new cat/old cat

[changeling]

7yo  (with litter issues) was left as the only cat in the house a month ago when the other cat was euthanised. Husband grieved and adopted a shelter cat 2 weeks later. 1yo DSH female -in heat- who had lived with kids but was a big ?? about her interaction with other cats. Spayed etc. Home and isolated in the 2nd master bedroom suite on the 3rd floor of our town house (husbands office). Food on either sides of the door,calm kitty liquid,feliway spray (diffusers on the way), 2 new cat trees. Husband was impatient and said...''just let them go, they'll get used to each other"

First time Django (old cat) came into Stella's(new cat 'room and they went at it. Now I know what a cat fight really looks like. Mostly posturing, hissing,big tails and non-connecting forepaw bats. Waited for it to settle ( I was NOT going to be in the middle) and got Django out. Husband pulls this AGAIN while I am asleep one morning. Stella gets Django down to the main level, hissin/posturing ended and there was a face off at @ 4 feet.

I put my foot down, closed the door to the office and said NO interaction till they calm down. Django is already on prozac, I have moved his litter box and he's doing great about not pissing by the door (tho I don't like the litter box in the middle of the basement room) Is there ANY hope for these two? I have had up to 5 cats at once and introducing a new one NEVER required this much effort. Stella is sweet with people, 'nurses' her bed (weaned too early I bet) but goes BALLISTIC around poor old Django.

How long,if ever will it take? Are Stella's female hormones gone (2 weeks since the spay)

I feel like such a fool thinking it would go smoothly.

Thanks for listening.

 

[yayi]

So, Django is on prozac because he has behavior issues? or litter issues only? Stella does not get along with cats in general? If she is, she probably will be more sensitive to Django's "medical" scent from the drug. During the 2 encounters - was there physical contact resulting to scratching, biting, spraying, blood? Because that is what cat fights really look like. 

  If there was only hissing, posturing, etc. it's a good sign that they are curious but wary about each other and probably the diffusers and calming remedies are helping.  

I think because of the behavior issues of the 2, getting along will take longer than you want it to be. Since it's only been a month, it is safe to say that it's still early for them to be good buddies. 

There are good suggestions in the articles on introduction heading this behavior forum. I've used the scent exchange and vanilla trick quite successfully. 

Your situation is not unusual and there have been worse cases. Be patient. Things will work out fine. 

 

[changeling]

Yayi,

Thank you!

Django is on prozac for litter box issues. In looking back at her adoption records Stella had been in a one cat family but is only 1 yr old. Django has been around other cats all his life (7 yrs). No blood (thank heavens),However when cornered in the closet by Stella she got close enough that we found part of his claw in her cheek. Tincture of time and eventually they'll give in? My human husband is so impatient and I have never seen behavior like this despite having ma multi-cat home for 35 yrs. (lucky I guess)