introducing a new cat

[KittenCamile]

Hey,

We have two female cats, 2yrs old and sisters. A friend has moved to a flat and her indoor-outdoor cat had been depressed at being an indoor cat so I decided we could look after him. He arrived last night, he is 2 yrs old aswell and much bigger than my girls.

I did lots of research about introducing them, everywhere says to give him a safe room, we did but he hated being shut in one room, he cried and scratched at the door so much we let him out. So all the cats have seen each other.

There have been no flights, the boy has just growled (no hissing) a little at the girls and one of my cats has growled back a few time but mainly they have just been eye balling each other when in sight.

Our cats are indoor-outdoor cats and we have had to block the cat flap to stop the new boy getting out. One of my girls sneeked out this morning and so I put the other one out for 30mins and then bought them both back in. I have to go to work on friday though and I worried they are going to be so mad they can't go out, can anyone help me think of a solution?

Also my girls seem to have taken over upstairs while new boy has downstairs, I don't know if this is a good thing or not! They are all happily a sleep and quite ok when separate but I don't want the girls to feel pushed out.

They have all eaten a little and drank a little water but not as much as normal.

Anyone with any experience? Can I be doing anything else? Have I got this totally wrong? I just don't know! (I have felloway plug ins in the bedroom where my girls seem to be residing and in the living room)

Any help or tips greatly appreciated. Thank you

[Lovethesea]

Sounds like it's going really well if no fur is flying! I'd feed them together, move the bowls closer and closer and give treats when they are together, it reassures them that food is not going to be a problem now there is a third mouth.

I'd keep the new boy in for 3 weeks so it'll be awkward just getting your girls in and out for a little while, then Catflap all the way. Perhaps shut the girls out Friday when you work and put a box or leave a shed open for them outside til you are home. The boy can have the run of the house!

Otherwise swap around blankets they use so the smell becomes shared among them all, spaces to hide or escape, tons of dreamies and food so no one fears starving.

When our new rescue arrived last year it was a pain to keep shutting kitchen doors before letting the resident cat in and out but it was soon over and now they are utterly happy together.

[KittenCamile]

That's amazing reassurance! Yes the one and only time they have hissed at each other has been when one was eating. I have loaded up on dreamies (god they love that stuff!)

Their bowls are currently on opposite sides of the kitchen so maybe in the morning I will put them side by side. One of my girls has eaten quite a few times today (she is the greedy one) but the other has mainly stayed out of the way. I feel better after reading your reply, I haven't done this before and I don't know what's good! I really don't want to upset my happy girls. Thank you

[Lovethesea]

I think your happy girls will soon adjust to bossing around the new boy if my home is anything to go by.

Dreamies are like crack for cats aren't they?!? Amazing things. I moved the bowls a bit closer each day and gave the new cat a cardboard box to retreat to in a quiet room for when it all got too much. Resident cat is my hunter so he alternated between laying outside the new cats door and going off to the fields for a potter, he was more fascinated and wary than aggressive. I built up the time they were in shared space, so new cat had no room and came out when hunter was locked out to sniff around. Then slowly eating with the door open, then closer etc, until it all settled.

Mine did some hissing under the door at each other, and a few weeks after arrival resident cat tried a playful jump onto new cat who is half his size. She swore so blue he has never tried it again! They do chase about sometimes or watch each other. Huntercat calls us all when he brings something in and new cat sits fascinated with the mouse but doesn't want to eat it.

Now they sleep near each other on my bed, occasionally lick each other, sniff at tails and mouths, share food and treats without any issue and both tolerate my mad kids enormously well. They are nice company for each other when we humans are out too, though very different characters.