New cat introductions

[Barkingdog]

WOW! you have your hands full now
Hazel! I hope the cats will get use to one
another. Are they both the same sex?

[hazelrunpack]

Originally Posted by Winston

Just wanted to say you could try the old true and tested solution....make them smell the same...You can use baby powder on both or even a drop of vanilla under their chins so they both smell the same and see if that helps the intros!!

I thought of that the other day, then forgot it again... Will give it a try, although I don't think JD has much of a sniffer because of his chronic snotty nose...

Originally Posted by Winston

Hoping for a great relationship between JD and Dusty

Us, too!

Originally Posted by Winston

Your becoming a cat lady woo hoo!!

hubby just remarked that we've gone from a houseful of dogs to a houseful of cats! Of course, there's just the two of them, and we really can't squeeze any more in until JD and Dusty can share the same space, so I doubt we'll end up with 8 cats... But never say never!

Originally Posted by Barkingdog

WOW! you have your hands full now
Hazel! I hope the cats will get use to one
another. Are they both the same sex?

Thanks, Barkingdog! JD is a neutered male and Dusty is a spayed female. They're about the same size--about 7 pounds.

[growler~GateKeeper]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

What about feeding time when they're together. Do cats guard their food like dogs sometimes do? Should we try to keep them separate the first few meals?

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Do cats not fight over food? Dusty hooked a treat out from under JD's nose with her paw and he never so much as grumbled!

For the first year I fed my girls in separate rooms. About 6 months after I got Pixi I had tried them about 5 feet apart but they weren't ready then. A couple of months ago I moved Pixi out of the other room & set her up about 3 feet from Lilly, they're good now.

If one is finished faster than the other, there may be an attempt to nip at the ears or a bat to the head or just trying to shove her head in the dish. At that point the cat who's dinner is being hijacked will either stand their ground & finish or just walk away.

I have found that if the cats feel they are too close to each other they will pick up a mouthful of food out of the dish and eat it a couple inches away, then go back to the dish for more.

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

JD was in a drowsy meatloaf posture and Dusty approached him. He reached up to sniff as she reached down to touch noses, all very amicable Then she batted him upside the head with her right paw! He flicked his ear, then turned his head away, and that was it! No retaliation!

Things are going good

[hazelrunpack]

Yesterday, they actually shared the upstairs litter box! Well, not at the same time, but JD used it for the first time since Dusty moved into the family room, and Dusty went in later to pee. They still tussle and yowl softly at each other now and then when JD forgets himself and gets too rough. But most of the time they're coexisting pretty amicably. We're cautiously optimistic that eventually they can be together unsupervised...and maybe even that Lili will finally calm down enough that she can be trusted to be gentle with the cats. (Yeah, man--that's a pipedream! )

[growler~GateKeeper]

All good signs

[hazelrunpack]

I'll soon have some more recent pics to post of their interactions. I'm still on the fence about whether this is amicable play or sheer annoyance. JD will tackle her and pin her down till she can squirm free and run away, whereupon he might chase her behind the couch... But then a few minutes later, she runs her own ninja raid on him, so she's obviously not cowed. Just so weird (to my uneducated eyes, anyway).

[growler~GateKeeper]

My girls have a similar play style, Pixi sneaks up & jumps Lilly who runs, then Pixi chases until Lilly jumps up on the cat tree or couch etc. Occasionally there's a bit of vocalization or hissing from Lilly. Other times Lilly starts it by pouncing on Pixi.

[hazelrunpack]

So this might just be rough play and no hard feelings afterward? That would make me happy!

[Reg]

What Growler says we can vouch for. We notice from time to time, that Yogi seems to want to play predator/prey with him being the predator and one of the 2 girls being prey. This doesn't go over too well with either one of them, but Mrg seems to be more tolerant and will put up with a little bit of rough housing before the hissing starts........sometimes she is the instigator too. BB just doesn't tolerate any of it. She just lets out a scream that would waken the dead. And if it happens in the wee hours of the morning, it's one rude awakening.

There always seems to be territorial issues with who is going to sleep where. It does get into a hissy match once in a while.

When you have been used to dogs and suddenly you are getting involved with cats, it can be a real education really fast.........it appears though, that your 2 are starting to function like normal cats and that's good.

[hazelrunpack]

Originally Posted by Reg

BB just doesn't tolerate any of it. She just lets out a scream that would waken the dead. And if it happens in the wee hours of the morning, it's one rude awakening.

I'll bet!!

Well, it's good to hear that things seem to be going well on this end! LOL They are definitely not dogs, that's for sure! Right now, JD is running through his tunnels, evidently chasing ghosts, and Dusty is watching him with an incredulous look on her face. heheh What a goof he is!