I have three boys. Pootie, Rumble and Raspberry. They are all roughly the same age, between 2 and 3 (or 4) years old. All are neutered.
Pootie was the original cat. He is about 2.5 and was adopted by my daughter from the shelter when he was about 5 months old.
Rumble is between 3 and 4. He was kitty #2 and was adopted from the shelter a year ago this November.
Raspberry was a stray from the streets and he was kitty #3. He is between 2 and 3. He joined us in February.
Pootie was very excited when Rumble came to live with us, he practically burst into the room with a "YOU GOT ME A FRIEND?!?!?" look on his face. Introduction took a matter of days and they were sleeping together. There was some hissing and the occasional smack (between them, not me!) but nothing remarkable and they were best buds very quickly.
Raspberry joined us in February of this year. He was a plucked from the streets stray who came to stay with us "temporarily" until his owners were found (it was a bitter winter, they were found and didn't want him back. Seriously). He was not neutered and was cryptorchid (monorchid really). He was neutered about two weeks after he came to live with us. Again, Pootie was trying to burst into the room desperate to meet the newcomer. The three of them were sleeping together about a week after introductions.
We moved in May and in June my oldest daughter, her spouse and their two cats came to live with us. No issues. My three boys regularly sleep downstairs with her cats to avoid my dog, I have to beg her to stop stealing my cats. Pootie will often sleep upstairs though.
In mid-June we found a momma and her 5 newborns in our backyard. They all came inside. No one was allowed to meet momma or the kittens until the vet gave them a clean bill of health at the 8 week mark. All three boys were a little put off by the kittens but eventually started playing with them. Mom was a bit of a jerk and never got along with anyone. There were no big fights, she would just smack at the boys when they walked by. Pootie was the bravest and got smacked a lot. Before momma and her kittens all found homes it got to the point that none of the boys would venture to the second floor (where Momma stayed, she wouldn't come downstairs because she didn't like the dog). Mom and all five kittens are gone now.
Shortly before Mom left a beautiful orange boy (Thomas O'Malley) showed up on my porch and he never left. After about 3 weeks of feeding him we brought him to the vet (he is FIV+) and then brought him inside. No owners have come forward or posted about him. He has been in a few fights and has the battle wounds to prove it, but he is a lovely boy. He was inside for 2.5 weeks before he got neutered this past Thursday.
We have been keeping the cats separate and are now allowed Thomas O'Malley a chance to explore while the others are kept locked up. They have been allowed very small, restricted introductions. Pootie hissed (and still tries to burst into the room) but then ignored O'Malley to eat treats about 3 feet away from him so I thought this was a good sign. The other boys hissed a little but weren't at all combative.
O'Malley is FIV+. I have done a lot of research on this and had long conversations with my vet. As long as there is no fighting there is very little chance of transmitting the disease, so if everyone gets along things should be fine. FIV transmission is through deep bite wounds that occur in those "I am going to kill you" fights that Toms have over territory, food and females. However, I need to ensure that these introductions go well.
Pootie camps out in front of the spare bedroom where O'Malley is kept (and this was typical with the other introductions as well). Last night while I tried to bring in litter, food and water, Pootie scooted past me and went right for O'Malley. There was just some swatting, nothing terrible, but I am very upset.
I know it is early in the introduction process but I can't understand why Pootie is acting like this toward O'Malley when he was fine with ever other cat that has come in.
Could it be that he is just trying to tell me "ENOUGH DAMN CATS WOMAN! I am all the kitty you need"? or perhaps because Momma was a little mean he is expecting O'Malley to be mean too.
I thought maybe he could smell the testosterone on Mr. O'Malley but Raspberry wasn't neutered when he came in either.
I just can't figure out why he doesn't like O'Malley.
We have Feliway up, just got new refills last night so maybe that will help. I need to get some more baby gates and I will fence off the door so they can see each other but not touch each other.
I know it is early days but every other introduction has gone so easily.
Pootie was the original cat. He is about 2.5 and was adopted by my daughter from the shelter when he was about 5 months old.
Rumble is between 3 and 4. He was kitty #2 and was adopted from the shelter a year ago this November.
Raspberry was a stray from the streets and he was kitty #3. He is between 2 and 3. He joined us in February.
Pootie was very excited when Rumble came to live with us, he practically burst into the room with a "YOU GOT ME A FRIEND?!?!?" look on his face. Introduction took a matter of days and they were sleeping together. There was some hissing and the occasional smack (between them, not me!) but nothing remarkable and they were best buds very quickly.
Raspberry joined us in February of this year. He was a plucked from the streets stray who came to stay with us "temporarily" until his owners were found (it was a bitter winter, they were found and didn't want him back. Seriously). He was not neutered and was cryptorchid (monorchid really). He was neutered about two weeks after he came to live with us. Again, Pootie was trying to burst into the room desperate to meet the newcomer. The three of them were sleeping together about a week after introductions.
We moved in May and in June my oldest daughter, her spouse and their two cats came to live with us. No issues. My three boys regularly sleep downstairs with her cats to avoid my dog, I have to beg her to stop stealing my cats. Pootie will often sleep upstairs though.
In mid-June we found a momma and her 5 newborns in our backyard. They all came inside. No one was allowed to meet momma or the kittens until the vet gave them a clean bill of health at the 8 week mark. All three boys were a little put off by the kittens but eventually started playing with them. Mom was a bit of a jerk and never got along with anyone. There were no big fights, she would just smack at the boys when they walked by. Pootie was the bravest and got smacked a lot. Before momma and her kittens all found homes it got to the point that none of the boys would venture to the second floor (where Momma stayed, she wouldn't come downstairs because she didn't like the dog). Mom and all five kittens are gone now.
Shortly before Mom left a beautiful orange boy (Thomas O'Malley) showed up on my porch and he never left. After about 3 weeks of feeding him we brought him to the vet (he is FIV+) and then brought him inside. No owners have come forward or posted about him. He has been in a few fights and has the battle wounds to prove it, but he is a lovely boy. He was inside for 2.5 weeks before he got neutered this past Thursday.
We have been keeping the cats separate and are now allowed Thomas O'Malley a chance to explore while the others are kept locked up. They have been allowed very small, restricted introductions. Pootie hissed (and still tries to burst into the room) but then ignored O'Malley to eat treats about 3 feet away from him so I thought this was a good sign. The other boys hissed a little but weren't at all combative.
O'Malley is FIV+. I have done a lot of research on this and had long conversations with my vet. As long as there is no fighting there is very little chance of transmitting the disease, so if everyone gets along things should be fine. FIV transmission is through deep bite wounds that occur in those "I am going to kill you" fights that Toms have over territory, food and females. However, I need to ensure that these introductions go well.
Pootie camps out in front of the spare bedroom where O'Malley is kept (and this was typical with the other introductions as well). Last night while I tried to bring in litter, food and water, Pootie scooted past me and went right for O'Malley. There was just some swatting, nothing terrible, but I am very upset.
I know it is early in the introduction process but I can't understand why Pootie is acting like this toward O'Malley when he was fine with ever other cat that has come in.
Could it be that he is just trying to tell me "ENOUGH DAMN CATS WOMAN! I am all the kitty you need"? or perhaps because Momma was a little mean he is expecting O'Malley to be mean too.
I thought maybe he could smell the testosterone on Mr. O'Malley but Raspberry wasn't neutered when he came in either.
I just can't figure out why he doesn't like O'Malley.
We have Feliway up, just got new refills last night so maybe that will help. I need to get some more baby gates and I will fence off the door so they can see each other but not touch each other.
I know it is early days but every other introduction has gone so easily.
