Feral Cat Introductions To Resident Cat

[theroyalkittens]

Hello everyone! I could use some advice on cat introductions. I adopted Annabeth back in September. She came from a horrible hoarding situation and herself and 39 other cats were left alone for 8 months in a house before they were finally rescued! The vets guessed she was about a year old so I'm assuming she's never really interacted with any humans in her life till now. She's come a long way from when I first got her but she still refuses to let me touch her, although she's starting to let me sit/be in her general vicinity.

Anywho, I also have a 5 year old kitty named Fleur. She's always been an alpha and used to get into fights with my parents cat back when I still lived with them. Needless to say, she hasn't taken well to her new sister. We haven't had any physical violence yet, just a lot of hissing on Fleur's end and chasing Annabeth back into her room if Fleur catches her out. I've got a felineway diffuser and calming spray around the areas Fleur frequents most. I've tried to do some sort of positive association with Annabeth being in the doorway by giving Fleur treats or distracting her with a toy. It never seems to work for long though and she always ends up hissing her head off until I pick her up and remove her from the situation. Tonight Fleur's aggression escalated a bit with her actually going into the room, hissing and swatting. I'm at a loss for what I should do. Should I let them get their big fight over with so they can have some sort of pecking order? Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[calicosrspecial]

Hi,

I highly suggest we go through the formal introduction process. I take in ferals and have used the process every time with great success. In my experience the resident cat is most always the most difficult cat as it is their territory being "invaded" by a potential threat (the new cat). So slowly introducing them through scent first with good things (food especially) is really important. Then when they realize the other cat is not a bad thing then some sight and on and on.

Here are some links that should be helpful. I can help you with every step and will be with you every step of the way.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/the-ultimate-yet-simplified-guide-to-introducing-cats

A Simple Little Trick to Use During New Cat Introductions

Cat Care

http://jacksongalaxy.com/2010/10/01/cat-to-cat-introductions/

The biggest issue that I have seen is people rushing the process. The process can take a very short time or a long time depending on the cats and how the process is followed and the effort put in.

During the introduction I work on building each cats confidence. I do that through Play, Food, height and Love. So I play with the cats (separately) and feed after play sessions. I get cat trees so the cats can go high in the world, scratching posts so they can own territory by getting their scent on things, warm and comfy bedding. And finally I give love. Lots of good food, eye kisses, staying calm and confident around them as cats take on our emotions. I can help you with this as well.

We want positive associations and encounters between them. So they think "hey, I know that cat, that cat is cool, no threat".

It is not surprising your cat does not let you touch her. I can help you get her to warm up. We always want the cat to initiate the contact and never approach the cat from above. I like to sit down and talk softly and lovingly to them. Give them treats, and food. Food builds a lot of trust. I always stay calm and confident around them and never stand above them. It takes time but cats respond to being loved. Not all cats are cuddlers but we work with their personalities.

So I would keep them totally separated for now and associate them by feeding on each side of a closed door. Then we will work on moving forward.

I hope this helps. Please ask anything anytime, I am happy to help.

Thank you SO MUCH for saving this cat's life. I am highly confident if we follow the process and put in the effort we can get these cats to live together successfully. There are always ups and downs but if we do the above and try to make every encounter between them (either by scent for now then sight) we can build their trust between them and their confidence. And I believe a confident cat is less likely to attack or be attacked and more likely to accept another cat.