Introducing a new cat?

[jadetigress]

I have a third cat as of last night.  My fiance went for a walk and a sweet little polydactyl tortie followed him home.  She was starving, so she ate a ton when she came inside, and then curled up on the bed and went to sleep like she'd been living at my house her whole life.  My fiance didn't want to boot her back out into the cold, and I've been bugging him about getting another cat (I'd even been looking for a polydactyl kitty; their little thumbs are so adorable).  So he said I could keep her.  She is, as of yet, still unnamed, and is the sweetest cat.  Definitely a cuddler, which my other two will only tolerate in short stints, and she follows us around everywhere we go.

I don't really know how to go about introducing them.  Right now the new kitty is staying the bedroom.  My other cats aren't allowed in there unless they're supervised because of the rat cage; I moved the rats to the only other cat-free room in the house so the new cat could be in here around us.  Really I'm much more worried about introductions between new kitty and my little tabby Bobby than between my Birman mix Bindi.  Bindi is the most non-confrontational cat I've ever met.  I don't think she'd know how to defend herself if she ever had to.  When the dog starts bothering her, she just lays there and meows pitifully and takes the rough-housing until someone rescues her or the dog gets distracted long enough for her to escape (the dog would never hurt anything; she just doesn't understand that the other animals don't want to play with her).  Bobby (also a girl) starts growling as soon as the dog comes around, and has whacked with full claws on more than one occasion (and the dog still keeps going back for more ).

Anyway, the doors to the bedroom are glass and we don't have curtains or anything else to cover them with, so the cats can see each other.  The resident cats will stare at the new one from a distance (especially Bobby), and Bobby will start growling and hissing if the new kitty gets too close to the door.  I actually let Bindi into the bedroom a little while ago because I knew that if anyone was going to start anything, it would be the new cat.  And, as I predicted, nothing happened.  They didn't get close to each other, but they looked at each other for a moment and then new kitty went back to grooming herself on the bed and Bindi just went around exploring the room.  So I'm not really worried about those two at all.

But I know getting Bobby to tolerate her is going to be a challenge.  Bobby is very moody (she's not fixed yet, so that's not helping anything), and still yowls and takes swipes at Bindi when she gets in a mood.  And they've been living together since they were kittens.

Does anyone know how I can go about getting Bobby to tolerate the new cat?  I don't expect the to be friends (atleast not for a long time), but I want to be able to trust them alone together without Bobby starting a fight.

Sorry for the long, rambling post.

 

[mrblanche]

A slow introduction usually works best, but, eventually, the cats have to confront each other.  Usually, they work it out over time.  Cats are all about territory, so it's important that you new cat feels secure, and your resident cats don't feel threatened.

It's also a good idea to have the new cat checked for the "big nasties," treated for worms and fleas, etc., before being in contract with your long-time residents.

 

[luhhjane]

I was very worried about introducing my kitten to my roommates' adult cats.

We started with a few minutes of supervised "interaction" (baby cat would stick his fur up and bounce around..cutest..thing...ever..) and the other two would get close enough to smell a little. Each time we did this, they would get closer and closer, and eventually, when baby cat got too close, he got bopped on the nose by the oldest cat. It happened many times, and it will happen to you haha. They will hiss and spit and swipe, but, eventually, they will get over it. It's a territory thing. And with your new kitty being from the outside, there even more concerns in your older kitties minds.

You'll just have to let them meet on their own terms. They will settle down

 

[glenman12]

I was lucky because I did it the wrong way, instant interaction..what worked for me was that the new cat was 10X's more afraid of me then of my older cat...they instantly became buddies..over a period of months the new guy warmed up to me and now everything is fine..unless one is much more dominant than the other, like someone else said, they will work it out..

 

[Ms. Freya]

Here's a good article on steps to take introducing new cats:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats

Basically, just take it slow and let them go at whatever pace works for them - it's not uncommon for it to take weeks to properly introduce cats, especially if one of them is a bit moody. Letting them get used to each other through the glass door seems like a good idea to me, then by the time they actually meet "in person" they won't seem 'new' anymore.

Good Luck!

 

[rad65]

Have you taken this new cat to the vet? She needs to be tested for FeLV and FIV before you can start introductions, since she was found outside.