Introducing A New Cat (I think i ruined everything)?

Question

I have a new cat i'm trying to introduce, that's about 4 years old, and my old one is like 11. Both female. I dont know if I ruined all chances already but I put them in the same room the first day, and they just hiss and growl. The younger (new) cat, Snowball, is always hiding, and growls even at ME, and attacks me with claws when i try to pet her. My old cat, Lucky, just acts a little bit odd, constantly staring at the couch (when Snowball is hding underneath it) and growling when near her. It's now the fourth day, and I checked the internet and they said i'm not even supposed to have them in the same room till like a week. I didn't know. They're still acting the same way, growling and hissing, and they even fought once, which lasted for exactly ONE second...

How do I fix this to make Snowball get along with Lucky and me? Also, how long will the process take? (Please dont give an answer like "it varies", if it DOES vary, can you specify the range please)

THANK YOU

Answer 1

well, that is a serious issue. cats are like people. we hold grudges, they do too. but i would reccomend pertending like you just got snowball again. take her out in a crate to the vet by herself or something, and put her in a room that is not accessible to Lucky. Allow them to growl/hiss through the door, etc. just read the manual from there. if it doesn't work, i am truly very sorry :(

Answer 2

First of all....

Take your time presenting them to each other.

Put the old cat in a room by itself and close the door. Then let the new cat out to expore the house and rub against the furniture or whatever. This gets her scent around the house. Then put her back in a separate room. Take the old cat out and let her smell that a new cat has been around in her territory.

Next, give them some positive associates with each other. Put out some of the tastiest food that you can find (two separate bowls some distance apart) and then bring both cats into the room. When they are finished eating, separate them again.

Get them together for short periods, a few minutes each, with a toy that they like... a laser toy or something they can chase.

Do this for a while until they seem to be getting used to each other and then you can put them together on a more permanent basis. If they start fighting, you can separate them if it gets back. What you don't want to do is to allow negative associates to form right away.

I don't think you blew it... you can start with a clean slate. And I do think that at least a little hissing or a couple of swats is to be expected... and it is true that it will vary from cat to cat how they are together. If one is particularly dominant you may have more troubles. If not, they may be the best of friends. They are cats after all.

Answer 3

I know you don't want to hear this, but it varies. Let them work it out between them and try not to interfere. Ignore the hissing and growling and even the fighting, as long as no one ends up bleeding.

Cats have to work out a heirarchy and there will be no peace until they do. Since the old cat is not too bent out of shape by the invader --- she isn't actively chasing her and attacking her -- I think things will settle down in a couple of weeks.

Feed the cats separately, and provide two litter boxes in separate areas or rooms. Don't make them have to encounter each other any more often than necessary till they get used to each other.

Show your old cat preference in everything. Feed her first, speak to her first when you enter a room, pet her first. This was her home first, and she needs to feel that she is top cat.

Answer 4

You have to seperate them for at least a week at first. Get the new cat's scent all over your hands and then go pet Snowball.
Don;t let them see each other, this HAS to be very gradual. After the week, put newbie in the crate and let Snowball see it, for a few secs then seperate them again.
Take something that smells of snowball and put it with the new cat, and vice versa - the more you do it the easier it gets.

We were lucky - it all depoends on how well you know your cat. We knew our cat's had other animal companions all her life, ones that belonged to other people, so as we moved they came and went, and she was fine with that.
We managed it in three days.

Answer 5

From what i've read- the older the cats, the harder it is to introduce a new cat. and that when the cats are the same sex, also makes it harder than if it was one of each...sorry..

The books I read said it could take 8 months or so for the cats to be together and getting along w/no problems...

My first time- I introduced a female to a female...it took one week.

Since they are still upset..I would suggest if you aren't going to seperate them (which I don't know if i'd do at this point- as long as no one is getting hurt)..at least feed them apart- different places - even if in the same room.

and if/when you aren't home to supervise- I would seperate them so they can't hurt each other.

Be sure they have seperate litter boxes, so no one will 'avoid' it and go elsewhere.

It's not anything you can rush. you can't make them...just try to be calm and let the cats adjust.

And never hesitate to call your vet...what did they say when you took to get her checked out? If you haven't gone yet- do so quickly- to get her checked for feline leukemia..which cats can give each other.

Answer 6

It may not be too late. But you will need to separate them. Your older cat has an intruder in its domain and is not ready to accept it--its behavior is understandable. The new cat has been thrust into a completely foreign situation and is making all of the defense sounds and behavior it can as a reaction to its new and threatening situation.

If at all possible, put the new cat in another room that can be closed off. Put its litter box in there and feed it in there. Visit it often and keep your tone low and soothing. Pet it and sit with it for a short while each time, even have a toy that you can use to play with the cat. It may let you approach it if it is by itself with you and doesn't feel threatened.

Your older cat will know you are in there and will smell the other cat on you. After a couple of days, bring the young cat out in your arms and sit on your couch for a few moments and then return it to the room.

Continue to reassure your older cat by holding and giving him plenty of attention. His curiosity will lead it to the door to the other room. Don't let him in. Continue this for several more days, staying out longer each time with the young cat. After 4-5 days, try letting the young cat walk around in your living room for a short time, pick it up, pet it--and put it back in the room.

This takes patience but it's better than them fighting and possibly hurting one another. Let the young cat stay out for longer periods of time--but remove it immediately if things get to rowdy. Within a week to ten days they should be able to tolerate each other. The only thing that may complicate your situation is whether one or both of your cats are unaltered.
Good luck!

Answer 7

The Chinese pictograph for trouble is two women under one roof. The road ahead may be long.

If you go to http://www.spiritessence.com you can read about using flower essences with cats and other animals. Dr. Jean Hovfe has a concoction of various remedies called "New Beginnings". You can get a bottle of that for about $20. I have used that in introducing a new cat last fall and things went very smoothly. I also used a Feliway diffuser for my kitchen and den area - that will run $30-$45.

When you use the flower essences you want to shake the bottle well and put three to four drops on the fur on each cat between their ears - do it at least four times a day and use up the whole bottle on the cats.

Answer 8

Unfortunately, my situation was kind of like yours. Only I didn't have separate rooms to keep them in.
It could take anywhere from a week to a month depending on the cats. When I first introduced my male cat Max, that I use to have to my cats that I also use to have, Midnight and Iris, they had issues for about a month with him. He would hide in the bathroom sink. Midnight had issues with Iris for about a couple weeks. Midnight and Iris liked to sleep together, but Midnight and Max really didn't want to have anything to do with each other. Irs also liked to sleep with Max.
The only time I had ever seen Max and Midnight, even remotely get along really well was when they both came across a dog. They attacked the dog from each side, Midnight on the left, Max on the right, and both at the same time. They were protecting their territory.
Midnight didn't forgive me for a very long time, I got a lot of glares and attacked from behind furniture for about a month and a half.
The cats I have now, C'Bast'N and Rose, it took them about 3 weeks to stop hissing at each other. It took them about another week after that to even sleep with each other. Both of them were very forgiving towards me, after about a week after I got C'Bast'N.
It definately does vary between cats, but I hope this helps.

Answer 9

Well, I've introduced an adult tom cat to our group of 3 and they ignored each other. They'd smelled him under the doorway for a week prior, so it wasn't a complete surprise.

The second tom cat (yes both were fixed ASAP) was introduced with only two days in the basement, they sniffed each other under the kitchen door but didn't come face to face. I blocked off the kitchen doorway with a box and the humidifier, keeping all cats out but able to jump up to look or peek through the small hole at the new guy when I let him into the kitchen. He spent 1/2 hour in the kitchen with me, then was put back into the basement and I moved the blockage from the doorway--let everyone in to sniff around. The next day I let him walk into the kitchen without any barriers and while everyone hissed and glared daggers, nobody tried anything bad.

It took 2 weeks before all the cats were comfortable enough not to watch suspiciously, and we only had two screaming 'get away from me' yells out of the new guy, and everything settled down.

You can try putting the new cat into the bathroom for an evening, or restricting the cat to one room for a while, closing the door on the older one occasionally to let the other out into the rest of the place.

They'll divide up the home into 'safe' sections, usually sharing the room with the food and litter box, and laying claim to small areas that only they want to inhabit. If there's no physical contact between them, it'll go smoother. Stares, glares and hisses don't count. If you have to break up something--shove a pillow between them or push a broom between (don't hit!) as this will allow eye contact to be broken and both can safely retreat without loosing face.

The one second fight isn't that bad. Feed them in separate rooms for a while, or with their backs to each other at opposite ends of the room to relieve stress.

Don't push for physical contact with a stressed cat, let them come to you. But do talk to both and try to give both the same amount of nearness time to you. Try engaging them in arm's length play (tossing toys or sliding a piece of paper back and forth under the door) occasionally, to get them to relax. Both need to feel safe, and until they do, they'll likely strike out if they feel too stressed.

Answer 10

I don't know why people expect cats to act like dogs! This is just normal cat behaviour. It takes times for cats to get used to each other. Just don't punish either cat for acting like, well, a cat. Try to make it easy for the cats by keeping your cool and letting them have their space. If one hides after being hissed at, let it hide, talk to it sweetly, reassuring it everything is fine but let it come out when it wants to come out.