I have cat who's just over 7 - she's very playful and sleepy and a little set in her ways. Recently one of my colleagues had a cat visiting her garden who was a stray. He's lovely ginger and didn't seem all that old 9 (vet wouldn't age him then put three on their records). After three weeks of him visiting my friends garden and a trip to the vet ascertained that there's no microchip I caught him and brought him home. She's been told he was left behind by a neighbour when they moved.
I've had him at home since the end of October and he's a sweetheart if a bit boisterous. He's had his injections and was neutered just over a week ago. I've been really careful to keep them separate but they're aware of each other. I've one room I've been using as a buffer zone which they both go into (separately).
The first introduction went ok - my cat hissed a bit and little boy seemed like he was deferring to her but it was for about to minutes. Since then I've opened the door a little and let them see each other. Second time i fully opened the doors it went a bit less well and he chased her up the stairs and she started growling at him. So I backed up and went back to peeping them at each other through the door and I bought a feliway friends diffuser.
Today I decided to give it another go - there was some growling and then he chased her up the stairs (and lost her when she jumped on the bed) there was some staring and growling from her (which he wasn't too bothered by but again he did seem to be deferring to her a bit) but then he chased her downstairs and cornered her in the living room so we broke it up. She's come back downstairs since and calm seems to have been restored but they are separate. I shall peep them through the door again tomorrow. Its been a few days of bottle brush tails at different points.
The problem I have is twofold - i don't want to rush things but my friend who's helping me goes away for a few weeks on Wednesday and I'm at away at new year and the cats are going to a cattery for a few days. The cattery only had one pen and when I booked it I told the lady they hadn't met yet so I didn't know if one pen would be ok and she said it'd be fine.
I'm worrying that in three weeks they are going to be in a pen together and as of now I can't have them in the same room for more than a few minutes. The whole situation is ramping up my anxiety levels and I'm trying to keep doing the introductions rather than panic at the yowling and growling when I do introduce them. I said all along that ultimately if they don't get along I will try to rehome little boy but i only want to do that if I have to.
Are there any thoughts on how I can smooth things along? (Apologies this is so long)
or as my ex always says, they're worse than kids, and then he does a very funny human speech impression of them - Maaaam, he ate my food! Daaaad, she's in my bed! Who, me? He did it! and so on. But I reckon you nailed it on the head with the cats' timetable rather than yours, or the cattery's.