Introduction

Reply to spike481_cf

Spike, agree or not, I'm happy to see you back!

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Reply to spike481_cf

Thank you Jeanie. Just stopping by again and had to post. I know you and I don't always see eye to eye, but you are always fair, and for that, I thank you.

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Reply to spike481_cf

I tend to do intros like you do, too. I keep new kitties in the Master bathroom. During the day they get the run of the Master bedroom. My other cats know there is a 'new' cat and the new cat knows there are other cats. The amount of time they are kept in the MBR varies; it depends on the health, age and situation (nursing, recovering) of the cats. For introduction, I usually open the MBR and let the new cat venture into the hallway. Interested cats come to see, uninterested don't and the hissers tend to stay away. Usually the new cat is eager to 'make nice' and I have very few problems.

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Reply to spike481_cf

Great to see you again, spike! Hope all is going well with the new digs. I agree completely, and have been wanting to chime in on the subject but have just avoided it. The little gray cat saga broke my heart. (no offense Tim, you sure tried like hell and every situation is different) My approach has always been very straight forward, all participants are thrown into the fray and its sink or swim. There was only one intro that was particularly rough, and that because this cat was about 2.5yo and never been around other cats. Most of the time the edges are smoothed out and its business as usual within a week or so. Give my best to the Herd

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Reply to spike481_cf

I have had a couple attempts at a failed coup in my house lately. Its so fun to watch My youngest is easily twice the size of the others and knows it, and also incredibly strong. However, she is very timid by nature and just lacks the resolve to get the job done. She may have succeeded last time had she not relented. I also regularly have "cage matches" in my kitchen. One cat is positioned under a bar stool, and is accosted from the other side by the aggresor. It's usually harmless fun but produces some of the most horrific sounds I've ever heard.

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Reply to spike481_cf

Well...here's my 5 years of experience to add.... I have only 5 of my own currently, actually, 3 are my own, 2 are permanent fosters. For the most part, I usually only foster feral kittens, or socialized kittens, which I understand are alot easier to introduce to cats. I never keep them in my "foster" room for more than a few days. The exception to that rule is if I have a pregnant female or one that has just birthed. We have taken the solid door off this room and framed in a lattice door, and then overtop of that, some screening; we also have a solid panel to put half way up the door if we have a nursing mother in here, because then I do not want her to see the other cats as she will become very nervous. Everyone get's to see everyone right from the start and can smell everything as well. Within a few days, I open the door. I've never ever had a problem doing this ... so far!! I to am of the opinion that, for the most part, and there are exceptions, that cats will work out their pecking orders. My two permanent feral kittens (8 mos old) do NOT like any foster kittens I bring in here... initially. Once they are out and about, they seem to ease up a little and start playing with the kittens. I've seen alot of younger and older cats that are alot of "talk" with very little action. I sometimes think it's possible to "overkill" the introduction of cats to cats... sometimes it's best to let nature take it's course.... and obviously hope that there is no real "blood shed".

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Reply to spike481_cf

Thanks Heidi, Steve, and Janice. I really wanted people to know that there are those of us that do, for the most part, just toss the newbie into the mix after a couple of days. Please keep the success stories coming.

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Reply to spike481_cf

Great post, Spike! I agree with the introduction part, also. I had a 4-day weekend with Cinderella and Cleo and after the first night, I didn't have the heart to keep Cleo isolated in her bedroom any longer, so I split the house in half, even though it meant Cinderella was cut off from my bedroom for another day or two. After that, they just needed to work it out. They're not buddies, and I know I need to stop feeling sad about that. It's been 5 months (tomorrow) and they live together (almost peacefully), although it took almost four months for Cleo to feel comfortable having full run of the house (Cinderella kept her coralled in her room while I was at work, I suspect). I've only seen Cinderella actually slap her twice, and the chasing has practically stopped in the past 3 weeks. Cleo has always deferred to her and Cinderella is still the alpha cat, but with a couple exceptions, she refuses to sleep on the bed with Cleo there. I have to accept that it's her choice, she's always welcome, and I shouldn't feel sad about that either (but I do sometimes). I've been thinking about adding two kittens (siblings). Cleo is young and playful and I think she would like the company and companionship. What are your thoughts about that, Spike? P.S. Beautiful cats in your signaure! One of your cats (Eclaire) looks like a Birman. Is she?

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Reply to spike481_cf

Hi spike....glad to see you back. I totally agree. Introducing my cats has never been something I really worried about and truthfully I had no idea there was supposed to be an introduction process at all! Aside from Mateo who was sick with worm and a bad URI when he came home all of mine have just been set down and worked out their differences. To be honest it wasn't a couple of days after any of mine came to the house. They all came home and met whoever was already there. Things were different however when my dog was introduced to the mix!

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Reply to spike481_cf

Marie, that's the reason we got the second cat, as a companion for the first. Five months seems like a long time, but I'll bet you that they may very well end up being closer. Even some of our most bitter enemies have been seen cuddling when they thought no one was looking!!! I can't tell you to get/or not get more cats. It's totally up to you and what you think your home can handle. Eclaire was from a shelter in Birmingham (forgot about that in the original post ). She does look like a Birman though. She knows she's all Princess.

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Reply to spike481_cf

I agree somewhat Spike...but not completely. I agree that cats will do some fighting and will work out their hierarchy on their own...and there's nothing we can or should do about that. But I think we can help with the transition. Isolating the newcomer, switching scents, letting them see each other slowly etc has a benefit in my mind. I think that by 3-4 days they should be encountering each other, but think that exposure time should be increased gradually from there until you're feeling pretty sure that they can be left alone when you go out and not get into a huge fight or have someone hiding under the bed all day. My experience is that things are pretty quiet in less than a week. They may not all be buddy buddy, but they tolerate each other. Of course, most of my experience has been bringing a kitten into the house, which is much easier than an adult. The reality is, it's all about knowing your cats and judging the situation. But agree that it creates more stress if you keep the newcomer 100% isolated for a week or two.

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Reply to spike481_cf

You missed the introduction of my newest, Freeway....whom I found on the freeway He was so tiny that he could zip under the door of his room, so he just kept dashing out with this "here I am, let's play" attitude. He got a few hisses, but for the most part, he was all settled in within a couple of days.

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Reply to spike481_cf

I should have added that I did keep the house divided into two to separate them while I was at work for the first couple weeks. I opened it up once I got home. I wanted to be there when they were together to keep an eye on things for a while.

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I've never followed the "proper" introduction protocol. I've had cats all my life and always just brought the new guys in (after testing and vets once over, of course). It has always worked out fine for me. I did try with Nanook, but that lasted for about 6 hours. We were all so miserable I just had to let him out. They sniffed eachother, Little-one hissed a few times and by the next day he was cleaning the little guy. I suppose I can't argue with all the experts so I would never tell other people not to follow them but my experience has been very different and has always been successful so far. I really think the MOST important factor in a successful introduction is the owner. If we are calm and have the "it's no big deal" attitude the cats will follow. I question whether too many rules, trying to keep everyone separated etc causes stress to the owner which, in turn, transferes to the cats. Perhaps I've just been lucky the past 43 years (oops! Just gave away my age!) but, until I have a problem, I'll continue the "just make yourself at home" approach.

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Reply to spike481_cf

I work with a lot of "cat people" and not one of them has ever heard of the "introduction" process. On the other hand, some of them with obese cats won't listen to the "wet food" advice. (But some have!)

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Reply to spike481_cf

i have never goten an older cat but with kitten i just bring them in set them on the floor and the cats in the house normaly hiss and stay away but if kitten gets to close after the kitten gets a swat but all in all they end up sleeping together in a few days. i never heard about intros till i came here. one of my cats gave birth and the other 2 cats hissed at the new kittens the next day they were all trying to fit into the box were the kittens were to sleep and the mom did not mind the other cats actuly after she gave birth she tryed to give a kitten to one of the other cats i didnt understand that but the kittens all were healthy and happy so something worked out right btw that mom cat is fixed now. i dont breed cats it was an oops she made a hole in screen and came back preg and she was 4yrs old with out ever getting out before but oh well it wont happen agian lol good thing to.

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Reply to spike481_cf

Mike, you're right, I missed your intro but I've enjoyed the pics of Freeway. Have actually got one of them sitting on my desktop. Nanook, I like the "just make yourself at home" comment. That fits perfectly. Doodlebug, sounds like your way is working for you and it doesn't sound extreme. As I said earlier, just want folks to know that it can be OK to let a new cat go in the house without all the work and worry. They will hiss, chase, swat, smack, and sulk......but mostly, they'll be fine.

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It is such a relief to hear all of these stories of easy intros. I know they aren't always a piece of cake, but I've pretty much just made my decision about this new kitten. -Shannon

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I too have never done an introduction process I never knew you were supposed to do it -though I could see the that it might help sometimes.All my guys were strays so they had usually been hanging around the house for a while before they became"family"My last addition was Melle who had a house and a Mama but didn't like the dog so he sorta moved in-with his Mama's permission -that was about 5 years ago Sammy still hates him !!he hisses at him and would chase him away if he could-you'd think after 5 years he'd figure out we have a white cat living with us!!! However, knowing Sammy's reaction to Melle I would be reluctant to ever introduce another cat.

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Reply to spike481_cf

As has been noted before in other threads about intros, there's a huge difference between bringing a new cat into a group of cats who are used to living with a number of cats and new cats coming and going, and a situation where a new cat is introduced to a single cat or a very small group of cats that aren't used to seeing other cats. Spike makes a very good presentation for his methodology, and I can't see anything wrong with it, other than to point out that it's derived from his experience with a large group of cats and the group frequently changing, which is not the usual situation when a person adopts a new cat. It's also worth pointing out that Spike's cats can come and go in and out, which isn't the usual situtation, either. Having a group of cats confined in a small space makes the situation a whole lot more touchy when a new cat comes in. It's just that "mostly they'll be fine" isn't good enough when a person adopts a cat, signs a contract, and makes a long-term committment. If the situation turns out to not be fine at all, like my experience with Tommy and Mellie, then you have to face serious, stressful, and traumatic experiences for all cats and people concerned. In most places, you can't just allow a cat to "move on" if they don't fit into the household. The adoption contract says the cat has to be surrendered to the shelter. So then it goes back with a "couldn't get along with other cats" tag, harming its chances for readoption. IMO, it's better for most people to follow the procedure from the start, and then it can be speeded up, modified, or even discarded if things are going well. We see more grief here from people who didn't do an intro than from people who did. I suspect that Spike, and many of the other members here, have a "knack" for keeping cats that the average pet owner doesn't have. The feline behavior experts all recommend doing an intro. I think we serve the interests of the average pet owners who come here looking for help best if we tell them what the experts recommend. I regret that my "Little Gray Cat Journal" ended up making the intro process sound much harder and more stressful than it usually is, but I couldn't predict that beforehand, and once begun, I couldn't just stop. I think somewhere in there it's noted that my experiences shouldn't be taken as being representative, nor should they be taken as being instructive. It was just a journal, that's all.

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Reply to spike481_cf

Tim wrote:

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Reply to spike481_cf

Of course, we should always tell people what the experts say but I also think the purpose for a site like this is to share information and that includes our own personal experiences. I would never push someone to follow my way of introduction because I am not an "expert" I'm just an "average" pet owner. But I must say that, in my own experience, I've actually seen more success just bringing a new cat in with a calm, nonchalant, all is well attidude. Now, granted, that may just be my experience but there it is. And I don't think you should regret your cat journal at all!! It's important that people know it isn't always easy and be prepared.

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Bradley my ten year old never really got along with Cassie who was 2 1/2 years older than him. He is a pretty grouchy cat though. When we got Hunter (kitten) after Cassie died we kept him in a separate room for 5 days and let them sniff through the door, and put their paws under the door. Bradley was pretty mad about Hunter's arrival. We didn't trust him with him as he hissed at him nonstop, would lunge for him and had these huge dilated eyes. After a few days though, this stopped and they started playing together. Now Hunter grooms Bradley and Bradley actually likes it. When Cassie would try it he would swat her. Bradley brings toys to him and howls for him to come downstairs and play at night. With Kaley, Hunter was really jealous and hissed a lot when we would let him see her. She ended up having to spend a whole month separated because of Giardia and it ended being a good thing for these two. Hunter gradually calmed down and stopped hissing at her. They played under the door. And they would trill at each other through the door nonstop. When we let her loose they immediately started playing together. She's only been loose about a week and they are joined at the hip. I caught him grooming her while she was using the litter box last night which was pretty icky but he just loves her and doesn't want her out of sight.

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Reply to spike481_cf

What a nice ending!

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Reply to spike481_cf

What a sweet story.

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Reply to spike481_cf

That's sweet.

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I suppose my situation is a little unique but theres no way on earth I would bring another cat into my home without a proper introduction process. My cat - in my view - is almost completely unsocialised with other cats. His reaction to other felines is one of almost 'detached curosity' and has a 'is that another one of me? how interesting' look about him. I have absolutely no idea how he would react with another cat in the house. Toby is a little love-bug with almost no aggressive tendencies with humans but thats certainly no guarantee he wouldn't try to fight a new cat. And if I ever did decide to bring in another cat, chances are it would be FIV negative and a cat fight in those circumstances would be a disaster.

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Reply to spike481_cf

My new cat is a terrible 2 child, smart enough to wait till I am not in sight to start in on the others. The residents; scaredy cat is brave and not bothered, but, the bold one is scared, so bad she poops when being engaged by the new girl, so it's do the slow introduction here. Got the screen door set-up for the spare room, had to replace the cheap screen as the new girl tore through it, she's a very aggressive antagonizer, but most all it goes toward the one cat, I think maybe it's like she can small fear and feeds on that to gain her dominance, which isn't going to happen without a fight. So, we separate and alternate who of the two goes in the back room, with brief periods of togetherness at feedings and when I can engage them both in a distracting play session. I fixed the screen with a new aluminum one that I also screwed some wider boarder frame boards on, to better secure the screen and make it so if they are at the door they have to stand to see who's on the other side. No more lunging at the bottom. Oh, the resident have also taken to the counter tops because the new girl can't jump that high, she's a little heavy, which is okay for now, as she seems to be playing it off.

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Reply to spike481_cf

I've almost always done the "just let them join the family" approach to introductions. There was only one time when I intervened between two that seemed to be fighting for my attention. They were both very affectionate kitties who would come when called, and they both loved cuddling next to me on the sofa. One day when I was sick of their fighting i called them both on the sofa, one on each side of me. As they frowned at each other I explained to them that I loved them both. I don't remember how anymore; it was over 30 years ago. But I was successful in ending their strife. They got along really well after that.

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I never even knew there was an introductory process till I started reading this board! When I started rescuing cats about 6 years ago, the first thing I'd do was make sure they were healthy, then I'd toss them in the group. I didn't know any better. And aside from a few scuffles, and some hissing nothing major has happened. And that's the plan I've stuck with through dozens of cats and kittens. My beasts are used to cats coming and going now. Though every time a new one comes in I get a bunch of disgusted kitty looks "Oh, mom! Not another one!" However, with my adoptive families I urge them to follow the introduction process. Take it nice and slow, especially with the adults. So far only a few intro problems, but I worked with my families and things turned out peacefully. I do think the experts way is neccesary with most adoptions. Especially with adult cats or with owners who aren't as savvy with kitty behavior.

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Reply to chaoticborders_cf

Hi!

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