Introducing A Third Cat, I’m Stressed!

[MoeFridaPearl]

A Stray cat found us on July 4th. We decided the right thing was to take her in, have her fixed and introduce her into our 2 cat household. Immediately we were anxious, taking in this cat has become a big project. She is super sweet and amazingly well behaved. It’s the introduction into the household that is taking a very long time and stressing me out! We have been going very slowly with the introduction. We have been trying to follow Jackson galaxy’s steps. I have read his most recent book. We had just made it to the step where you play with resident cat and new cat in same room, that was going ok...
Then I made a dumb decision, I had just been gone for 9hrs (it was a long work day.)everyone was hungry. I opened the door to new kitties base camp, she strolled out, resident cats seemed cool with it. We all wondered into base camp (our master bedroom.) after a few minutes one resident cat showed a little aggression towards other resident cat. New kitty wasn’t having it and went after one resident cat, they were making terrible noises and swipping but new kitty submitted right away. But I was freaked out, I grabbed resident cat to remove him from basecamp, he tried to get away, swipping my face in the process. New Kitty freaked out again climbed my leg trying to bite the cat in my arms. I got everyone separated.
Shaken, bleeding and bruise I realized immediately that I had made a dumb mistake. I’ve kept everyone separate since then (this happened two days ago) we are back to feeding on either side of the gate then closing it after food is gone, because someone usually starts hissing after the distraction of food is gone. I am too scared to even try “eat play love” again right now.
I’m worried about a few things, but most
Of all I’m worried these cats may never get along. I’ve never had an intro take so long. I’m tired of having our house divided and I’m wondering if I should start looking for a new home for her, which feels impossible.
I know my anxiety it probably part of the problem, help!

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Thanks for taking in the stray. Sorry her arrival is stressing everyone out.

I've never introduced cats, so can't advise from personal experience. However, TCS has some articles on cat introductions, which likely similar to Jackson Galaxy, may still be helpful. I'll post the links below.

I hope the scratches on your face heal quickly. Do keep an eye on any cat scratches, or bites, as they can become infected.

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
Introducing Cats To Cats
How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction
The Multi-cat Household
How To Safely Break Up A Cat Fight

Cat Bites - What Every Cat Owner Needs To Know
Ouch! More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Cat Bites

 

[KarenKat]

I understand exactly where you are coming from! We introduced a wonderful new cat that lived outside our house to our other two cats last November, and it actually took about 7 months for them to chill in the same room without major stress. We didn’t have fights, but we did have our resident cat chasing the new one out of the territory and back to her safe room. Every time he saw her. We had a few scratches here and there, and lots of hissing, growling and spitting. It is not easy, but it sounds like you are doing the right steps!

As for separating cats from fighting, definitely a bad idea to pick one up - it makes him feel vulnerable and you put yourself at risk as you well know. We use large pieces of cardboard to separate them, and use that to usher cats out of rooms and defuse the situation. These have really helped.

I think continuing on They am way you are is the right move. Try not to view this as a setback, I found my own cat introduction was not a straight line, and chases that came after a really good interaction was always very frustrating. Feeding them together is great, for a while that was our only positive interaction. Group play, snacks that distract them and staying calm yourself are also key.

Try and think of it like a marathon, not a sprint. Sounds like this one may require patience, and I entirely understand not wanting to live in a divide house. Soon enough you will be able to have your home back, and the stress will be gone.

Also try and take some cat-free time to yourself, taking a break from cats helped me be fresher to deal with the temporary chaos. Go to a movie, or grab a drink or massage. And good luck!

 

[MoeFridaPearl]

Wow thank you so much! This is what I needed to hear. I was starting to feel alone in my stress. Thank you. I just got so frustrated with myself because I had the cardboard all ready to go to block each other and we had been using it when needed, but we were in a different part of the house when it happened and my brain just short circuited and I decided to try and get him out ASAP. I guess I just needed to learn the hard way. I have been cleaning my wounds everyday and keeping a close eye on them. Thanks again for taking the time to respond! It means a lot

 

[KarenKat]

No problem, cat integrations are so hard! And then I hear stories of the cats playing and bumping noses on week 1, and I get so jealous, lol!

I'm glad you are taking care of your wounds, those can be scary if not properly treated. It's hard to live with so much daily stress, I went through some very depressed and tearful moments during this past year, and it got discouraging sometimes. It sounds like you lucked out like us in getting a super sweet and loving kitty, which for use helped us through the rougher days.

Feel free to check in and let us know how it's going, or ask for advice or simply vent. And feel free to share photos!