Need Advice On Cat Rotation

[Kitties R Loved]

Hi. I am a new member to TheCatSite. I’m not sure this is the right space for my issue. But let me see what you all think. We just put our dear family cat down last week. Maggie was with us over 18 years and was a delight and we miss her terribly. So here is my problem.

We took in my Mom’s cat in 2017 after my mom passed away. Boona was a feral cat that I rescued in 2006. I gave Boona to my mom to care for as she and Maggie could not get along. So Boona has been indoors for 12 years and she is about 14 years old. Boona and Maggie did. Boona is an aggressive cat~a loner...so we have kept her in our finished basement and she’s been fine down there. At 14, she does a lot of sleeping during the day.

End Sept we rescued what I thought was another feral cat who had been living under our shed for weeks. We just had Oliver neutered and microchipped and I have him in our spare bedroom which we converted to a cat room. Vet says Oliver is about 5 years old. He has bonded with me. So much so I’m wondering now if he was a true feral or possibly an abandoned cat. I am not familiar with male cats. He has no interest in the outdoors and has not tried to exit his new cat room and seems to love the rather small space.

For almost two years, I’ve done the cat rotation myself spending time with all three cats in their separate spaces when Maggie was still with us. I’m retired so I have the time. So what to do now? With our Maggie now gone I’m having difficulty deciding who should get main floor living. Does anyone have success stories with cat rotation? I could let them keep their current spaces as their home base but alternate each of them on the main floor living area for say a week or two? Since we had seen Oliver spray outside this summer, I’m concerned if he smells Boona’s (even Maggie’s) scent he may mark. That would definitely limit his access to the main living area. Does Feliway spray work? Oliver has not sprayed since being neutered and inside. Will be a month this week.

Having had Maggie 18 years, it’s been a long time and I now have these two kitties who are loved. My hubby and I also considered getting a kitten to keep Oliver company but I do not know if he would accept a kitten or not. Any thoughts would be welcomed.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Welcome!
Here are my two cents ;
Oliver already smells Boona.

Boona might sleep less if she had more interaction and play time with you rather than being in a sunless, windowless basement most of the time with no stimulation for her mind. She needs more activity for both her physical and mental/emotional health.

Rather than adding a third cat now, why not integrate the two cats you have, stop the rotation and then see about a third kitty later?

7 Proven Ways To Get Your Cat To Be More Active

Playing With Your Cat: 10 Things You Need To Know

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide

How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction

Do Cats Get Jealous? (and What To Do About It When They Do)

How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat

 

[Kitties R Loved]

Hi! Welcome!
Here are my two cents ;
Oliver already smells Boona.

Boona might sleep less if she had more interaction and play time with you rather than being in a sunless, windowless basement most of the time with no stimulation for her mind. She needs more activity for both her physical and mental/emotional health.

Rather than adding a third cat now, why not integrate the two cats you have, stop the rotation and then see about a third kitty later?

7 Proven Ways To Get Your Cat To Be More Active

Playing With Your Cat: 10 Things You Need To Know

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide

How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction

Do Cats Get Jealous? (and What To Do About It When They Do)

How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat

Thanks much for your thoughts. Just to clarify, there is no sunless, windowless basement. I mentioned a finished basement. It has windows with cat perches, a large sliding glass door with a chair where Boona sits to watch the birds~ a bird feeder sits right outside the door. A second family room set up with TV and a craft room which has been converted to Boona’s room with a bed/cat cave (heated), scratching post, another heated bed in the main area and a ton of toys. I spend time with her several times a day giving her more stimulation than many cats probably get. At 14, yes she sleeps quite a bit but I believe this is typical of an aging cat.

In the last year and a half, Boona has come a long way. She has to be sedated by the vet for her appointments. One vet declined to treat her due to aggressiveness. But I’ve been working with her. Visiting my mom, Boona would only hiss at me. I was never there long enough to work w her. But did give her treats each visit. While my mom fed and provided shelter in her home for Boona for 11 years, Boona didn’t get the proper socialization that she needed as a feral. You couldn’t touch her and catching her for the vet was a huge exercise in itself. Boona’s nails could never be trimmed as you could not touch her, especially her feet (only by the vet when sedated) and I am now able to do that myself. I can only do one nail at a sitting which is followed with hisses, but it’s progress and she gets praises and treats when done. At 14, she is finally interested in jumping in my lap to nap and she let’s me pet her until she says it’s time to stop; while I can now pick her up for “cuddles”~she knows the word...I can’t walk too far before she starts hissing and wrestles to get away.

Boona was a true feral. After trying to introduce her (when we first got her inside) to my other cats at the time, Boona stood on her back two feet and chased them around the room with her front paws outstretched. I had never seen this behavior before. After several tries of lower key introductions, that also didn’t go well, my mom agreed to take her in.

When we brought Boona back after my mom passed, I accidentally left the basement door open~Maggie started coming down the stairs to the basement (there is a gate at the bottom) and Boona got in attack mode and unfortunately I was on Boona’s side of the gate and Boona attacked and scratched my legs.

While I believe integration is possible for many cats, I do not believe integration is possible with Boona. There are loner cats not good with dogs, children or other cats and Boona is one of them.

Having just rescued Oliver less than a month ago, I’m amazed at how quickly he bonded w me so, again, he could be a thankful stray and not a true feral. He’s so affectionate and just loves to be held. My husband is not as lucky and has taken over feeding him in order to gain Oliver’s acceptance. Oliver is in a spare bedroom for now (empty of furniture except a table and two small chairs). He’s got a ramp, a ladder, scratching post, two story set up with 4 cat beds in front of double windows facing the same bird feeder. Overall, Oliver has 6 cozy places to sleep (2 heated beds) including a cat cave and a long narrow box that he loves, toys, cat puzzles, ping pong balls on strings. He’s quite happy.

I was simply trying to inquire whether two otherwise separate cats could possibly share the same space on an alternating basis and whether any members to the site have any experience with this.