Trouble Socializing Senior Cat After Several Months

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KuchiKopi018
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Trouble Socializing Senior Cat After Several Months

Post by KuchiKopi018 »

Hi everyone! At the beginning of the year my boyfriend and I adopted a 3 yr old male cat, and about a month after that we found out that his childhood cat (15 yr old female) had started to experience some health problems and his mom could no longer take care of her, so we took her in. We have been doing our best to socialize her with our resident cat, but it is proving to be very difficult as she’s been an only cat her whole life. We’ve been trying to go through the recommended introduction process (site swapping, eating on either side of the door, then on either side of a gate and lifting the blanket, etc), but it is difficult to properly reward our senior cat. She has early signs of kidney disease, and as a result is on prescription diet food that she doesn’t necessarily think is amazing, so it’s hard to get her to eat on the opposite side of the door because she isn’t excited about her food. To remedy that, we tried motivating her with treats to start inching her way closer and closer to the door, which worked for a little while, but lately she seems to have lost interest. When that stopped working we tried playing with her to get her to approach the door, but the toys we have can’t seem to keep her interest. Without these reward systems, as soon as she figures out our younger cat is on the other side of the door she resorts to hissing and sometimes attacking the door. Meanwhile, our younger cat is completely fine with her presence and doesn’t seem to care if she hisses at him. Now that we’re several months in we’re worried that we won’t be able to get our senior cat to adjust and we don’t want to have to re-home her. We would love to hear any suggestions people may have to get her more comfortable with our younger cat. Thank you in advance!
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Mollycat
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Re: Trouble Socializing Senior Cat After Several Months

Post by Mollycat »

First can I ask what health problems does the cat have that means she has to be rehomed to you but you can cope with? If this old girl has health issues that might make it even more difficult to integrate her into a new home with a resident cat.

Second would it be possible, worst case scenario, for the old girl to live in her own secure room where she never has to meet your younger cat, for the rest of her life? Is that physically possible in your home?
booktigger
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Re: Trouble Socializing Senior Cat After Several Months

Post by booktigger »

The only health issue you have mentioned is early stage kidney disease, so I'm puzzled as to why something as simple as that would require her to be rehomed, if the only treatment at the moment is a diet change, which is easier to manage in a single cat household than multi cat household. Unfortunately, you have a senior cat who is likely confused to why at the age of 15 she is suddenly being rehomed and having to deal with a younger, healthy cat while she isn't feeling 100%, so can never be top of the pecking order. Is there no way she can go back to her original home with you supporting your boyfriend's mum? If not, Mollycat's suggestion of her having her own space in the house is the next best thing
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Kay
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Re: Trouble Socializing Senior Cat After Several Months

Post by Kay »

It's a big help that your younger cat ignores her, and doesn't seem to see her as any kind of threat

I have been in this situation, although my senior was the resident cat, coping with a new younger male, who took no notice of her - they lived together in a small house for 9 years, and she never stopped hissing and swiping at him, but it never came even close to blows, and I suspect older girls like to think they are keeping the youngsters in their place

so it may be that your girl has adjusted as much as she is going to - I never had the option of separate rooms, but I did get them each a cat kennel so they could hide from each other
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