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Reintroducing old friends

Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 11:03 am
by Ljtamox
Hi,
I am looking for some advice, I adopted my cat from overseas a month ago, she is super nervous, she hid completely for two weeks but progressing slowly and is definitely becoming more confidentil. The thing is she has always lived in a multi cat household and I am worried she is missing cat company, her rescuer has another cat who has lived with mine for almost her whole life but as they aren't related didn't suggest them coming over together, do I bring the second cat over or has the gap between them being friends been too long now and they won't react the same and it will just stress out my new cat more?

Re: Reintroducing old friends

Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:11 pm
by fjm
I think it would depend on how close they were in the previous home. If they were bonded - sleeping together, grooming each other, choosing to spend most of their time together - it could work very well. If they merely tolerated the other's presence then I would avoid what could be additional stress for your cat just as she is beginning to relax and explore her new territory. If in doubt, then probably not - you can do a lot to keep a cat that enjoys company happy with human interaction, but it is much more difficult to persuade two cats that don't want to live together to co-exist peaceably.

Re: Reintroducing old friends

Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:40 pm
by Mollycat
A change of environment can completely change a cat's personality. My ex took on an inseparable pair of sisters who the instant they arrived at their new home had to be separated for everyone's safety. They permanently live one upstairs the other downstairs and have thwarted all efforts to reunite them. It can go very badly wrong.

But on the other hand nobody suspected anything so maybe by following step by step reintroductions like any other new introductions they could be loving friends again.

Re: Reintroducing old friends

Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:56 pm
by Kay
another consideration as that there will be no way of returning the second cat if it doesn't work out, as woud be the case with a cat coming from a UK based rescue

my own experience, FWIW, after a lifetime of cat ownership, is that female cats tend to enjoy sole possession of the home and the people in it

Re: Reintroducing old friends

Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 1:34 pm
by Ljtamox
Thanks all, I think I knew its probably not an easy idea to reintroduce, i was just worrying because I've never had such a timid cat before, but will let her carry on settling in on her own at her own pace. There are lots of other cats in the neighbourhood so if she ever gets brave enough to go outside she won't be short of company