New Cat Still hissing at Resident Cats

[gems2181]

Hi,

My husband and I rescued a cat 5 weeks ago now (I did previously ask a question about introducing them). We followed all the introduction steps - Izzie was confined to her own room, we swapped scents, used Feliway, had them either side of a door when it was slightly ajar. We then progressed to putting Izzie in a large dog crate for small periods of time to intagrate her with the 2 resident cats we have.

Things were going well - there was minimal hissing and they would quite happily eat together (Izzie in her crate and the other 2 nearby), and we therefore progressed to letting Izzie out with the other cats.

Izzie seems happy if the 2 resident cats keep their distance, but as soon as one gets too close she hisses. We do not shout when she hisses, but try to talk calmly and reassure her until she calms down. She does calm down quite quickly.

We can quite happily feed the cats in the same room - the resident cats are fed at their normal place and Izzie a few metres away. We might have a bit of growling from Izzie while she eats, but otherwise she seems content.

However, our 2 resident cats appear to be getting a bit tired of the hissing and will go out soon after Izzie is allowed out of her safe room. They will quickly come in once they realise the coast is clear.

We have tried playing with them together and all is well until the resident cats get too close to Izzie. If the hissing gets too much, Izzie is confined to her room and lots of reassurance is offered to all cats.

We are running out of ideas of how to stop this hissing. I don't think it's agression, I wonder if she is feeling defensive as there are 2 other cats and we don't know her history with other cats. We have tried introducing them one at a time as well, which much the same outcome - fine until they get too close.

Can anybody offer any suggestions of how we can being to improve the situation. I realise that we are only 5 weeks in to what can become a very long process, but we have little experience of a cat intorduction like this - all previous introductions went incredibly quickly. We are worried that whilst our resident cats do not appear distressed, we don't want them to continue disappearing when she is allowed out.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

Gemma

 

[yayi]

What is wrong with hissing? Even the best of buddies hiss to each other once in a while. It's part of cat language. You should be very happy that they share a room and meal times together. I say supervise their meal times. If Izzie starts hissing just stop her with a psst or a hiss yourself, she'll get the idea. 

 

 

[stephenq]

It's normally the "job" of resident cats to his and be territorial to new cats, the new cat's job is to be submissive until the resident cats accept the new one.  A new cat who is doing the hissing is not a good sign.... You may want to consider a new separation and re-introduction.  I'll see what some other advisors have to offer too!

 

[feralvr]

Hi there! I understand how trying these introductions can be, for sure. It may be just too much too soon for Izzie and you may want to start all over again. There is nothing wrong with doing so and actually it is highly recommended. Five weeks obviously is just not long enough for Izzy to feel completely secure in her new home and environment plus trying to settle in with two other kitties. It is always best to go extremely slowly and turn off your clock, so to speak on cat introductions. BUT, really, some hissing/growling is to be expected even in the best of circumstances. I usually will put up a screen door OR use a plexi-glass slider to the safe room so the new kitty can see out and the resident cats can see in the room. I always let the cats tell me when to move to the next stage and this could be days, weeks, months.

Other tips: Swap out beds, brush the newbie than the resident cats, sock rub exchange (rub the face and cheeks - lots of scents there!!), and then allow each to investigate territories without the other cats nearby. Put them away for the newbie to come out of her room. Then put the newbie away for the other two to investigate her room, etc. This take a lot of work, I know! But, it is so worth in considering they will have a lifetime together. A few months of this is worth it in the long run.

Also, a little hissing here and there IS going to happen upon the initial face to face meetings, in the beginning. Try not to stress over it or make a "scene" at all. Just watch to make sure nothing comes of it and/or be one step ahead of any confrontations BEFORE they happen. Much damage can be done IF the normal hissing/growling turns to aggression. Then, you know much more time is needed. :nod: This is not impossible and I have seen many, many cats whom really don't like other cats live harmoniously together in a household. They all learn their "level" and will work it out amongst themselves. After all, the cats want peace too but we have to let them figure that part out on their own and work to get there. And, THEY WILL !!!!! :nod:

Not sure you saw these articles, etc. or if they were posted in your other thread. Very helpful and great ideas.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/introducing-your-cat-new-cat
http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/a-simple-little-trick-to-use-during-new-cat-introductions/

 

[di and bob]

I know it's frustrating, but really it sounds as if you are doing fine. If they can eat in the same room without attacking one another that is great! The new cat is very unsure of things, and I predict it will take months before Izzy feels comfortable enough not to hiss. My cats took over two years before they truly got along, and I still have a tussle once in a while. But now all I have to do is stand up and they go their separate ways. Good luck, just be as patient as you can!

 

[gems2181]

Thank you to everyone for their advice so far. I think we have maybe gone a bit too fast, but are ultimately on the right lines.

Should I be worried about our resident cats and the fact that they always leave the house when Izzie is allowed out? Is this normal and with plenty of love and affection should improve over time?

 

[di and bob]

I would say the resident cats will come around in time, there WILL be a time when they get used to the newcomer and will start to stay around, just give them lots of attention and good treats, like Gerber meat baby food, they won't be able to resist!

 

[shadowsrescue]

When I introduced a feral/stray to my resident cat last year it was quite difficult.  At first things went really well and they did well being out together.  Then the hissing started followed by yowling and growling followed by chase and attack.  After looking back, I realized I rushed the last steps.  I was impatient and so wanted the cat out together.  I had to back up and start again.  When I used the large dog cage, I started by covering it on 3 sides.  This allowed the cat in the cat to not feel threatened on all sides.  I also offered yummy cooked plain chicken as rewards to both of them.  We even did some playing with a string through the cage.  I would do this at least 3x a day.  The sessions first started off less than 5 minutes and I worked up to 15 minutes.  The key was to stop the session before anything negative happened.  I tried to end each session on a positive note. 

Composure liquid Max really helped both of my cats.  The resident cat was nervous as this new boy was chasing and hurting him.  The new cat was stressed at living inside a home.  I had previously used the Composure feline treats, but found that it took at least 3 treats per cat 2x a day and they took awhile to work.  My cats also stopped liking the taste of the treats.  The liquid required 1/2 t for both in their morning wet food and 1/4 t. in the evening.  The resident cat only used it for about a month.  The new cat used it for months, but at a lower dose. 

My cats have been living together just shy of one year.  We still have spats and chasing almost daily.  There is an occasional hiss, but fortunately no full blown attacks.  I do not believe they will every like each other, but they have learned to coexist.

Just take it slow.

 

[feralvr]

Are the cats indoor/outdoor? If so, then that would make sense if your resident cats leave when Izzie comes out. Just make sure you don't allow Izzie outside at all right now or she may not return. Very important to keep her confined and take your time with those intros. It sounds like you are just moving a little too hastily according to Izzie. GOOD LUCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!