Advice/Experiences bringing cats together?

busywend

Well-Known Member
husband has 2 kittens (just a year old) and I have 1 cat (3 years old).

We brought the little ones to my house (where we are now living) last Tuesday the 21st.

We have kept them separated by putting my Scrappy in the basement - which is finished and nice, he slept down there most times anyway (I brought him his blankie).
His litter & food are still in the same spot so no changes to that. Fully accessible from the basement.

The 2 little ones are upstairs with us all the time.

We started bringing Scrappy up last week for short periods of time. Everything is progressing well, I think.

I just wonder how long can this take??? Scrappy seems to be the hunter. He can not leave them alone. I know it is new, but he gets obsessed with where they are. Actually, he did go lie down in the kitchen for a few minutes last night so that was encouraging.
The little boy hisses and the little girl growls whenever Scrappy comes around. The boys have touched noses a few times. The girl just runs from Scrappy causing 2 cats to tear through the house until she can get under the bed or behind the couch. Then it becomes a hunt for Scrappy where he slowly creaps to her while she growls.

It is sooooo very stressful! And I miss my Scrappy! I do go downstairs and play with him and snuggle him up every day.

What more can we do????? I want this to be OK!
 
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DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I think they will get used to you and to each other. Did you all move into a new house or did you and scrappy move to his house or did the kittens more to your house? If it was Scrappy's house, then he is going to be territorial about newbies in the house. Letting them know...hey guys, you are in my world now.

My 6 pound Havanese dog rules my house over a 10 month old 45 pound pit bull dog. The pit bull could eat him in one bite but that little bit of fluff only has to growl and Nina cowers...lol. Obviously, Buddy was here first.

Your "pack" will establish order.
 

Mattsmom277

Active Member
Sounds like pretty typical behavior for merging new kitties. I'll be doing this next week. We currently have Kobe, he's 3 years old. We are bring home Pepper next week, a adorable long haired orange fluffball with dazzling green eyes, she looks like she'll be a real little imp. Kobe is NOT accustomed to other cats. Pepper is just coming up to 8 weeks old. I'm hoping Kobe feels paternal since she is just a baby but no telling how he'll react. He is very much a dominant cat who rules the roost around here.

I've merged cats so many times over the years and I have never heard of cats who don't eventually make their peace. I would wonder if maybe the problem would be made more difficult if the older cat feels he is being kept downstairs while these 2 new additions take over his people and his space. I think perhaps you should just let them all free roam, keep an eye on things but not stress mad dashes under furniture or hissing. So long as nobody is fighting/wounding each other, its a pretty primal and traditional way of all of the figuring out their place in the heirarchy. I wouldn't want to cause the older cat to really resent the younger ones for getting to own the house while he is suddenly kept out of certain areas that traditionally have been his. THey've had some time to adjust and accept they all are going to be in the same house. Maybe try for the day and if you're finding it a struggle still only seperate them when you go to bed for a few days?

I bet they'll be buds in no time!
 

SRL

Active Member
It does sound like typical behavior to me as well.

One trick you can try is to dab all of them with vanilla so their scents are the same. That can ease things.

Continue to take it slow, except I'd put the little ones away in an upstairs bathroom sometimes to let Scrappy have full range of his house.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
You're supposed to separate them?

Uh oh.

I put the cats into the house and brought the dog over.

Later we added a new cat.

No playtimes, etc. Just "you all live here now"...
 

busywend

Well-Known Member
Yes, I considered putting the 2 littles into a separate bedroom or bathroom and closing the door, but I think Scrappy will just keep sniffing under the door. He is obsessive about things (especially his ball).

We moved into my house, so Scrappy is used to the basement, but also like his routine. Kind of a difficult child - but a very good kitty. I brought him up this morning to try to get him to lay on the bed while I dried my hair - routine for him. He just kept sniffing at the door for the littles.

I do have to get over the hissing and running thing. We are going to just have to deal with it. So stressful! If we were home all day it would probably go faster.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
We did sort of just throw them together and hope for the best!

Maybe on a weekend, let 'em all roam around & see what happens. Scrappy is Alpha Cat, and I bet that will take care of a lot of issues.

In our case - Weasel is Alpha, always has been, even over Bubbles. Squirrel quickly found her place was between amoeba and protozoan, where Weasel was concerned.
 

ThreeShadows

Quid me anxia?
We recently brought home a 4 month old Maine coon. He hissed at our two older cats, there has been a lot of avoidance behavior around here but they are starting to sniff each other and the younger one has begun to play with the kitten. It's a good thing our older guys don't realize our new baby will end up weighing 20lbs!
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
LOL

I've done the introduction with dogs. But cats..........I just well there you are now deal with it. Usually there is some hissing and spitting for a day or 2 then next thing I know I catch them snuggling together. lol
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
I think I would start bringing them together for a few minutes each day and maybe increase the time each day. I would also keep a door between them when no human is there to separate if needed. It'll probably take a few months for the cats to all be reasonably comfortable with the new living situation.
 

busywend

Well-Known Member
Yes, we are increasing the amount of time daily and hope Sunday will be a full day of kitty snuggling - LOL! I know - no snuggling, but Scrappy will be free to roam for the day. I can't wait! He is such a cutie! I miss him greeting me when I get home. Of course Harpo does now, but I miss my baby!
 
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