My fiancee and I have two cats: Ellie (a year old, we've had her for about 4 months now), and Theo (almost 2 years old, we got him about 2 months ago). We royally messed up introducing them when we first brought Theo home. Now I'm starting to be afraid that they'll never get along.
It has come to the point that we have separated them, just in an effort to keep them from fighting and make things easier for everyone. Ellie now has the basement to herself, and Theo has the upstairs to himself. They each have separate food bowls, litter boxes, etc. They rarely see each other now but sometimes they accidentally come in contact (mostly through Theo sneaking downstairs) and when they do it's all growling, hissing and fighting.
Although Theo is the newer cat, he's much more outgoing and seems to be trying to be the dominant cat in the house. He knows he can get Ellie worked up and when they have come in contact, he sits there and stares at her or approaches quickly as if he's going to attack her. Ellie instantly gets mad when she sees any glimpse of him and starts growling and hissing - but it's more like she's scared rather than she's going to attack him. Anytime they do fight, it's usually because she feels scared and cornered by him when he approaches her.
I have never seen them have any kind of remotely civil interaction. It's always Theo being in Ellie's face and she gets upset about it. So the question is.... how can I re-integrate them in each other's lives so they get along? How do I get Theo to stop being constantly in her face? Ellie is actually currently out of the house being spayed (will be back late tomorrow) and Theo has been neutered right before he came to us. I'm thinking her return from the vet can be a point of reintroduction somehow, and trying to do it right. I don't like that Ellie is downstairs all the time hiding in fear, but Theo strongly resists being trapped anywhere so it is better for him to be upstairs if they have to be separate.
Any advice on how to reintroduce and hopefully get them to at least get along?
It has come to the point that we have separated them, just in an effort to keep them from fighting and make things easier for everyone. Ellie now has the basement to herself, and Theo has the upstairs to himself. They each have separate food bowls, litter boxes, etc. They rarely see each other now but sometimes they accidentally come in contact (mostly through Theo sneaking downstairs) and when they do it's all growling, hissing and fighting.
Although Theo is the newer cat, he's much more outgoing and seems to be trying to be the dominant cat in the house. He knows he can get Ellie worked up and when they have come in contact, he sits there and stares at her or approaches quickly as if he's going to attack her. Ellie instantly gets mad when she sees any glimpse of him and starts growling and hissing - but it's more like she's scared rather than she's going to attack him. Anytime they do fight, it's usually because she feels scared and cornered by him when he approaches her.
I have never seen them have any kind of remotely civil interaction. It's always Theo being in Ellie's face and she gets upset about it. So the question is.... how can I re-integrate them in each other's lives so they get along? How do I get Theo to stop being constantly in her face? Ellie is actually currently out of the house being spayed (will be back late tomorrow) and Theo has been neutered right before he came to us. I'm thinking her return from the vet can be a point of reintroduction somehow, and trying to do it right. I don't like that Ellie is downstairs all the time hiding in fear, but Theo strongly resists being trapped anywhere so it is better for him to be upstairs if they have to be separate.
Any advice on how to reintroduce and hopefully get them to at least get along?