What to expect during cat introduction?
September 5, 2024 6:25 PM Subscribe
Back in June I posted a question wherein I was debating on adopting a second cat. I decided then not to, but the cat distribution system has delivered me one anyway. Although I have been reading a lot how to introduce cats properly, I don't know what to realistically expect. Please see inside.
I have my 14 year old spayed female cat Dixie and, through circumstances, I agreed to try and adopt a 15 year old spayed female cat Phoebe. I have been keeping Phoebe in a spare room using a baby gate from time to time. So far when they've seen each other they will hiss some. One time they were out together and Phoebe hid under a bed while Dixie hissed some and sat outside the bed for a bit before coming into the living room with me. When Phoebe came out Dixie started to trot after her but Phoebe darted to her safe room. I don't know how much hissing or other behaviors are normal for new cats getting used to each other? At what point do I know it's not going to work? Many thanks.
I have my 14 year old spayed female cat Dixie and, through circumstances, I agreed to try and adopt a 15 year old spayed female cat Phoebe. I have been keeping Phoebe in a spare room using a baby gate from time to time. So far when they've seen each other they will hiss some. One time they were out together and Phoebe hid under a bed while Dixie hissed some and sat outside the bed for a bit before coming into the living room with me. When Phoebe came out Dixie started to trot after her but Phoebe darted to her safe room. I don't know how much hissing or other behaviors are normal for new cats getting used to each other? At what point do I know it's not going to work? Many thanks.
Best answer: Hissing is communication! Any amount of hissing is okay.
However, if the hissing is accompanied by physical aggression, like fast claw swipes, biting, or something like urine marking or displaced property destruction, that’s when you need to intervene. Or, if there is no hissing at all and they jump straight to the aggression. But if they are hissing at each other and responding to it by retreating, giving space, lessening their aggressive body language, or just continuing with their day which didn’t involve the other cat at all, that’s totally fine.
It sounds like what you describe is totally normal and pretty solid so far. First cat engaged in a bit of stalking/chase and the other retreated to her safe zone. Other cat was in a new space and found a spot to hide a bit, first cat guarded/warned the other cat but when no limits were pushed first cat left and spent time with her person.
Watch out for your first cat being possessive with you, urine marking (female cats sometimes do this really discretely and you only figure it out by smell way later), and persistently hunting down the new cat. Give the new cat her safe room and occasionally swap soft fabric things between that room and your first cat’s favorite places to hang, so they become familiar with each others smells and you smell like both of them.
Because they are older cats I would be a bit more worried if they start to fight, with claws and biting. A whap with a soft paw or a big puffy posture is still just communication. If they react to those with escalation then you can worry. Older cats are probably going to put up with more before bringing out the weapons so you can assume they are really upset if that happens. If one cat is relentlessly stalking the other, and the other cat stops being curious and constantly hides/doesn’t want to spend time with you alone/doesn’t eat that is also when you worry. Some occasional stalking is play, but should be preceded and followed by plenty of time where they are just existing near each other with no drama.
You can definitely separate them and have no visual contact if you think that would diffuse tensions, but some tension is okay. The problem is when the tension escalates and impacts their ability to be cats when they are separate. Realistically I’d give it at least two weeks before I’d expect the hissing to simmer down, if the new cat keeps her confidence and the first cat can be consistently distracted by you. Realistically do not ever expect them to become besties. Plan to spend a lot of separate but equal time with them. If they become closer than surprise roommates, that’s a bonus and one I would not expect with two older cats.
posted by Mizu at 7:42 PM on September 5, 2024 [6 favorites]
However, if the hissing is accompanied by physical aggression, like fast claw swipes, biting, or something like urine marking or displaced property destruction, that’s when you need to intervene. Or, if there is no hissing at all and they jump straight to the aggression. But if they are hissing at each other and responding to it by retreating, giving space, lessening their aggressive body language, or just continuing with their day which didn’t involve the other cat at all, that’s totally fine.
It sounds like what you describe is totally normal and pretty solid so far. First cat engaged in a bit of stalking/chase and the other retreated to her safe zone. Other cat was in a new space and found a spot to hide a bit, first cat guarded/warned the other cat but when no limits were pushed first cat left and spent time with her person.
Watch out for your first cat being possessive with you, urine marking (female cats sometimes do this really discretely and you only figure it out by smell way later), and persistently hunting down the new cat. Give the new cat her safe room and occasionally swap soft fabric things between that room and your first cat’s favorite places to hang, so they become familiar with each others smells and you smell like both of them.
Because they are older cats I would be a bit more worried if they start to fight, with claws and biting. A whap with a soft paw or a big puffy posture is still just communication. If they react to those with escalation then you can worry. Older cats are probably going to put up with more before bringing out the weapons so you can assume they are really upset if that happens. If one cat is relentlessly stalking the other, and the other cat stops being curious and constantly hides/doesn’t want to spend time with you alone/doesn’t eat that is also when you worry. Some occasional stalking is play, but should be preceded and followed by plenty of time where they are just existing near each other with no drama.
You can definitely separate them and have no visual contact if you think that would diffuse tensions, but some tension is okay. The problem is when the tension escalates and impacts their ability to be cats when they are separate. Realistically I’d give it at least two weeks before I’d expect the hissing to simmer down, if the new cat keeps her confidence and the first cat can be consistently distracted by you. Realistically do not ever expect them to become besties. Plan to spend a lot of separate but equal time with them. If they become closer than surprise roommates, that’s a bonus and one I would not expect with two older cats.
posted by Mizu at 7:42 PM on September 5, 2024 [6 favorites]
Best answer: We recently integrated two older female cats and pretty much followed the Jackson Galaxy protocol with the help of a behaviourist. We took it VERY slow — my cat was in my room for a month before we had them in one room together. There was a little hissing and swatting in the early days, but that abated quickly, and now at 4 months in, they are very peacefully coexisting and getting chummier every day. Slow and steady is the name of the game, and once they are calm enough that you can do the “feeding on opposite sides of a barrier” thing, there’s really no animosity that several dozen Churu treats can’t overcome.
That your cats are not actively freaking out at each other beneath the door is a great sign that they are chill enough that a slow introduction will work well. Our behaviorist said “if it looks like nothing’s happening, you’re doing it right.”
posted by ceramicspaniel at 7:43 PM on September 5, 2024 [1 favorite]
That your cats are not actively freaking out at each other beneath the door is a great sign that they are chill enough that a slow introduction will work well. Our behaviorist said “if it looks like nothing’s happening, you’re doing it right.”
posted by ceramicspaniel at 7:43 PM on September 5, 2024 [1 favorite]
Yeah, hissing is pretty normal, particularly with older cats. Your 14 YO has had her own space for a long time, and now there's an interloper! I'd be annoyed too! Slow and steady is the key here, and it sounds like you're doing things the right way. As ceramicspaniel says, as long as they don't start actually angrily fighting, you'll/they'll be good. Just keep on keepin' on, and be patient, and in a few months (or less!) things will normalize.
posted by pdb at 7:57 PM on September 5, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by pdb at 7:57 PM on September 5, 2024 [1 favorite]
Just to provide some hope - we introduced a kitten to my (at the time) 12-year-old resident cat a couple of years ago. Our first step in introduction was having the cats swap rooms without interacting with each other, just to get familiar with each others' smells. My senior boy walked into the room where the kitten had been staying, sniffed the air, and started hissing just at the scent of him. Today they both snuggled on my lap as I drank my coffee! Be patient and keep the faith.
posted by rabbitbookworm at 6:53 AM on September 6, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by rabbitbookworm at 6:53 AM on September 6, 2024 [1 favorite]
Best answer: A note on the Jackson Galaxy method: he says that you have to get the cats to eat peacefully on either side of a gate before you can fully introduce them. In fact, this piece of advice from Jackson Galaxy was probably our biggest hindrance to getting them in the same room. Friend, my cats cohabit peacefully and even snuggle, but they have to be fed in separate rooms or war breaks out. We'd probably still be stuck if Julius hadn't broken out of his safe room. So...have some flexibility around that last step.
posted by rednikki at 7:48 AM on September 6, 2024
posted by rednikki at 7:48 AM on September 6, 2024
Response by poster: Thank you all! I am relieved because it seemed like anything other than them just getting along meant bad news and I was doing something wrong. I've been trying to do the Galaxy method but my cats just will not eat at the same time. They don't care! Even if its a treat. Dixie for sure has never been food motivated so I was feeling a bit hopeless since I couldn't do that step and the baby gate step relies on that too. I'll just keep on keeping on. Oh and I got a feliway diffuser so hopefully that helps. Sry to abuse the edit box.
posted by Saucywench at 11:09 AM on September 6, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by Saucywench at 11:09 AM on September 6, 2024 [1 favorite]
We found the food step important in our two very difficult introductions, but your cats already seem to be starting off better than ours. Limiting contact and trying to gently distract the cats from each other when they were together, so that they got to experience being in each other's presence without conflict for increasing periods of time, was helpful for us. The other-side-of-the-door/gate stage was only helpful to a point — we could not get them to make real progress till they were spending some time physically in the same room, starting on opposite sides of the room. That's where food came in handy, as a distraction and a way to keep both cats present but distanced. We’d end the interaction as soon as they got too focused on each other, but repeat it as often as possible. It helps to have a dedicated person to manage each cat in those interactions, but that may not be possible. If your cats have never had churu, it might be worth trying it on them to see if you can get them to be food motivated over something. We could get them to lick the same tube of churu before they could otherwise stand each other.
But really, your initial reports sound pretty good. They’re not reacting with instant violence. With two female cats, especially older ones, they may not become friendly, but ignoring each other would be a fine outcome too.
posted by kite at 11:27 AM on September 6, 2024
But really, your initial reports sound pretty good. They’re not reacting with instant violence. With two female cats, especially older ones, they may not become friendly, but ignoring each other would be a fine outcome too.
posted by kite at 11:27 AM on September 6, 2024
It is very difficult to say as cats have different temper and different respect for boundaries. I fostered cats that never got along and some clicked immediately, introduction steps could be skipped.
I tried Feliway and it was waste of money. It did absolutely nothing to the cats that did not like each other. The two cats that I foster failed, started tolerating each other after the entire year, they were never friends but not getting into fights/constant discomfort should be the first goal.
Good luck :)
posted by Salicornia at 9:44 AM on September 7, 2024
I tried Feliway and it was waste of money. It did absolutely nothing to the cats that did not like each other. The two cats that I foster failed, started tolerating each other after the entire year, they were never friends but not getting into fights/constant discomfort should be the first goal.
Good luck :)
posted by Salicornia at 9:44 AM on September 7, 2024
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On his TV show he has successfully re-introduced cats to each other who have already made visual contact and even actually fought, so I think you can probably follow the process after a brief reset with a good chance of success.
posted by demonic winged headgear at 6:34 PM on September 5, 2024