So, as some of you may know, I have a third cat now. And the dynamic has been unusual since he came. There are three cats in this scenario.
First of all, Felix is more lenient with Harvey (the new addition). More than any other cat that has ever been in this house at the same time as him. From their initial encounter, there was some uncertainty from both of them but it seems like once they picked up on each other's scent, they calmed down almost immediately. The do not stare at each other, they do not growl, there is no hissing either. They are able to stand within inches of each other without either of them reacting in any sort of way. There has always been attempts to play with each other on both their parts but it has ended in running away or slapping. Again, when this happens, there is no hissing, no growling, no staring. It's almost as if they don't know how to be around each other. I've also heard them "talk" to each other. I've heard Felix use vocals I've never heard him say in the almost 10 years I've had him. I think it would also be important to note that Harvey was here previously 4 years ago as a kitten. I don't remember the duration of his stay before he was adopted but he interacted with Felix frequently and was pretty attached to him. Throughout those 4 years of him not being here, we would visit him often and I guess we also carried his scent when we returned home. With regard to Felix and Harvey, I'm not sure what this all means since I've never had this happen before. I'm hoping someone with more experience will be able to understand what is going on here.
The second interaction is between Felix and Fayola. They do not get along at all but they tolerate each other. They fight often and I try to keep them separated as much as possible. They were introduced slowly over a period of 2+ months before they started being in the same space. I did a lot of scent swapping, feeding behind doors, short interactions and all but they still don't live in harmony. Adding Harvey to the mix has made Fayola more on edge and she is cold towards me. Things have improved slightly but she will growl and hiss at the sight of either cat. I can't pick her up like I used to, I can't cut her nails like I used to, she doesn't want much to do with me other than a brief head scratch.
Third scenario is between Harvey and Fayola. I haven't started introducing them yet but Fayola has made it very clear that she doesn't like either cat and would prefer to be on her own.
Should I remove Fayola entirely and put her in an isolated part of the house?
First of all, Felix is more lenient with Harvey (the new addition). More than any other cat that has ever been in this house at the same time as him. From their initial encounter, there was some uncertainty from both of them but it seems like once they picked up on each other's scent, they calmed down almost immediately. The do not stare at each other, they do not growl, there is no hissing either. They are able to stand within inches of each other without either of them reacting in any sort of way. There has always been attempts to play with each other on both their parts but it has ended in running away or slapping. Again, when this happens, there is no hissing, no growling, no staring. It's almost as if they don't know how to be around each other. I've also heard them "talk" to each other. I've heard Felix use vocals I've never heard him say in the almost 10 years I've had him. I think it would also be important to note that Harvey was here previously 4 years ago as a kitten. I don't remember the duration of his stay before he was adopted but he interacted with Felix frequently and was pretty attached to him. Throughout those 4 years of him not being here, we would visit him often and I guess we also carried his scent when we returned home. With regard to Felix and Harvey, I'm not sure what this all means since I've never had this happen before. I'm hoping someone with more experience will be able to understand what is going on here.
The second interaction is between Felix and Fayola. They do not get along at all but they tolerate each other. They fight often and I try to keep them separated as much as possible. They were introduced slowly over a period of 2+ months before they started being in the same space. I did a lot of scent swapping, feeding behind doors, short interactions and all but they still don't live in harmony. Adding Harvey to the mix has made Fayola more on edge and she is cold towards me. Things have improved slightly but she will growl and hiss at the sight of either cat. I can't pick her up like I used to, I can't cut her nails like I used to, she doesn't want much to do with me other than a brief head scratch.
Third scenario is between Harvey and Fayola. I haven't started introducing them yet but Fayola has made it very clear that she doesn't like either cat and would prefer to be on her own.
Should I remove Fayola entirely and put her in an isolated part of the house?