Hi,
I would need some help "translating" some of my two cats' behavior during introductions.
I am in the process of introducing two cats. I've had my kitty - the resident cat, for almost two years. I've been knowing her for almost 4 years though as she was a feral cat living mostly in the backyard of the house I used to live in (found her there when we moved in). We trapped her together with her 4 kittens and eventually I adopted her. She was very feral at the beginning, she did not let me touch her for a few months. Then she mellowed down after she was spayed and we got closer and closer. She loves being petted and brushed now, but she still doesn't let me pick her up - and I am OK with that, I let her be. She is a very calm kitty, although she plays a bit every day, she mostly likes to watch out the window. She never does anything "wrong", not because I don't let her, she just doesn't, she's very good. I don't know exactly her age, but the guess is that she's about 4 years old.
I recently adopted another kitty, Zorba, a 10 month old boy (that's the vet's estimate, we don't know exactly as he was a stray). He is very energetic and very friendly, although he has quite a strong personality.
I did all that introduction staff, keeping them separated, introducing them through scent, feeding them on both sides of the door, etc, and it's now been almost three weeks since we started. My kitty seems to be interested in Zorba, she comes at his door and tries to look underneath. But if I open the door, ever so slightly, she hisses at him and even threw paws at him (didn't get him, the door was not open wide enough for her paws to get at him).
Zorba on the other hand seem to really pine for her, he lays at her door and calls her, and then rolls over, showing his belly (although she can't see).
So a few days ago I decided to let them meet, short meeting 2-3 minutes tops, and gradually increasing the time. I try to intiate the meetings in then living room, as it is the neutral place.
Every time there was the same scenario: my kitty would just stay put, sometimes under a chair, sometimes out. Zorba would walk very slowly towards her and then lay down. At one point he rolled over, showing his belly (he's telling her he is not a threat). But my kitty always walked away, trying to put distance between them, and Zorba would run after her. She sometimes turned at him and hissed, sometimes she didn’t, but she always ended up running in the bedroom - where her place is. First I didn’t let Zorba follow her there, the next time I let him follow her just a few steps – my kitty threw two paws at him, but it was more for intimidation, she didn’t touch him actually.
Then I let him follow her all the way in the bedroom, my kitty hid under the bed, Zorba followed her, so they laid there looking at each other for a while. Then Zorba came out and laid on the side of the bed. Then I took him out of the bedroom, as I didn’t want the encounters to last too long.
Last night I repeated the whole story, let them out again. When I let Zorba out of the bathroom he ran straight into the bedroom (which is across a small hall). My kitty was in the living room and turned around and went in the bathroom (Zorba’s place) – she stayed there for quite some time, smelling and exploring. Then they met in the bedroom, and they both ended up on my bed. My kitty was laying down, ears relaxed, not hissing. Zorba walked around on the bed, and then turned towards her and approached her. She did not run away or hiss. I was pretty excited, as I thought now Zorba will maybe smell her or lay next to her. But instead, when he got close to her, he hit her with his paw – on her body, not on the head. That surprised the beegeeses out of me! – it was not really an aggressive hit, I think, but still. In that moment I took him out of the bedroom as I was not sure what his intentions were and I thought it's better to be safe than sorry.
But surprisingly enough, my kitty was not really upset or scared, she still wanted to get out – I know when she comes near the door, she wants to get out. So a bit later I let them meet again. They met in the living room and found themselves face to face and…they rubbed noses!!!! Once again I was all excited, as I thought this was it, this was the breakthrough. But after about two seconds of rubbing noses, my kitty stepped back and hissed at him. Then the same thing, they watched each other for a while, then my kitty walked away and Zorba ran after her, but when she got in the bedroom I didn’t let him follow her, I thought it was just enough for one night.
So what I don’t understand: why did Zorba hit her – he shows all the signs that he wants to be friends, calling her, rolling over, etc, and when he gets close to her, he hits her. I don’t get it. Is it possible that it was just a “check-out”? Or something like “come play with me”? And why my kitty hissed after they rubbed noses?
Just wondering if someone might be able to explain this behavior and give some advice on what to do next. It is my first time introducing two cats - I don't know about them, but I know it is nerve wrecking for me. LOL!
Thank you for reading...
I would need some help "translating" some of my two cats' behavior during introductions.
I am in the process of introducing two cats. I've had my kitty - the resident cat, for almost two years. I've been knowing her for almost 4 years though as she was a feral cat living mostly in the backyard of the house I used to live in (found her there when we moved in). We trapped her together with her 4 kittens and eventually I adopted her. She was very feral at the beginning, she did not let me touch her for a few months. Then she mellowed down after she was spayed and we got closer and closer. She loves being petted and brushed now, but she still doesn't let me pick her up - and I am OK with that, I let her be. She is a very calm kitty, although she plays a bit every day, she mostly likes to watch out the window. She never does anything "wrong", not because I don't let her, she just doesn't, she's very good. I don't know exactly her age, but the guess is that she's about 4 years old.
I recently adopted another kitty, Zorba, a 10 month old boy (that's the vet's estimate, we don't know exactly as he was a stray). He is very energetic and very friendly, although he has quite a strong personality.
I did all that introduction staff, keeping them separated, introducing them through scent, feeding them on both sides of the door, etc, and it's now been almost three weeks since we started. My kitty seems to be interested in Zorba, she comes at his door and tries to look underneath. But if I open the door, ever so slightly, she hisses at him and even threw paws at him (didn't get him, the door was not open wide enough for her paws to get at him).
Zorba on the other hand seem to really pine for her, he lays at her door and calls her, and then rolls over, showing his belly (although she can't see).
So a few days ago I decided to let them meet, short meeting 2-3 minutes tops, and gradually increasing the time. I try to intiate the meetings in then living room, as it is the neutral place.
Every time there was the same scenario: my kitty would just stay put, sometimes under a chair, sometimes out. Zorba would walk very slowly towards her and then lay down. At one point he rolled over, showing his belly (he's telling her he is not a threat). But my kitty always walked away, trying to put distance between them, and Zorba would run after her. She sometimes turned at him and hissed, sometimes she didn’t, but she always ended up running in the bedroom - where her place is. First I didn’t let Zorba follow her there, the next time I let him follow her just a few steps – my kitty threw two paws at him, but it was more for intimidation, she didn’t touch him actually.
Then I let him follow her all the way in the bedroom, my kitty hid under the bed, Zorba followed her, so they laid there looking at each other for a while. Then Zorba came out and laid on the side of the bed. Then I took him out of the bedroom, as I didn’t want the encounters to last too long.
Last night I repeated the whole story, let them out again. When I let Zorba out of the bathroom he ran straight into the bedroom (which is across a small hall). My kitty was in the living room and turned around and went in the bathroom (Zorba’s place) – she stayed there for quite some time, smelling and exploring. Then they met in the bedroom, and they both ended up on my bed. My kitty was laying down, ears relaxed, not hissing. Zorba walked around on the bed, and then turned towards her and approached her. She did not run away or hiss. I was pretty excited, as I thought now Zorba will maybe smell her or lay next to her. But instead, when he got close to her, he hit her with his paw – on her body, not on the head. That surprised the beegeeses out of me! – it was not really an aggressive hit, I think, but still. In that moment I took him out of the bedroom as I was not sure what his intentions were and I thought it's better to be safe than sorry.
But surprisingly enough, my kitty was not really upset or scared, she still wanted to get out – I know when she comes near the door, she wants to get out. So a bit later I let them meet again. They met in the living room and found themselves face to face and…they rubbed noses!!!! Once again I was all excited, as I thought this was it, this was the breakthrough. But after about two seconds of rubbing noses, my kitty stepped back and hissed at him. Then the same thing, they watched each other for a while, then my kitty walked away and Zorba ran after her, but when she got in the bedroom I didn’t let him follow her, I thought it was just enough for one night.
So what I don’t understand: why did Zorba hit her – he shows all the signs that he wants to be friends, calling her, rolling over, etc, and when he gets close to her, he hits her. I don’t get it. Is it possible that it was just a “check-out”? Or something like “come play with me”? And why my kitty hissed after they rubbed noses?
Just wondering if someone might be able to explain this behavior and give some advice on what to do next. It is my first time introducing two cats - I don't know about them, but I know it is nerve wrecking for me. LOL!
Thank you for reading...
I call her "my kitty" or pissi when I talk to her, but now that I have Zorba, I might name her Bubulina 