this is relatively normal or if I should retreat back a couple steps and control their interactions more.
Thank you - Sue
We are at the point where the two cats have met and spend most of their time outside of their safe areas. ( When we are gone they are separated) The new cat seems pretty calm and docile. The resident cat seems more stressed than normal but tolerates the new cat. They can walk by each other, sit in the same vicinity and touch noses without incident. 99% of the day everything is quiet.
Each evening around 8 PM, the resident cat seems to get more stressed and eventually ends up chasing the new cat through the house. The new cat doesn't seem too bothered by it. He will occasionally swat at the resident cat but overall he doesn't seem mad. The resident cat is very stressed though. He is puffed up, his tail switches and he is just very perturbed, stomps around and in general acts like he is mad.
I don't think they are playing. I also think the new cat is more socialized to other cats so that this behavior doesn't bother him very much.
My question is whether this is normal given that we are only a few weeks into this?
Should restrict the new cat more so that the resident cat can have more time free of him? Any ideas on what I shoudl do to prevent this or to stop this in progress would be appreciated. I've never done this before so I don't know if this is relatively normal or if I should retreat back a couple steps and control their interactions more.
Thank you - Sue
