Introducing new cats

[Shorty-Leanne]

Reason I took sound out, was cos there was none, just a tv and someone on the phone downstairs[reason I took sound out]
Only twice has there EVER been vocalising.
Black cat, her ears do go back sometimes, but like in that video...only briefly.

Only particular reason we wanted things to happen is cos our existing cats are very unsettled, and not coming inside[only time Tia...black one comes in is to see cats if she's brave enough or to quickly eat]

Tia, she has been brushed onyl the day before, she's got no matts and is very sleek coated, her coat is a bit half summer/winter at moment, and she's put weight on[suspected being fed by someone nearby who doesnt listen when asked not to feed your cats  ]
She's got a very lovely coat, just very scruffy looking at the momen. But like I said at moment it's gone really odd and half summer/winter like, very poofy[more than usual]....She's usually looks like this:[taken only 3 or so weeks ago...incidentally before the summer weather disappeared]


But it's ok to mention

Thanks for your help

[Hippykitty]

It would be better if this had sound, but from what I can see, the smaller short haired cat is being inquisitive but seems calm. It's harder to tell the mood of the other cat because of the lighting and lack of sound. She seems to have her ears back at one point, which is a sign of fear, or aggression, but this could be a trick of the light. She doesn't retreat and I don't know what her verbalising was.

If her ears were pinned back or she was hissing, she still isn't happy. Don't expect much yet, just leave them to get on with it. I would wait at least another month before allowing direct contact between the cats.

One idea: get two clean towels, rub each pair with one towel then put the towel in the area you're keeping the opposite pair. Scent is very important to cats. It's important that your longer resident cats get used to, and slowly accept the smell of the 'intruders' and that a common family scent is formed.

Don't stress them with constant watching. They'll sense your apprehension. Is there any particular reason that you want them to mix asap? Just let the process take its course. You'll know when it's time to let them meet. Give them a month or so first.

By the way, I assume you are aware of the amount of daily grooming the longhair will require. I don't know if this is your long standing cat or not, but she looks like she needs a brush. Hope you don't mind me pointing this out.

[Shorty-Leanne]

[still confused by this] Tia appeared in a sectioned off area on the landing...sectioned off because Millie would be able to squeeze through banisters...[Tia can't...or maybe she can] .
Well, Tia was in this section somehow, so I took a video to show my mum so she could see where Tia was, thought it'd be a good idea to ask about the body language in this?



I know it's got to be somewhat a good thing, that Tia made the effort to try and get to the landing? She prob didnt realise the barrier went across there, and was only only on the stairs?

Anyway, as far as I know, from reading up, Tia's body language is OK? Not sure about Millie's though[Millie is black and white, and a kitten]...Millie also, I should add, arched her back and quietly growled for about 3/4 seconds not long before the video was taken.



And just to add, Thanks HippyKitty, thats been a little reassuring, we're just dreading the moment we have to open the barriers up/let them actually meet.

[Hippykitty]

I have two pairs of cats who are slowly starting to tolerate each other after several months. The original pair: Samantha and Polly have been together alone for 15years. The other pair: Victoria and Fred are brother and sister ex-ferals, still very nervous, who I trapped last Nov but didn't decide to keep and incorporate until a few months ago.

The method I used was this.
For quite some time (months if you include since Nov) Fred and Vic were confined to one unused room of the house. Polly and Sam knew they were they, could smell them etc, but didn't meet them. After I'd had Fred and Vic vaccinated, I allowed them access to the upstairs landing and stairway while Sam and Polly were with me listening to what was going on. This distributed F and V's scent as I allowed them access to more of the house, but not at the same time as P and S, so the pairs didn't meet, except by accident (there was one hissing match between Fred and Samantha).

Eventually, while Fred and Vic were lose, I opened my bedroom door, which had me and the other cats in it and allowed them to stroll in if they wanted. Fred strolled in, admired Polly, then left. Sam didn't look pleased.
There was gradually more contact between the pairs which often involved hissing.

They still aren't fully integrated and hiss at each other, but I can tell that my old ladies feel less and less threatened by the newbies.
I suppose I began by treating the new cats as 'extras' and didn't make a fuss of them. This would have been difficult anyway because of their feral nature.

I hope this War and Peace helps you. You can't speed the process if you want to do it well.

[Shorty-Leanne]

OK, sory about diff posts, one I just did in the chat section I thought was slightly diff? But I'll all keep it in here from now on.


What I've wanted to do is put cats up/down...Problem is exisiting pair are hardly in at the moment, and they're not the type of cats to tolerate being picked up at all [Ria especially, I've had scratched face from her kicking her back legs at me to jump away][not violently]
Will try and get that done today though Will have to block off a room or two downstairs though cos of the catflap...don't want them to find it yet[even though it'll be locked]

Maggie and Millie have had access to the living room for a couple of days when we've been in...this is the main room of the house, and the other are all divided off/smaller, so they've been downstairs and sussed things out/had some sniffs, but we're not wanting them to go in other rooms cos of inpracticality with the other cats about, if they are.

Will see if we can get it done today/this weekend though Thanks

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

You cant speed the process, this takes time and patience.

The current cats see the new cats as intruders .

What I think you need to do next is swap the two pairs around and put the upstairs pair downstairs and vice versa cos otherwise you will have the two pairs just staying in their parts of the house.

If this is not practical to leave it like this then do it for a couple of hours and then move them back.

The scent of the new cats needs to be all over the house and they also need to know what downstairs is like.

I have 4 cats, two pairs like you and although one of the newest pair goes all over the house the original pair wont go upstairs hardly ever cos they were chased and attacked after the introductions were over and fibished and the birmans think upstairs is theirs. This probably is to do with their past but the two pairs more or less tolerate each other most of the time.

I think it would be best to keep all the questions about this on the same thread cos its confusing to the readers to keep seeing new posts on the same subject 

[Shorty-Leanne]

Some background info. 2/3 weeks ago we adopted 2 cats, Mother and Daughter. At home we already have a mother and daughter.
The day after the new cats arrived, we didnt know our existing resident cats were outside door[luckily had barrier in place there, to stop new cats running out] and Maggie, Mother new cat, met Ria, mother resident cat.
Maggie was hissing at Ria and growling. Since then Ria hasn't come upstairs, if she has only in middle of night a week or so ago.

Since then Tia[resident daughter cat] has met both Maggie and Mille through the barrier which is now in place on the top of the stairs as Maggie and Millie have run of that now [because the other two arent coming upstairs anymore  ]

Up until recently Tia and Maggie[Millie tends to be asleep, so doesnt really have intros...and Ria doesnt go near the stairs anymore] have met and things have been going ok, the last good intro was Maggie and Tia sniffing noses, but then getting spooked cos someone walked on the landing [ ]
Anyway, since then Tia has been very skittish and tends to run when one of the new cats appear.
Just now they met again at the stairs and there was hissing from one of them...Couldnt see who.

Why all of a sudden would the hissing occur?
And is there anything we can do to make resident cats feel relaxed/settled[we have feliway] and/or speed up the process POSITIVLEY.

We're using the wizzcats method, to the best of our ability...