Introducing Newby to Existing Cat
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 11:30 am
Hi All
I am looking for some advice please. One of my cats went missing 4th November and we desperately miss him and hope he will turn up. In the meantime we have adopted a new boy as company for our existing cat and to be honest because we missed not having two cats. Newby was a stray taken in by someone else who already had 3 cats who just wouldn't accept him and one of them was quite nasty to him.
The thing is our existing cat is not as pleased to see the new comer as we are and we are not sure now if we have done the right thing for both of them. I know my existing cat has feline friends outside the house and is not a fighter. Injuries sustained suggest that he is normally trying to run away from scraps. I thought that he might be more tolerant to a new arrival and am quite surprised by his behaviour ... probably naïve of me I know !!
We couldn't do the separate room slow phased intro as the new comer is terrified of being shut in to confined spaces and just howls and wrecks everything which was really distressing for everyone. We decided to therefore introduce them under supervision in one room and see how things went. Our existing cat growls and hisses but the new comer seems totally unphased. The newby is incredibly docile and non confrontational and so when our existing cat growls or hisses he just ignores him or backs off. We have let them now have the run of the house and they avoid each other most of the time but every time my existing cat comes face to face with newby he hisses and growls which I am finding sad and not sure how to deal with it. I don't tell him off but just talk to him soothingly and fuss him to try and calm him down.
Obviously at the moment newby has to be kept in and so we have kept in our existing boy too in the hope that he will get used to him. Also I am terrified that if I let him out he will do a runner ... which would break my heart after his brother going missing.
I know we have probably handled this all wrong but its what I do from this point on that is important. Today is day 4 of them being introduced so I know its early days still. No major conflicts have occurred just a definite expression of disapproval from my existing cat.
Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to try and turn things around? I would love them to be friends as I know that my existing boy misses his brother and the company.
Is it best to perceiver or unfair on both of them to pursue trying to get them to accept it each ? How long can should you give before deciding that maybe its not best for both little guys?
Any constructive advice would be appreciated.
Many Thanks
I am looking for some advice please. One of my cats went missing 4th November and we desperately miss him and hope he will turn up. In the meantime we have adopted a new boy as company for our existing cat and to be honest because we missed not having two cats. Newby was a stray taken in by someone else who already had 3 cats who just wouldn't accept him and one of them was quite nasty to him.
The thing is our existing cat is not as pleased to see the new comer as we are and we are not sure now if we have done the right thing for both of them. I know my existing cat has feline friends outside the house and is not a fighter. Injuries sustained suggest that he is normally trying to run away from scraps. I thought that he might be more tolerant to a new arrival and am quite surprised by his behaviour ... probably naïve of me I know !!
We couldn't do the separate room slow phased intro as the new comer is terrified of being shut in to confined spaces and just howls and wrecks everything which was really distressing for everyone. We decided to therefore introduce them under supervision in one room and see how things went. Our existing cat growls and hisses but the new comer seems totally unphased. The newby is incredibly docile and non confrontational and so when our existing cat growls or hisses he just ignores him or backs off. We have let them now have the run of the house and they avoid each other most of the time but every time my existing cat comes face to face with newby he hisses and growls which I am finding sad and not sure how to deal with it. I don't tell him off but just talk to him soothingly and fuss him to try and calm him down.
Obviously at the moment newby has to be kept in and so we have kept in our existing boy too in the hope that he will get used to him. Also I am terrified that if I let him out he will do a runner ... which would break my heart after his brother going missing.
I know we have probably handled this all wrong but its what I do from this point on that is important. Today is day 4 of them being introduced so I know its early days still. No major conflicts have occurred just a definite expression of disapproval from my existing cat.
Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to try and turn things around? I would love them to be friends as I know that my existing boy misses his brother and the company.
Is it best to perceiver or unfair on both of them to pursue trying to get them to accept it each ? How long can should you give before deciding that maybe its not best for both little guys?
Any constructive advice would be appreciated.
Many Thanks