any help on getting my cats to get along.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Antoinette on April 11, 2016 at 14:03

Mum and daughter vs an incoming one-eyed Tom cat... it doesn't bode well.....I don't think the collar coming off will make any difference (only time will tell) as ultimately it's a territorial thing. You may have to consider giving up the newbie for adoption or else you'll make all 3 cats miserable. Not remotely helpful I'm afraid. Had the kitten been a girl you might have had more hope....

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Julie on April 11, 2016 at 14:16

You could try Feliway - it worked wonders when I bought a feral kitten into a home with a much older cat - originally they couldn't be in the same room but now they groom each other. I had the plug-in stuff - bit expensive but it was worth it.

http://www.feliway.com/uk

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by M Zed. on April 11, 2016 at 15:28

 

am waiting for the feliway to arrive will try this and hopefully this works.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Vicky Alhadeff on April 11, 2016 at 16:41

Antionette is completely right in that cats are territorial creatures, and when living in feral colonies, they are all related females who help each other out. When a complete stranger comes into the feline social group, it can be very threatening for all concerned. There are procedures you can follow, but there are no guarantees that it will work. There is a double whammy for your 2 cats in that the kitten will smell of the vet, plus is wearing the collar. The first stage to any introductions is to swop scents from your two and the kitten. Get 3 cloths and label them with each cat's name. Gently stroke each cat with 'their' cloth around their cheeks/under the chin to rub their pheromones onto the cloth, and then place the kitten's cloth passively near one of the cats, and vice versa with your two cats. Top up the scents every day. The aim is for the cats to initially ignore the cloths and eventually to rub on them. Go at the cats' pace and do not rush the introductions. They can take weeks or months.And to also increase all valuable resources such as beds, scratching posts, cat trees, feeding stations, water bowls etc. Feliway plug-ins in the room the kitten is in, plus the room your two spend the most time in. The diffusers last 4 weeks. 

Also increase all valuable resources such as beds, scratching posts, cat trees, feeding stations, water bowls etc. Feliway plug-ins in the room the kitten is in, plus the room your two spend the most time in. The diffusers last 4 weeks. 

Ultimately it is important to keep in mind that it may not work, and to consider rehoming the kitten if any of the cats continue to be stressed out.

I can help in much greater detail if you would like as I work as a cat behaviourist. http://happydogsandcats.co.uk/pet-behaviour-services/cat-behaviour/

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Fi on April 12, 2016 at 14:14

I assume by collar , you mean "the cone of shame" to stop him from worrying his eye? Yes, that could be freaking your cats out but it will also be the smell of the vet - clinical and medicinal - that will be worrying them. Try rubbing something you've worn over him as well as something that other two cats have lain on.

My Bengal - whop absolutely adores two of my other cats - goes mad and hisses and snarls whenever one of the others goes to the vet, and within 24 hours it's normally died down.

As Vicky says, extra resources - including a new litter tray for him. Introduce them slowly and get him neutered ASAP.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on April 12, 2016 at 14:46

Firstly well done Milly. Not many people would take on a responsibility like this.
Feliway has worked well with my anxious cat - he freaks out for hours if a human being he doesn't know comes into our house, never mind another cat
I have a friend who had exactly the same problem when a new rescue cat was introduced. They detested one another but gradually found ways to accommodate each other. One rules the roost upstairs and one down. They may never like one another it hopefully will get more tolerant .
The vet smell is another thing though. Sure it brings back unhappy associations.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by tulips on April 12, 2016 at 17:51

Well done for helping the cat, you're doing a really good thing. Don't be put off by the reaction to him wearing the plastic collar. I agree with what everyone has said - if one of my cats comes home from the vet wearing a plastic collar, the other cats act weird as the cat wearing the collar smells of the vet and looks funny as it makes a cat walk differently and he will be vulnerable. So you're doing the right thing, keep him separate until he's fully recovered and no longer wearing a collar. I presume he's neutered, but if not, there's no point introducing him until he's been neutered.
We have four male and two female rescue cats and each have joined our household separately as adult cats over the last 15 years, so I have practical experience (not professional!) of a lot of introductions. Generally I've found that male and male can be initially more difficult, female and female is the easiest and male and female is in the middle, but it all depends on the individual cats as well so there are no rules. Vicky is an expert and I'm sure she would advise you best.
Slow mixing of scents before physically meeting is crucial. I stroke one cat and then go and stroke the other and mix the scents that way. In the period when the new cat is separate, when my resident cats are outside for certain periods, I lock the cat flap and let the new cat gradually roam in the rest of the home so as to become familiar with the whole home while the other cats are safe outside. This also has the advantage of the new cat's scent being in the house.
When I get to the point of physical introductions, I introduce one cat at a time inside gradually for a short supervised period - so if you have two resident cats, it's best not to introduce the pair of them together to the new cat. I've got different techniques I use on the initial physical introductions, for example, I use a pet gate so that the new cat is separate but can be seen on the first introduction. I'll feed them so they can each see each other eating at a distance. I'll do things like play with one cat at one end of the room with a catnip toy while my husband plays with the other cat - so that they are aware of each other in their peripheral vision, but not competing for the same toy. The idea is to have nice supervised experiences.

I find that gradually the resident cats realise that the new addition is not going to be detrimental to their cosy home, love allocation, food and sleeping areas, things can work well. Introductions take time and patience, but it's not as arduous as it can sound in writing. Yeoww catnip bananas and Snugglesafe heat pads help a lot to make the cats happy.

It doesn't always work - for example, once I rescued a cat and got her neutered, but it quickly became clear that she didn't like any other cats and needed a home with no other pets, which we found for her.

When I take a rescued cat in, I always get the cat medically treated, neutered, microchipped and tested for FIV before introducing to my other cats. Once a new rescued cat did test FIV+, so we couldn't bring him home, but we managed to find him a lovely home with another FIV+ cat through Foal Farm.

You probably do this anyway, but I always recommend to cat owners to lock the cat flap at night and keep cats safe inside at night as cats are more likely to get lost or injured at night.

You're clearly an experienced cat owner and are doing everything right, well done for making the effort to rescue cats. VIcky is an expert. Hope it works out well and everyone is happy!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by M Zed. on April 13, 2016 at 10:45

Thanks all for replies.

Yes i had him neutered, microchipped and vaccinated but i am not sure if they automatically check for FIV. He's back next week to Celia Hammond Trust for his check up and i will ask them if he has already been tested.  I know they did quite a lot of blood tests before and after the op.

Unfortunately we have a big problem around this part of Wightman road with stray cats.  I have in the past rescued mum and kittens on two occassions and got them to an animal centers. 

My oldest was a stray for nearly two years after which i managed to get her and kittens in the house.  Got them all done and found homes with family for two kittens and kept mum and one of the kittens.  

I never leave my cats out over night and don't have a cat flap.  

Will keep you posted and thanks for your helpful replys everyone.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by tulips on April 25, 2016 at 16:58

You're doing a good job Milly! Plus Celia Hammond is very good.

Hopefully others in Wightman road and in our neighbourhood will do the same - if stray cats can be helped, neutered and homed, it helps to reduce the numbers of homeless cats and pregnancies.

If anyone needs help or advice in respect of strays or found cats, Stokey Cats and Dogs are a good local volunteer group. They are a useful source of advice and help. They help a lot of stray or abandoned cats locally, get them neutered, microchipped and find them permanent homes.

Just to mention, Ella who runs Stokey Cats and Dogs also needs more people to provide temporary foster homes until permanent homes can be found. She will be pleased to hear from anyone interested in becoming a temporary foster carer or providing a permanent home. They rely on and welcome funds donated by the community through their fundraising here.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by MD on April 26, 2016 at 15:07

It sounds like you're doing everything right with the Feliway etc and it'll just take time for them to get used to each other. We adopted a female kitten when we already had a tom cat (aged almost 12). We kept them apart for the first two weeks but got them used to the other's scents by putting bits of fabric in their beds, then swapping the fabric over in the morning. Must've worked - now they're rubbing along nicely together. Good luck!

• ▶ Reply