Cat Chat Feline Forum

I have a 7 yr old shy female cat and just got a 3 yr old male cat. His discription was loves people and cats. I asked the foster if he was ever aggressive towards other cats and she said no. When I got home, he was in horrible condition. He was lethargic, had a respiratory infection, and had poop all over his fur. When he got better he was more outgoing.

Now I have tried everything the websites say about a slow introduction . Separating, swapping spaces, introducing scent before sight…. All of that failed and it’s going on 3 months. I have the new cat gated off from my other cat. During the introduction initially he chased her and she became terrified. This is making reintroduction very hard. She will not go near the gate if she knows he is around. I’ve also tried diffusers…. Calming collar…. Calming chews…I really don’t want to give him back due to the condition they had him in . Can someone pls help w any suggestions?

Hi there is guidance on the step by step process on the cat chat website but the first essential thing is to put them in separate rooms with two doors between them, immediately and completely. At every small step in the long process they must both be completely comfortable for a week, not just a few minutes, before thinking about the next small step. The fact they have been able to get to each other and still have access to a common gate means it will take a lot lot longer than it would otherwise, but you might still be able to integrate them. Just count it in months and years, not days or weeks.

https://www.catchat.org/index.php/new-cat-introductions and all the links on that page.