- Joined
- Oct 30, 2017
- Messages
- 257
- Purraise
- 342
I am in the process of cat introductions. So far, the big cat LK and the little cat Ruby have had scent swapping, visual contact, treats and play on either side of the gate. All of this is totally fine.
However, the kitten has escaped the gate a couple of times. If she just walks around and plays, LK is happy. But the second Ruby starts to run, LK chases her, corners her somewhere, and hisses at her. At which point I catch the kitten (who seems a little scared/offended but not super upset) and send her back to purgatory. I always wait a few minutes and then have a happier session with toys & gate separation, so that the last thing in LK’s brain related to Ruby is happiness. Other than these sessions they are apart.
I’m a little confused about how to proceed since I can control a lot of things but I can’t make Ruby not run. I can guess why LK chases, corners, and hisses at her (prey drive; dominance; etc) but I can’t figure out how to work around it. Otherwise they are happy but this is a big roadblock.
Any ideas? Thanks all
However, the kitten has escaped the gate a couple of times. If she just walks around and plays, LK is happy. But the second Ruby starts to run, LK chases her, corners her somewhere, and hisses at her. At which point I catch the kitten (who seems a little scared/offended but not super upset) and send her back to purgatory. I always wait a few minutes and then have a happier session with toys & gate separation, so that the last thing in LK’s brain related to Ruby is happiness. Other than these sessions they are apart.
I’m a little confused about how to proceed since I can control a lot of things but I can’t make Ruby not run. I can guess why LK chases, corners, and hisses at her (prey drive; dominance; etc) but I can’t figure out how to work around it. Otherwise they are happy but this is a big roadblock.
Any ideas? Thanks all