Expert: Karen Craft - 4/26/2007

Question
When I first got Izzy, there was about a 3 month period of her getting used to me. She'd come close but never touch. Occasionally, I could go and pet her for a bit, and she'd enjoy it for a bit then suddenly snap and bite me. Sometimes she'd just hiss at me as soon as I got home. After a while, things settled down, and she would spend more time with me. We even got to the point when I could pick her up occasionally.

Then when I changed apartments, she got a little freaked out at first, but she loved the extra space and she opened up even more. I made the second bedroom her room so she had plenty of space to get away when she needed to.

Then my roommate moved in, so I had to move all her stuff into the sun room. She was a little confused again, and she started spending most of her time in my room, but she still seemed happy. She would sprawl out on my bed and lay in the sun, and she'd sleep on the corner of the bed.

Then I got Boots. I was told to keep them separate at first, and since Izzy spent most of her time in my room I figured it would be easiest to move her litter box and food into my room for a bit and let Boots have the run of the apartment. I kept them separate for a few weeks and Izzy seemed fine, then I slowly started to introduce them to each other.

They never really got along, but I was told the hissing/spitting/fighting was normal so I let it go. Now, Boots is getting more brazen about strutting around my room and Izzy just tries to keep out of sight.

She's always hiding somewhere dark and secluded:
under bed, in the closet, under the dresser, in the bath tub, behind the toilet, etc.

She only comes out of hiding for food. If I approach her gently, she will occasionally sniff my hand and let me pet her, but if she sees Boots, she immediately starts growling. When I shoo Boots off off, Izzy will continue to growl, and if I reach out to pet her she will take a swipe at me.

I don't really want to have to choose between cats here. I don't need them to be best buds, but it would be nice if Izzy didn't live like a prisoner all the time. I just don't know what to do.


Answer
Hi May,

You might want to try to reintroduce them again. I would keep Boots in the smaller area this time and let Izzy have run of the house. Also get a product called Feliway. It acts as a kitty tranquilizer. It sounds like Izzy is really stressed out. This should help her cope. I am attaching a great article on how to introduce the two of them.Just follow the guidelines. It should help a lot. Good luck and let me know what happens.

Ciao, Karen

From the San Francisco SPCA Cat Behavior Department

PROTOCOL FOR
CAT TO CAT
INTRODUCTIONS
·  Help settle the new cat in a small room with litterbox, food, water, toys, and a safe
place to hide (such as a cat carrier with a towel inside).
·  Let the new kitty become comfortable there for 3 or 4 days. Do not allow the cats
to interact during this time. It is fine for the resident cat to be sniffing under the
door and investigating.
·  Switch bedding and other items that have the scent of each of the cats on them.
This way each cat can become used to the scent of the other without meeting
face to face.
·  Spend quality time with each cat on either side of the door - petting, playing,
relaxing. Again, they will be aware of each other, in a non-stressful situation. This is
often reassuring to both of them.
·  If at any point the hissing is intense, or either cat is growling, continue to keep
them separate for as long as it takes the upset cat(s) to settle down. Other signs of
stress are: not eating, not using the litterbox appropriately, overgrooming, etc.
·  If there is no intense hissing from either cat (i.e. loud hissing with wide open mouth
and teeth showing, or multiple hisses), prop the door open just about an inch to
allow the cats to view each other without being able to make contact. Leave
the door like this for a few days. Watch their interactions; if no serious hissing or
aggression is noted, then it’s time for the next step. EXTRA STEPS FOR A SHY KITTY: If
the new cat is shy, the introduction must be taken more slowly. He will need extra
time to “settle” into his new environment, and to feel comfortable in his “safe”
room. It may be necessary to repeat the introduction and separation program
several times. This separation time is also an excellent time for you to spend time
bonding with each cat, one at a time, so that they do not over-bond to each
other.

·  Open the door and allow the cats to interact on their own time. Do not force
either cat to go from one space to another.
·  Supervise their interactions. Only let them interact for short sessions: 10 to 15
minutes at a time. Then separate them again. Do this several times a day until you
are sure they are tolerating the presence of the other cat, and not fighting,
chasing, or watching the other cat intensely. Do not leave them alone together
until you are reasonably certain that they will not hurt one another.
·  Sometimes it helps to distract the cats with several toys but keep the toys four or
more feet apart when playing. Sometimes cats play so hard, that they forget to be
upset about the other cat and start to become accustomed to the other cat’s
presence. There may be rivalry for toys, so this may not always work. Treats may
help alleviate this situation-give them treats in the presence of the other cats, to
distract and reward them—when they are not hissing.
·  Some cat to cat introductions go very smoothly, while others may take weeks or
months before the cats learn to tolerate each other. The best thing to do is to go
as slowly as necessary - don’t rush the introduction. We all want our cats to get
along well, and quickly. But, please remember that you are hoping and working
for a very long term relationship; being patient at first will pay off! Rushing the
introduction will often cause serious problems which may take longer to solve – or
in some cases, may never be solved.