My foster stalks my cat

[vneidell]

So, I've had my foster for about a month now. He is about one. I have his history now too. He was originally part of a feral colony. My rescue took in him and a few others. He has been living at the rescue for six months. They asked me to foster so that he could experience life on a home.

He was shy at first, but after a month he is now a spoiled lap cat. He is very sweet. He is purring on my lap as we speak.

The problem is his relationship with my other cat, Violet. She doesn't love him. At first she just wasn't used to him, but now it's because he stalks her. He will wait until she goes and uses the box, and he will trap her. He pounces, and it's not mean. I actually think he is playing, but this morning when I tried to break it up, he was intent on hunting her. The laser pointer is the only way to distract him. He stalks her in bed too.

I feel bad because now Violet is just weary in general. You can tell she is always on the look out. And she is not in a good mood. I don't think she likes seeing him on my lap after he chased her. I just got up to pet her and she swiped at me.

So what is my best course of action? Reintroduction?

 

[mservant]

Did you intruduce them gradually to start with?

If Violet seems anxious now I do think you have to take action to adjust his behaviour around her, and a re-introduction is a sensible way to approachi this, and ensure that he does not have access to Violet when she wants privacy such as using the box - even if this means having multiple boxes in different areas of the house set up in a way you  can be aware and intervene if your foster follows her.

If the behaviour persists you may want to look at more long term seperation, or long term supervised shared space only.