Expert: Ali - 8/24/2009

Question
Hi

We have recently moved (4 weeks ago) to a new home with an 11month old male (de-sexed) kitten(tabby) named Gigi. Previously (Gigi's first home), we lived with our parents in a very quiet area with one other & considerably larger 7year old male tabby named Micio.  Gigi, both outdoor & indoor kitten, showed no signs of being scared of Micio, in fact showed complete opposite signs of dominance and desire to play.  Micio 'tolerated' Gigi and did not want to play with him.  Initially in the new home, Gigi would be scared and hide under the covers and then under the bed.  There are many new & louder noises surrounding the new house (new development so lots of construction noises) which initially made him jump at every sound. Gigi was too scared to go outside during the day and would only become curious at night time when it was quiet.  He would just sit out on top of the car and watch the world for about 20mins then come back inside. We introduced a puppy (cavoodle) named Jet 2 weeks ago, thinking Gigi was bored & needed a playmate, and gradually introduced the two.  Initially Gigi hissed and swiped at Jet but has started to become more curious, whilst keeping his distance.  The problem we have at the moment is that Gigi refuses to come down stairs as he is now 'scared' of Jet. Gigi keeps to the main bedroom & bathroom upstairs where his litter & food reside but he meows very loudly when he can hear we're downstairs.  Gigi won't even venture outside even at night time now.  We would really like Gigi to be an outdoor cat again, coming inside every so often & to sleep at night.  Jet is still a pup and wants to play but is also cautious at same time.  We just need some tips on how to get Gigi downstairs and back to his usual self! Many thanks.


Answer
Mara & Damian,

Given all of the recent changes in your lives it's not unreasonable for Gigi to show signs of fear/anxiety. Cats thrive when their lives are predictable and routine, they're not fond of significant or sudden changes being made in their environment. I have a few questions that I'd like to ask before I answer your question, I'd really like to have a more thorough picture of what Gigi's history is like so that I can provide you with the best possible solutions to help Gigi recover from his anxiety based behaviors. Please provide as much detail as you can when answering the following questions, that way I'll have a better understanding of what's actually happening and how it can be fixed.

1) Is Gigi still eating, drinking and using his litter box normally?

2) Can you describe how you moved Gigi into your new home?

3) Did Micio make the move with Gigi?

4) Was there any specific reason for adding a puppy to your household before Gigi had time to adjust to the substantial life changes that he's been a part of over the last few weeks?

5)Prior to introducing a puppy into the household had Gigi started to return to his regular daily routines?

6) Did you prepare Gigi's necessities (food, water, litter, scratch pads/posts, toys, etc) before allowing him to explore his new home?

7) Did Gigi show any signs of anxiety when you first moved into your new home?

8) Did Gigi have full access to his new home immediately or was he gradually introduced to the new environment by providing him with a safe room for the first week or two after you moved into the new home to help him adjust more easily to the changes in his environment?

9) Did you show Gigi around his new home or allow him to explore on his own?

10) Is there any specific reason why you want Gigi to become an outdoor cat again?

11) Are you planning any other major life changes in the not too distant future that may increase Gigi's anxiety and/or reduce his ability to adjust to the changes you've already made?

12) Does the dog have access to the entire house?

13) Are you willing to be patient and work with Gigi on his anxiety using a few different techniques to help him cope more appropriately with his anxiety?

14) Will occasional outdoor outings be acceptable to you for as long as it takes Gigi to cope with his anxiety? It's important to understand that Gigi's rehabilitation is going to take some time and patience, there have been massive changes in his life during the last 4 weeks and he hasn't had any time to process them and even begin to cope.

15) How old is the puppy? Is he larger than Gigi?

16) How did you go about introducing the puppy to Gigi?

17) Prior to adopting your new pup had Gigi ever been introduced to and socialized with any breed of dog?

18) Do you know how old Gigi was when he was separated from his mother and siblings?

19) What preparations did you make prior to moving into your new home to help Gigi cope with the change?

20) Has Gigi been examined by a veterinarian to rule out any possible medical reasons for his anxiety?

21) Is your pup allowed to roam freely in your home without supervision?

22) Have you recently witnessed any interaction between the puppy and Gigi that may have caused or contributed to his stress?

I do apologize for the number of questions I've sent your way, but I really do want to make sure that I have an accurate picture of what's happening, how it happened and what you've tried to fix the problem. I must warn you that I suspect Gigi will need some time, patience, love and a calm, stable environment in order to recover and move forward after all of the recent changes in the family. I'm happy to offer my guidance and experience to help you and Gigi. It's clear to me that you've had the best of intentions for Gigi all along, and I really believe that you love him dearly - getting back to basics and allowing him to gradually let go of the anxiety and fear will be a challenge, but I think you're up to it. I look forward to hearing from you so that we can start helping Gigi return to a more balanced state.