Integrating a new cat into a house that already has 3.

[akuma 天]

So far my efforts to integrate ninja into our house have been unsuccesful to say the least.

The existing 3 seem willing to accept her, but she is a nasty little bitch and constantly lashes out at the them when they try and extend friendship.

We are 2 weeks in and have made absoulte no progress.

Any ideas that aren't the standard run of the mill already on the net and I've read them already would be appreciate.

Thanks

[Shell195]

I think patience is the key. It will work eventually but you may like to try Feliway diffusers to ease the situation. Also try throwing a bit of dried catnip on the floor so they all have access to it, it certainly chills them out if it effects them. They may never be the best of friends but will usually learn to tolerate each other
Fenwoman has recently introduced a similar cat and now they get on fine.
Are they all neutered as if not that can cause problems
Good Luck

[brittone05]

How long after neutering males would you say they can be okay to be introduced Shell?

Theo, ou rnew baby, has got a housemate in his current place who we would love to bring home with him but they are both recently neutered ex studs and the lady worries they may never get along?

[akuma 天]

Originally Posted by Shell195

I think patience is the key. It will work eventually but you may like to try Feliway diffusers to ease the situation. Also try throwing a bit of dried catnip on the floor so they all have access to it, it certainly chills them out if it effects them. They may never be the best of friends but will usually learn to tolerate each other
Fenwoman has recently introduced a similar cat and now they get on fine.
Are they all neutered as if not that can cause problems
Good Luck

They are all neutered, I know its a tad naughty but I locked them all in out downstairs loo (very small room) for an hour this evening so she had no choice but to be close to them.

At first she was all hissy, but after 10 minutes or so she calmed down and seem to tolerate to others. I think half the problem is our house is so big that its easy for her to hiss and run away, and if she keeps doing that she'll never have to get used to them as she'll never have to.

[Shell195]

Originally Posted by akuma 天

They are all neutered, I know its a tad naughty but I locked them all in out downstairs loo (very small room) for an hour this evening so she had no choice but to be close to them.

At first she was all hissy, but after 10 minutes or so she calmed down and seem to tolerate to others. I think half the problem is our house is so big that its easy for her to hiss and run away, and if she keeps doing that she'll never have to get used to them as she'll never have to.

Npe I wouldnt advise that as if things go wrong you will find they never get on. This could also cause stress related behaviour such as spraying and soiling. It doesnt matter how big the area is they will still be able to get used to the smell of each other which will mellow them

[Shell195]

Originally Posted by brittone05

How long after neutering males would you say they can be okay to be introduced Shell?

Theo, ou rnew baby, has got a housemate in his current place who we would love to bring home with him but they are both recently neutered ex studs and the lady worries they may never get along?

It can take a few weeks before the hormone levels drop. Ask the woman to try them together to see how they react at the sight and smell of each other as some breeds are more tolerant than others. If you dont get the other cat you could always give Sphynx rescue a ring and adopt a cat off them as Sphynx are extrememly tolerant especially if you get a girl

[freekygeeky]

Originally Posted by akuma 天

They are all neutered, I know its a tad naughty but I locked them all in out downstairs loo (very small room) for an hour this evening so she had no choice but to be close to them.

cant believe you did this..
if you dissliek 2 big beefy men, and you were put in a 6 x 6 x6 room, would you be happy.. tbh that i would of thought woudl of made things worse.

just be careful, i did everythign right, tablets feliway no lockign them in rooms and so on.. and zingi is slowly but surley moving out.

[brittone05]

Awwww don't say that Shell cos you just know that I would love a Dennis of my own hehehe

You have seen the pic of the other boy - Lorcan is his name, a choc colourpoint with the most dreamy blue eyes! I adored him the second I saw him and desperately wanted him and Theo to get along so we could have the 2 together

[Shell195]

Originally Posted by brittone05

Awwww don't say that Shell cos you just know that I would love a Dennis of my own hehehe

You have seen the pic of the other boy - Lorcan is his name, a choc colourpoint with the most dreamy blue eyes! I adored him the second I saw him and desperately wanted him and Theo to get along so we could have the 2 together

Ask the rescue to try them to see how they react. I agree he is a very stunning boy but so is the boy you are getting

[feorag]

Originally Posted by Shell195

Npe I wouldnt advise that as if things go wrong you will find they never get on. This could also cause stress related behaviour such as spraying and soiling. It doesnt matter how big the area is they will still be able to get used to the smell of each other which will mellow them

I wouldn't advise that either!

Slow and steady is the way to go if you want them to get on. Forcing them together will only stress them more and could very well instigate anti-social behaviour such as territorial marking.

2 weeks is still early days and there's still time for it to work out.

We brought back a kitten we'd bred 9 years earlier when his owner moved house and couldn't keep him. The 6 adult cats we had here (3 males, 3 females, all neutered) actually accepted him very quickly, but no way was he going to accept them - he just did not want to share with them.

He had been the same with the single cat in the first home I found him when his original owner contacted me to find him a new home and after a month that person gave up and asked me to take him. Then I put him in a cattery until I could find him a home and when none was forthcoming after a couple of months decided there was no choice but to bring him into our household. After 3 months it was obvious that it wasn't going to work and we finally found him a home where he would be an only cat.

If things haven't improved in another couple of weeks time, then they might never, but 2 weeks isn't long enough to be certain.

Please don't force them into getting on, because cats don't quite 'work' like that and, believe me, once you stress them you could have a lot more trouble on your hands, than spitting cats.