Expert: Jessica - 6/20/2011

Question
I have a 6 yr old fixed female and last fall rescued a stray Himalayan. I took him to the vet, had him cleaned up (coat was a mess) and he was in my my basement till Jan. He is a very loving 3 yr fixed male. I then started to introduce them through a cracked basement door, etc. He did try to be nice, but she was always nasty. It is now June they will eat on opposite sides of a room, but that is it, my resident female wants nothing to do w/him.  Hisses, growls and slinks around the house.  Had to give her another litter box near her under the table hang out. At nite he goes down the basement to sleep.  Will she ever stop being afraid?  Spent a small fortune in vet, grooming, Feliway, ect.

Answer
Hi Joanne,

Some cats take a very long time to accept other cats. You have given the cats plenty of time for the introduction, so I don't feel that going back to reintroduce them will be of any help. I think that if the two cats will accept each other without any physical fights going on, your older cat may still come to accept the Himalayan more and more as time goes on. But she will probably never be the most affectionate toward him. I've had a couple of cats who've been very reluctant to accept others, and though it took a year or even two before they would put up with close contact, they did eventually settle down and even cuddle sometimes. I would recommend that you continue to use special food treats to try to solidify their bond. As long as neither cat is lashing out at the other, this often helps to establish positive close contact experiences.

Unfortunately, there is a very small percentage (only about 1%) of cats who won't do well with other cats. It's difficult to decide when to throw in the towel. Personally, I prefer to only rehome a cat when there is active aggression going on, but this is a personal choice. Certainly, you don't want your kitty to live a lifetime of fear. I would try to give her another few months to relax, if this was my own cat. I would even consider placing her on an anti-anxiety medication for that time. Once her fear has been calmed, she should not need to continue on the medication. But again, this is a personal choice.

Good luck!

Jessica