Moving house with cat, and a new introduction

[Haylz]

Hi there, I'm after any help and advice please.

My cat, Logan, is a six year old neutered male. I've had him since 10 weeks in the same home. He's always been friendly and soft, likes being stroked, comes to greet me home, rolls onto his back etc. Although he is quite a loner, having been used to me working long hours so he often chooses to sit on his own somewhere too, coming for affection when he wants it.

Anyway a month ago I moved into my boyfriend's. BF has a cat too, neutered male, about two years old. (Jack). He is the friendliest softest cat in the world, who loves playing.

We read lots of advice about how to introduce and followed it. Logan was kept in his own room, we fed other side of door etc etc. anyway we got to the point of them co-existing. They live in the conservatory, where the cat flap is. We shut them in together at night but the door to the living room is open when we're there. They have separate feeding dishes/areas. They both go to the toilet outside.

Logan is very different to how he used to be. I understand it's been a lot of stress for him and he's been improving all the time. But he's still acting really strangely. When I come home he'll be excited , let me stroke him, pick up up, which was always our routine. But then he'll get really touchy and run away, tail flicking. It's hit and miss now whenever he'll want to be stroked at any time or whether he'll go for you. He's never clawed or bitten me, more a warning gesture. He's never been aggressive to me before. I always go to him first, give him more attention than I give Jack so he knows he's top priority to me. He often stays sat in the conservatory tho while Jack comes in and sits with us, despite all our encouragement.

Jack and Logan aren't getting on that well. There was ignoring at first, then a few bats and gentle hisses from Logan and a bit of them both chasing each other, then Logan has got a little more aggressive,earlier he took a swipe and more aggressive hiss, and has shown some signs of bullying, blocking doorways.


So there's two parts to this, although probably intertwined. How do I get Logan back to normal, affectionate, friendly and wanting to be with us?

How do we get the two cats to get along better. I understand they may never be total friends tho.

[Crewella]

It's still very early days with your boys, so don't be disheartened, though as you say, they may never be best buddies.

Personally, I would be feeding them together, so they get to associate good things with the other one present - it would encourage them to choose to be in the same room together. I would also be nervous of forcing them to be in each other's company overnight just in the conservatory - is it possible to give them a little more space at night so they're not having to share just the one room? Logan does sound as if he's quite stressed by the situation, so it would help to try and diffuse things by giving him more options - for example another litter tray so that one cat cannot block the other from using it - watch them to see what some of the 'flash points' are and then see if you can manage things in a different way to help them.

It might also help to try a Feliway plug-in - I've found it works well for some cats, though not all.

[Haylz]

Thanks for the reply.

The conservatory is where the cat flap is. So even though they're both shut in the conservatory at night, they both have access to the outside world, so there's all the room they want to get away from each other. We can keep the door to the living room open though, so they have all the house too.

We feed them at the same times and we don't have litter trays as they go outside.

I forgot to say we've got a feliway plug in!

Jack has hurt his leg so we're having to keep him in for now, which gives Logan the conservatory and the outside to himself for a couple of days.

[Crewella]

Poor Jack, I hope his leg is better soon.

My concern about the conservatory was partly that one might start blocking the other and stopping them either going out or coming in through the cat flap - do be on the alert.

[Haylz]

I see. Ok, will watch out for that.