Hi all, I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice about getting two cats living peacefully (at a minimum!) under the same roof.
We have a resident (neutered) male cat, Paddy, who is laid back and placid and non confrontational with other cats. We recently adopted a younger (neutered) female, Nina, from a sanctuary and have been trying to introduce them gradually over the past eight weeks.
Things seemed to be going well, both cats would eat Dreamies either side of a slightly adjar door, however when we allowed Nina into the room with Paddy, it ended disastrously.
She initially ignored him and was totally focused on her wet food, she approached him on his chair and hissed at him. He didn't respond, just looked very worried, and then she launched herself at him, claws and teeth everywhere. She was removed with the help of a blanket and he ran outside.
How can we move forward from this event? We need these cats living peacefully ASAP as she's frustrated being kept in the spare bedroom.
Thanks for any advice!
Difficulties between resident and new cat
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Pink_Gellie
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Ruth B
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Re: Difficulties between resident and new cat
Oh dear, you think things are going well and then suddenly someone throws a spanner in the works.
It sounds like she thought she had found the perfect place, plenty of food, and a warm, safe place to sleep, and then she finds there is another cat there who will try and take it all off her, she has decided she will fight to keep her nice new home, not realising that there is plenty of room for two. If she has come from somewhere where she did have to fight to get her share of everything it is understandable, you now have to teach her it isn't necessary.
My first thought is scent exchange if you haven't already gone through that process, if you have then going through it again might help. If you can give Paddy blankets or old towels to sleep on to get his scent all over them, or even just rub them against him to get his scent on them and then give them to Nina to sleep on so she gets used to the scent of him around the place.
I would then move on to letting her explore part of the house where he has been while he is else where, again she will come across his scent and know that he is allowed there. Up to now it sounds like she has only encountered him and his scent when she was getting fed, she needs to learn that he is a permanent resident and not someone she needs to drive away.
You might also want to try and get a child gate to go across the door so she can see out and see Paddy without actually getting to him. Only do it while you are around as most cats could jump over a child gate easily, but it will provide a bit of time to intervene if she does try and get over it and get to him, just make sure you get one that she couldn't get through the bars. Have a pack of Dreamies or a catnip wand toy so you can distract her if she seems to be getting aggressive at the sight of Paddy. You might also want to try feeding them either side of the gate so she can see him afterwards but not be able to get at him. Make sure that his food is a couple of feet away from the gate, so he isn't in paws reach.
While Paddy does sound nice and laid back about it you need to make sure that he isn't getting upset and worried about her attacking him otherwise they will play off each other to disastrous results.
Feliway diffuses might help, while they can be of real benefit in some cases, they are not the miracle solution they are made out to be.
While I have to support getting a cat from a rescue, one of the down sides is that you probably have no idea of what her previous life was like. While cats are incredibly adaptable and will normally settle down and share territory once they realise that there is plenty of food, water, shelter etc and they do not have to compete for it, occasionally you do come across a cat that will not accept it. I did once, a good number of years ago. I had three months of constant struggle and mounting stress levels while i tried to get her to fit in with my two resident cats, but there was a dominance struggle between her and one of them, which, while it wasn't physically aggressive, it was messy. In the end she was returned to the charity and after behaving perfectly for over a week when kept in a pen away from other cats, they rehomed her as an only pet. It took me a long time to realise that I hadn't failed her, giving her up wasn't admitting defeat, it was realising what in the end it was the best option for her. I'm not trying to say that this is what will happen with Nina, but to bring up the possibility that it might be the case, and to let you know if it does turn out this way, you have nothing to feel guilty about.
I really hope you can get Paddy and Nina to settle down and be friends, or at least accept an armed neutrality and co habiting, hopefully Paddy's attitude will help and she will soon feel confident enough in her new home that she won't feel she has to attack him and drive him away.
It sounds like she thought she had found the perfect place, plenty of food, and a warm, safe place to sleep, and then she finds there is another cat there who will try and take it all off her, she has decided she will fight to keep her nice new home, not realising that there is plenty of room for two. If she has come from somewhere where she did have to fight to get her share of everything it is understandable, you now have to teach her it isn't necessary.
My first thought is scent exchange if you haven't already gone through that process, if you have then going through it again might help. If you can give Paddy blankets or old towels to sleep on to get his scent all over them, or even just rub them against him to get his scent on them and then give them to Nina to sleep on so she gets used to the scent of him around the place.
I would then move on to letting her explore part of the house where he has been while he is else where, again she will come across his scent and know that he is allowed there. Up to now it sounds like she has only encountered him and his scent when she was getting fed, she needs to learn that he is a permanent resident and not someone she needs to drive away.
You might also want to try and get a child gate to go across the door so she can see out and see Paddy without actually getting to him. Only do it while you are around as most cats could jump over a child gate easily, but it will provide a bit of time to intervene if she does try and get over it and get to him, just make sure you get one that she couldn't get through the bars. Have a pack of Dreamies or a catnip wand toy so you can distract her if she seems to be getting aggressive at the sight of Paddy. You might also want to try feeding them either side of the gate so she can see him afterwards but not be able to get at him. Make sure that his food is a couple of feet away from the gate, so he isn't in paws reach.
While Paddy does sound nice and laid back about it you need to make sure that he isn't getting upset and worried about her attacking him otherwise they will play off each other to disastrous results.
Feliway diffuses might help, while they can be of real benefit in some cases, they are not the miracle solution they are made out to be.
While I have to support getting a cat from a rescue, one of the down sides is that you probably have no idea of what her previous life was like. While cats are incredibly adaptable and will normally settle down and share territory once they realise that there is plenty of food, water, shelter etc and they do not have to compete for it, occasionally you do come across a cat that will not accept it. I did once, a good number of years ago. I had three months of constant struggle and mounting stress levels while i tried to get her to fit in with my two resident cats, but there was a dominance struggle between her and one of them, which, while it wasn't physically aggressive, it was messy. In the end she was returned to the charity and after behaving perfectly for over a week when kept in a pen away from other cats, they rehomed her as an only pet. It took me a long time to realise that I hadn't failed her, giving her up wasn't admitting defeat, it was realising what in the end it was the best option for her. I'm not trying to say that this is what will happen with Nina, but to bring up the possibility that it might be the case, and to let you know if it does turn out this way, you have nothing to feel guilty about.
I really hope you can get Paddy and Nina to settle down and be friends, or at least accept an armed neutrality and co habiting, hopefully Paddy's attitude will help and she will soon feel confident enough in her new home that she won't feel she has to attack him and drive him away.