Introducing a New Cat (Happening Now)

[piikki]

Originally Posted by esc2476

The vet thought I should introduce them tonight, but I think that is too quick. I think maybe I'll put Maya in our room and let Sophie roam around for a little while tonight.

Our vet was way more 'pushy' about the introductions than we were too

I was more concerned of getting going on the wrong foot and then not knowing how to mend it.

One thing I was going to mention but forgot... It might be a good idea on the day of the introductions to get at least Maya involved in some active play time just before the face-off. Some good old running after the string could burn her down a bit, then a little calming down period, and then go for meeting with new sister - and she might just not have the strength to be so wound up... Works with my boys to some degree because they get all floppy after they run like little nutters for 15-20 minutes... and on second meeting it'll all be old news anyway...

 

[esc2476]

Thanks Piikki!

Last night and this morning I fed them pretty much nose to nose with the screen and it went pretty well. They both ate though Maya growl once in awhile. After their meal was done (a quiet time for Maya-she relaxes after a meal) I lifted the gate. Sophie was on top of the bed and Maya kind of sniffed around the part of the room near the door and left.

Awhile later, Maya was back upstairs and Sophie tried to sneak by and Maya saw her and chased her under the bed in our room. Maya hissed a bit, but did not go all the way to where Sophie was under the bed....it's a good hiding place. Maya eventually went away.

I went back up to check on her and closed the bedroom door (not her "safe" room, the other bedroom) and coaxed her out. We had a nice petting session and she was purring. I got up and let her hide again and let Maya in (I heard her coming to the door because she wears a collar with a bell) and she stalked around the bed growling.

She eventually left and is now downstairs in her bed looking out the window. I guess it's going well....I just hope Sophie has enough courage to come downstairs eventually.

Thoughts?

 

[esc2476]

So, I was home a lot of the day and kept the door for the safe room open. Sophie remained under her bed much of the time with Maya going to the bed and growling every hour or two. A couple of times Sophie made it down stairs, but when Maya say her, she ran back upstairs. A few times, I was upstairs with Sophie petter her, etc. and Maya remained downstairs.

Before I closed Sophie's door for the night, Maya was stalking around her bed and got a little close and Sophie made a run at her. After which Maya raised a paw, hissed and promptly ran away. Not very dominant cat of her.

I am a bit worried that Sophie seems to be hiding a lot, but I think from reading everything here that this is normal.

Oh and Maya used Sophie's litterbox once today. Should I keep her from doing that? I cleaned it out less than a minute after she used it and disinfected the section she used.

Any thoughts and/or suggestions on the progress are very much appreciated.

 

[GoldyCat]

Unless you notice that Sophie won't use the litterbox after Maya, it could actually be a good thing. Something like rubbing them both down with the same towel so they're sharing each others' scent.

 

[esc2476]

Originally Posted by GoldyCat

Unless you notice that Sophie won't use the litterbox after Maya, it could actually be a good thing. Something like rubbing them both down with the same towel so they're sharing each others' scent.

Thanks

So, I have another update and a couple of quick questions if anyone can help. You all have been great and your advice has helped tremendously.

I now leave the door between the safe room and the rest of the house open. For the most part, Sophie keeps to her safe room. Once every hour or two, Maya will go sit outside the safe room at the door way and growl a bit and once in awhile throw in a hiss for good measure.

The last day or so Sophie has worked up more courage. Last night and today while Maya was downstairs, Sophie came in my bedroom and hung out with me....laying on my chest last night purring.

This afternoon, Sophie wandered downstairs. Maya happened to be sleeping and didn't notice her until Sophie hit something in the kitchen on the counter. Maya went there quickly and they had a standoff. Sophie made off and made it back to the safe room and under her bed. When Maya approached Sophie moved towards her scaring Maya off. This actually seems to be the pattern.....Maya chases her to the bed and stops. If Maya makes a move under the bed, Sophie scares her off. This has pretty much been going on the last 3 days.....almost like a stalemate. I worry that Maya will never let Sophie walk around downstairs without going after her.

What are thoughts?

To help things out, I confined Maya to Sophie's safe room for awhile today.

 

[esc2476]

Hello again....

So, they keep having these standoffs....usually when Maya goes into Sophie's room. Maya is sometimes growling with the occasional and will get close to the bed in sort of a threatening manner and Sophie will quickly charge back at her. They never touch each other, but do this instead.

Is this a good thing? A bad thing? Are they continuing to test each other boundaries? Sophie loves it downstairs and it seems the only thing keeping her upstairs is the threat of Maya.

Also, I think I know the answer to this, but wanted to ask anyway.....is it ok to do a light verbal reprimand (which Maya usually responds to) to kind of reprimand her when she growls or hisses at Sophie.

b/t/w-in every way, Maya is the same cat she always was with her habits and personality.

 

[esc2476]

So something new that's happening......

Sophie sneaks downstairs. Maya discovers her and watches her and stares at her from about four feet away. Sophie freezes and sometimes lets out a soft cry.

This time, Maya walked away and layed on my AppleTV (which she always does). Sophie then jumped on the couch and is hanging with me under Maya's watchful eye.

This is progress I guess. They have been down here "together" for about 45 minutes.

 

[sweetkara]

You are doing great! I would just leave them together now at this point and let them work it out.

I've found it's best to just let them be and totally ignore them. Like be in the other room. I think they can tell if you are stressed and standing around ready to step in-- it makes them more stressed. Just let them both have run of the house like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I think at this point if they were going to fight they would have done it by now.