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Introducing a new cat to the house, our old one is hiding INSIDE the couch

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NickB79 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Feb-25-06 06:47 PM
Original message
Introducing a new cat to the house, our old one is hiding INSIDE the couch
I brought home a new cat today, a 6 month old female I adopted from the local shelter. I was hoping that she'd play with the 10-month old female I adopted this previous summer, but the older cat has been in hiding all day. When the new kitten comes near her, she hisses and puffs up. It doesn't make much sense, because she's not prissy or standoffish with people. She crawled under the couch, and when I lifted it up a bit to try to pick her up, she found a way to crawl inside the couch, behind the cushions. She's been there for over an hour now.

What can I do to encourage them to get along better?
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misanthrope Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Feb-25-06 06:51 PM
Response to Original message
1. Time...
...Just give them a while to work it out amongst themselves.
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Fredda Weinberg Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Feb-25-06 06:52 PM
Response to Original message
2. Treats
You've just turned a prima donna into a chorus girl. So party hearty - got some canned tuna?
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Maat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Feb-25-06 06:54 PM
Response to Original message
3. Yes, I've had cats for over 20 years.
Given enough time, I don't care if they are male or female, old or young, tall or short, or whatever. Given enough time - they work it out. But you have to let THEM work it out. They go through the hissing stage, the ignore stage, and the next thing you know, they're taking naps together in the sunlight.

For some reason, I always worry about the kitten (or the younger one); it's always the young one who gives the older ones heck for awhile.

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Lorien Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Feb-25-06 07:07 PM
Response to Reply #3
8. Some forced introductions have lead to dead kittens
sorry to say, but it's true. I volunteer with a rescue group, and some adult cats simply freak out when a new kitten comes into the home. If they CAN'T hide, then they may kill the kitten. We always ask adoptive "parents" to make sure that the established cat isn't allowed in the room with the newcomer until they get use to it's scent, and introductions, at first, must be supervised-allowing the older cat to get away from the kitten/ new cat whenever they please.
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Maat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Feb-25-06 08:53 PM
Response to Reply #8
11. I think that is good advice, and I have followed it.
I guess I should have more carefully thought out my reply.

Now that I think about it, I watch closely for the first few weeks, and the new kitten usually stays in our room or the kid's room.

And my older cats have always been able to get away (we have a 4,700-sq-ft house).

And I'm careful to give them each plenty of love.

I guess I was thinking more of as time passed, after they have gotten to know each other, they work out their own system of dealing with each other.

Never experienced any real aggression between them.

Your advice is good.

I guess what I was trying to say is that my cats have always become good friends in the long run.
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redwitch Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Feb-25-06 06:55 PM
Response to Original message
4. LOL Sorry, don't mean to be insensitive, but that is funny!
Someone suggested lightly sponging both cats with catnip water. Some say just give it time, they will work it out.
I've found that eventually they do work it out, and if they don't become fast friends, at least they settle on uneasy truce.
Personalities will determine the ultimate result.
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Beware the Beast Man Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Feb-25-06 06:56 PM
Response to Original message
5. You should put the new kitten in her own room for a couple weeks.
The other cats need time to adjust to the new arrival. After a couple days, have them greet each other with supervision and see what happens. After a couple of weeks the older cats should be used to her..

This is stuff I did when I brought a new cat into the family, per advice from others. :)
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Lorien Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Feb-25-06 07:02 PM
Response to Original message
6. Fatal mistake; don't put them in the same room for several days
I do pet rescue, and the type of introduction you're attempting here could lead to life long hostilities between the two cats. Here's some expert advice from the Humane society:


Introducing Pets to a New Cat




Two Cats


Wouldn't it be nice if all it took to introduce a new cat to your resident pet were a brief handshake and a couple of "HELLO, My Name Is...." nametags? Unfortunately, it's not quite that simple, which means you'll need to have some realistic expectations from the outset. What are realistic expectations? First, it's recognizing and accepting that your pets may never be best buddies but will usually come to at least tolerate each other. Second, it's understanding the need to move slowly during the introduction process to increase your chances for success.
Animal Care Professionals:
Print and customize the
PDF version of this tip sheet
with your contact information.

English / Spanish

Of course, some cats are more social than other cats. For example, an eight-year-old cat who has never been around other animals may never learn to share her territory (and her people) with other pets in the household. But an eight-week-old kitten separated from her mom and littermates for the first time might be glad to have a cat or dog companion.

Cats are territorial, and they need to be introduced to other animals very slowly so they can get used to each other before a face-to-face confrontation. Slow introductions help prevent fearful and aggressive problems from developing. Here are some guidelines to help make the introductions go smoothly:

Confinement

Confine your new cat to one medium-sized room with her litter box, food, water, and a bed. Feed your resident pets and the newcomer on each side of the door to this room, so that they associate something enjoyable (eating!) with each other's smells. Don't put the food so close to the door that the animals are too upset by each other's presence to eat. Gradually move the dishes closer to the door until your pets can eat calmly while standing directly on either side of the door.

The Old Switcheroo

Swap the sleeping blankets or beds used by the cats so they each have a chance to become accustomed to the other's scent. You can even rub a towel on one animal and put it underneath the food dish of another animal. If there are more than two animals in the house, do the same for each animal.

Once your new cat is using her litter box and eating regularly while confined, let her have free time in the house while confining your other animals to the new cat's room. This switch provides another way for the animals to experience each other's scents without a face-to-face meeting. It also allows the newcomer to become familiar with her new surroundings without being frightened by the other animals.

Next, after the animals have been returned to their original designated parts of the house, use two doorstops to prop open the dividing door just enough to allow the animals to see each other, and repeat the whole process over a period of days—supervised, of course.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Avoid any interactions between your pets that result in either fearful or aggressive behavior. If these responses are allowed to become a habit, they can be difficult to change. It's better to introduce your pets to each other so gradually that neither animal becomes afraid or aggressive. You can expect a mild protest from either cat from time to time, but don't allow these behaviors to intensify. If either animal becomes fearful or aggressive, separate them, and start the introduction process once again with a series of very small, gradual steps, as outlined above.

PLEASE NOTE: When you introduce pets to each other, one of them may send "play" signals which can be misinterpreted by the other pet as signs of aggression. If that's the case, always handle the situation as "aggression" and seek professional help from a veterinarian or animal behaviorist right away.

Precautionary Measures

If one of your pets has a medical problem or is injured, the introduction process might be stalled a bit. Check with your veterinarian to be sure all your pets are healthy. You'll also want to have at least one litter box per cat, and you'll probably need to clean all of the litter boxes more frequently. Make sure that none of the cats is being "ambushed" by another while trying to use the litter box, and be sure each cat has a safe hiding place.

Try to keep your resident pets' schedule close to what it was before the newcomer's arrival. Cats can make a lot of noise, pull each other's hair, and roll around quite dramatically without any injuries. If small spats do occur between your cats, you shouldn't attempt to intervene directly to separate the cats. Instead, make a loud noise, throw a pillow, or use a squirt bottle with water and vinegar to separate the cats. Give them a chance to calm down before re-introducing them to each other.

More: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/cat_behavior_tip_sheets/introducing_pets_to_a_new_cat.html


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Mikimouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Feb-25-06 07:06 PM
Response to Original message
7. You have broken the Cardinal rule of Catdom!
"Thous shalt have no other cats other than me!" She'll get over it, just give her some time. Mine reacted that way to any newly adopted cats/kittens too, but now they are like brothers/sisters.
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El Fuego Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Feb-25-06 07:10 PM
Response to Original message
9. "Our OLD one"?
No wonder she's pissed! :D
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LisaL Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Feb-25-06 07:13 PM
Response to Original message
10. You should really try to separate them at first for a proper
Edited on Sat Feb-25-06 07:17 PM by lizzy
introduction. I didn't with mine, but they are really mellow persian cats, so they would get along with anything. Even they didn't like each other at first and it took them a few days to adjust. And don't encourage them to play, for goodness sake, the cats have to adjust to each other first.
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