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- Feb 24, 2021
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Hello,
I'm currently stuck in the classic, older cat not liking the new kitten conundrum, though I feel like my situation is somehow messier than what I usually see in "How to Introduce Your Cats" articles.
I had two pets at home before we adopted our new kitten, Sage our 13-year-old cat, and Trooper our 12-year-old lab-mix. I have been fostering neonate and medical kittens for a few years now, especially since I work at an animal shelter, so kittens were never a rarity in our home. Sage was never a fan of our fosters, but was never aggressive towards them, as long as they didn't bother her she was content with her having the upstairs (and my bedroom) while the kittens stayed downstairs.
Now when Minou first came into the shelter I was instantly smitten and volunteered to foster her. She was going to be a long-hauler as she had an injury that rendered her left arm limp, and it would take a few months of physical therapy and acupuncture before she could be on the adoption floor. Needless to say, over the following months my family fell in love with her and she fit in perfectly so we decided to keep her.
There were a few occasions while fostering Minou when she escaped her confines and came into contact with Sage, which resulted in hissing, growling, and swatting from Sage. Minou didn't seem to understand cat etiquette and would try to chase/follow her until I was able to grab her. She just seemed genuinely curious about Sage but didn't understand boundaries.
Once the adoption was official, we started the whole introduction process to mixed results...
Sage refused to eat food anywhere that wasn't her usual spot, and not with a kitten on the other side of the door. She had no interest in sniffing any of Minou's blankets and didn't budge from the doorway when we tried place-swapping. We tried giving treats at the same time, but Minou was more interested in Sage than the treats which resulted in hostility. I have Feliway spray and the multi-cat defuser installed as well.
After about three months of this, we took Sage to the vet to get her put on anxiety medication (for reasons beyond Minou, she's just always been an anxious "scaredy-cat"), and after allowing the medication to set in we let both of them have free roam.
I thought that most of their issues stemmed from Minou's inability to read cues, and she was always so excited to see Sage because it was a rarity so I thought this would make it less exciting for her. It did work in that respect, Minou is no longer as interested in Sage and now understands that hissing/growling means "go away."
Now here's where we may have fudged things up. Due to several things happening that I don't feel like explaining in this already long post, Minou would have to start spending the night in my room with Sage. Now it's been two weeks, and Sage has become quite the bully.
No full-on fights have occurred, just Sage chasing Minou and some batting between the two. Sage has become quite relentless with it though, and will do it in my room, in the upstairs hall, or downstairs. As soon as she sees Minou moving, she'll start chasing and growling at her. If Minou isn't moving, she'll plant herself a foot away and just watch her until she does move.
If I try to break up their stand-offs, she will oftentimes try to bite me which makes it difficult to separate them. I know this is because of Minou being in Sage's territory, and now that a room is open again, I can probably move Minou back out but I don't know if that will solve Sage's issues with her.
Should I try reintroducing them? Or should I just keep them in separate rooms at night while letting them free-roam during the day?
I know that they may never be friends, and I honestly never expected it from them. I just want them to be able to coexist.
Any and all help is appreciated!
Thank you!
I'm currently stuck in the classic, older cat not liking the new kitten conundrum, though I feel like my situation is somehow messier than what I usually see in "How to Introduce Your Cats" articles.
I had two pets at home before we adopted our new kitten, Sage our 13-year-old cat, and Trooper our 12-year-old lab-mix. I have been fostering neonate and medical kittens for a few years now, especially since I work at an animal shelter, so kittens were never a rarity in our home. Sage was never a fan of our fosters, but was never aggressive towards them, as long as they didn't bother her she was content with her having the upstairs (and my bedroom) while the kittens stayed downstairs.
Now when Minou first came into the shelter I was instantly smitten and volunteered to foster her. She was going to be a long-hauler as she had an injury that rendered her left arm limp, and it would take a few months of physical therapy and acupuncture before she could be on the adoption floor. Needless to say, over the following months my family fell in love with her and she fit in perfectly so we decided to keep her.
There were a few occasions while fostering Minou when she escaped her confines and came into contact with Sage, which resulted in hissing, growling, and swatting from Sage. Minou didn't seem to understand cat etiquette and would try to chase/follow her until I was able to grab her. She just seemed genuinely curious about Sage but didn't understand boundaries.
Once the adoption was official, we started the whole introduction process to mixed results...
Sage refused to eat food anywhere that wasn't her usual spot, and not with a kitten on the other side of the door. She had no interest in sniffing any of Minou's blankets and didn't budge from the doorway when we tried place-swapping. We tried giving treats at the same time, but Minou was more interested in Sage than the treats which resulted in hostility. I have Feliway spray and the multi-cat defuser installed as well.
After about three months of this, we took Sage to the vet to get her put on anxiety medication (for reasons beyond Minou, she's just always been an anxious "scaredy-cat"), and after allowing the medication to set in we let both of them have free roam.
I thought that most of their issues stemmed from Minou's inability to read cues, and she was always so excited to see Sage because it was a rarity so I thought this would make it less exciting for her. It did work in that respect, Minou is no longer as interested in Sage and now understands that hissing/growling means "go away."
Now here's where we may have fudged things up. Due to several things happening that I don't feel like explaining in this already long post, Minou would have to start spending the night in my room with Sage. Now it's been two weeks, and Sage has become quite the bully.
No full-on fights have occurred, just Sage chasing Minou and some batting between the two. Sage has become quite relentless with it though, and will do it in my room, in the upstairs hall, or downstairs. As soon as she sees Minou moving, she'll start chasing and growling at her. If Minou isn't moving, she'll plant herself a foot away and just watch her until she does move.
If I try to break up their stand-offs, she will oftentimes try to bite me which makes it difficult to separate them. I know this is because of Minou being in Sage's territory, and now that a room is open again, I can probably move Minou back out but I don't know if that will solve Sage's issues with her.
Should I try reintroducing them? Or should I just keep them in separate rooms at night while letting them free-roam during the day?
I know that they may never be friends, and I honestly never expected it from them. I just want them to be able to coexist.
Any and all help is appreciated!
Thank you!
. I've never really seen the whole introduction process outside of the seamless ones in the articles, and they never really tell you what's normal acclimation behavior vs what to be concerned about.
