Moving & Introducing New Cat

[DorianH]

I think this is the right thread if not let me know.

My fiance and I are moving in a few weeks with our 2 cats, but are looking to bring in a third. Possum and Hazel (current and new cat) are son and mother and our kitten is so easy-going that she's never minded new animals.

My question is, would it be better to have Hazel already settled in the house before moving our other two in, or should we have our current cats settled before bringing in Hazel?

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Actually, it may be better to bring all three of them in at the same time. I'm iffy on this, but the fact that this will be totally neutral territory for ALL of the cats, with no need to defend might work in your favor. On the con side is that all of the cats will be on full alert, as it is unfamiliar to them all.

Now, as to the choices you mentioned, how old is the new cat? I've gotten a bit confused as to who is who. If the new cat is a kitten, I'd bring the current cats in first, as a kitten would be less threatening to them coming in than an adult. However, if the new cat is older, with the two-against-one thing going on, I'd let the new one establish territory first, so as to not be so overwhelmed with two strange cats to deal with.

ANY way you do this, there are a couple of excellent articles here on introducing cats to each other, and to new homes.

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
Introducing Cats To Cats
9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment
How To Move With Your Cat To A New Home In A Safe Way

 

[DorianH]

That for the articles! I'll read them when I'm home from work.
Our new cat is 11 or 12, our current cats are 2 and 11 months. The youngest is incredibly outgoing and takes to other animals really well, but the 2 year old is a bit of a diva. The oldest cat lived in a small indoor/outdoor rescue colony for the past 10 years but the rest were adopted and she's becoming a house cat, since the building is getting renovated. She's very laid back and used to other cats, but I worry that they won't get along if all of them come in together. IllI give those links a read soon, and appreciate the advice!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

LOL, I'm going to add one more to the list, since one cat came from a colony:

The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside

Now, try NOT to worry. Cats are incredibly intuitive, and will pick up on your anxiety very quickly. You don't want that. Breathe deep, and try not to have expectations, just...let them find their way, within the bounds of the suggestions in the articles. It will take as long as it takes, and the cats will have to set the pace. You can't go any faster than the most stubborn feline.

 

[DorianH]

Thank you for the last article! The soon-to-be indoor cat was previously a house cat (we assume) she's fully litter box trained, and spayed, but was dumped on our family farm years ago. She frequently "escapes" into my parents house, so she's definitely ready to be indoors!

I do appreciate the replies and articles! I'm a lot less worried than I was, though I do think Possum will struggle to adapt. Hopefully with the new cat being his mother he won't mind her!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Just take it slow and easy, let them set the pace. I'm confident that with your loving assistance, this will be quite doable! And keep us posted on how things go! If there are any hiccups, we can help you fine tune things.

 

[DorianH]

Hey there! We introduced the cats today, and things went pretty well! Hazel, the elderly cat, was a bit upset at having to share the house but all she did was one quiet hiss and she's avoiding Possum and Wren. Possum has gone into hiding in protest of the new house in general but also only let out a quiet hiss and went back to his favorite spot.
Wren, the youngest doesn't care about the other two or the newness, she's just really excited to play and sniff around and run.

Overall it's been really good! Hazel and Possum are going to take awhile to get used to each other but neither is being aggressive, just avoiding each other. Both interact independently with Wren despite Hazel never having interacted with her before. All three are still very happy to play and be loved on, so I think all went well!

 

[DorianH]

Small update:
They spent their first night together and all was well! Hazel slept on our couch, Wren slept under it, and Possum slept in bed with us. Everyone has eaten and used the litter box, although Possum doesn't go downstairs without one of us yet. He and Hazel are avoiding each other but aren't hissing anymore. Possum is a very sensitive little guy, so he's struggling more than the others, but seems pretty happy!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Sounds like you are well on your way to feline domestic bliss! Possum will come around. As you say, he's the sensitive one, and will just take a little longer. I'm thrilled that it turned out so well!

 

[DorianH]

Well, we've hit a bit of a roadblock. Yesterday evening Hazel (the new cat) got suddenly aggressive. It's rare but it's almost like she's guarding the two rooms she likes to stay in. The issue with that is the food and water are in "her" area. We've had no issues before this, but she chased both of the other cats yesterday until they went upstairs, and it almost looks like she's hunting them when they come down. I can't move the food upstairs, Hazel doesn't do well with them, but the sudden aggression isn't going to work. They had all been eating together lately too. The youngest cat is absolutely terrified of Hazel now and won't come anywhere near her.
My nephew stayed over the night before last and it was fter he left that Hazel started getting aggressive. I don't know if that could have anything to do with it? If she keeps this up I'm calling the vet when they open on Monday. It's out of character for her. The only good part is that she hasn't attacked, just chased the other two, but it's definitely not playful.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

For now, is it possible that you can feed Hazel downstairs and the other two upstairs?

Cats don't do well with change, and some are far more sensitive to it than others. This may be a reaction to your nephew being there, and then not there. Not saying this for sure, but it is certainly possible.

 

[DorianH]

My nephew is a 12 year old, so maybe the excitement was too much?

Hazel did cough up the largest hairball I've ever seen today, and has been really good with the other 2 since. She's going to the vet tomorrow for unrelated reasons but illI bring it up to see if it's got something to do with her thyroid. They said it was borderline too high.

I'll update after the appointment tomorrow morning and again, I appreciate everything you've helped me with!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Stress can affect cats in all sorts of ways. It might be just that. I don't think a hairball would cause aggression, but the general misery of it on top of stress certainly might cause a hair-trigger. Let us know what the vet says!

 

[DorianH]

We had a productive vet visit today! Hazel was well behaved, and the vet told us that she most likely had a stomach ache (just because of the size of the hairball) she also has an old poorly healed broken rib from her years outside, and the vet said her arthritis may have settled there as well as in her hips. They said it's very mild arthritis.
They said mostly its the stress of a new home, her trying to establish her dominance, and potentially a bit of discomfort with her arthritis. Our vet said she should calm down in a week or so, but aside from typical senior cat issues she's got a clean bill of health and some fun treats!

Once she got home she ignored the other two and was happy being in the same room as them, so I think the worst may be past.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Very good news, indeed. Let us know how things progress.