Getting a new rescue Persian with current rescue boy.

[ZealAndArdour]

Hello,

Due to go and collect another rescue baby tomorrow, a little two year old doll face Persian boy. He’s traumatised from mistreatment in his previous home, he wasn’t brushed for four months, by which time he was so matted that he couldn’t walk or poo. He was in a very poor state and is very nervous of humans because of this, in the end he had to be sedated at the vets and have all the matted fur shaved off.

The rescue don’t have any concerns at all about him integrating with my current cat (another rescue boy, who was painfully shy and scared on arrival but is now now the most loving attached cat ever). They say new boy doesn’t bat an eyelid at the constant stream of other cats coming into the rescue, and really likes them all. When we adopted our first boy they told us he liked other cats too. They’re both neutered too.

Discussed methods of introduction with the rescue, they are so confident about New boy integrating with Current Cat, that they advise just letting them get on with it, essentially. They said to put the carrier down with new cat in it, and let current cat have a look at him and a sniff and take our cues from there. If there’s any discontent then go for a shorter version of the separate rooms/not letting them see each other method, but aim to have it all over and done with in a couple of days so that new boy doesn’t get too attached to the spare room “territory”. But if they’re both fine then just to let new boy out. I know he’s instantly going to run away from us because he’s so scared of humans so probably going to do this intro in the spare room so new boy has lots of hidey places and his litter/food, etc all set up and we’ll set a cat cam up too so we can keep an eye on him.

Bit concerned about how we’ll keep on top of the Persian grooming in the early weeks when he’s likely to be terrified of us!

Any other tips or tricks?
Or Persian advice?

Ive bought every cat brush known to man, we’ve got a variety of dreamies, lick-E-lix, tuna loin, tinned tuna, shrimp, chicken, and loads of normal cat food, etc. And a Feliway friends plug in, separate litter tray, food bowls, toys and bed for new boy too. Insurance quote done and he’s registered at the vets.

Thanks! Pics attached, little Tabby is our current baby, the big fluff ball is the new boy coming to join us!

Another new boy picture for a bump!

I think you'll have your work cut out keeping him knot free.

Ah, they’re both gorgeous! Sounds like you’re all set up, but hope he settles in quickly and your ‘in situ’ cat gets on with him. After a couple of days, maybe try a gentle short brush while he’s occupied eating, to get him used to the feel of it?

Can't help, but what a stunning cat.

He's a long haired version of my friends Persian! Get a tangle teaser and a metal Comb. Go over him daily with the tangle teaser. Cotton wool pads and cooled boiled water for the eyes .
Find a professional groomer and take him every three months or so. It's expensive! Persians are pretty chilled out.
I plonked my new IV's dish in the carrier and her new sister came for a sniff, and that was that. But they are both very placid cats.

Good luck, Persians are the best!

Keep the bum and trousers very short!!

Beautiful furries. Good luck!

If I pop out at all in the next few weeks do you think I should keep new boy in his safe room rather than leaving them the run of the house together, in case there’s any fall outs? And keep free access to each other/the whole house for when I can be in earshot/around to supervise.

I was quite prepared to do the long introduction method, although it seemed very long winded, but the rescue saying just to let them at it has thrown me a bit.

Managing to groom him when he’s going to be so scared is worrying me, I don’t want him to get matted and end up even more traumatised, but that would be the same with whoever adopted him, so someone has got to get it sorted at some point.

I do hope it all goes okay! Thanks for your advice everyone.

I’ve found some local cat groomers, the going rate for a bath, brush out, ears and eyes cleaned and a nail trim seems to be about £85, does that fit with what you’d expect?

Is it imperative that Persians have baths? I’ll do or pay for whatever he needs, but I just can’t imagine based on what I’ve observed and been told that anyone is ever going to manage to bath him without losing an eye 😂

I pay £45 for my Persian for a tidy up. I don't think they need baths. My previous groomer never bathed them. Just gave them a really good comb out. My friends cat's groomer is also anti bath. But my current groomer will only bath them and then clip with clippers. I'm not overly keen on it. But magic tolerates it, and it's the only groomer I can find!

£85 is very steep. My friend pays £50for his short haired bundle of fury!

The lady I’ve found at £85 is also a vet nurse in her full time job so I wonder if that influences her pricing, perhaps she’s going to have some extra tricks up her sleeve for dealing with the scaredy cats.

She seems to photograph all the freshly bathed and combed cats in some kind of soft focus Olan Mills style, posed on a pile of pink satin fabric, which is very 80’s and kitsch (and adorable). I’ll probably give a few of them a call when I can start to see how we’re progressing with him, and see who gives me the best vibes. I can only hope we get to a point with Hickory where he can sit all nicely and calmly while some lady photographs him and his freshly preened beard.

I found a furminator good for my Maine Coin. Either Aldi or Lidl do a knock off on pet weeks.

I’ve bought him a furminator and I’ve been practicing with it on my tabby cat. Was surprised how much loose fur he was harbouring, tbh. I’ve also got a plain metal cat comb, and then standard cat slick brush but with the little beads on the end of the bristles so it doesn’t hurt his skin. I’m going to order a tangle teaser too, just so I’ve got everything and can see whichever one he seems most amenable too.

The rescue say he loves roast chicken and that’s the best way to bribe him to stay on your lap, so I will have to keep some on hand for him.

He’s been with the rescue couple about 2-3 months and he has got to a point where he’ll come out in the evenings and approach them when they’re sitting quietly on the sofa and let them hand feed him, or he’ll sit on top of a cabinet and just watch everything, apparently he’s very averse to being handled or interacted with during the day at all.

Don't use a furminator on a long haired cat. It takes off the top coat but not the under coat. A metal comb is your friend. You might find he behaves at the groomers. My friends cat will not allow him to touch her. But at the groomer, she's an angel!

I think I’d do slow introductions, if it goes wrong you’ve got a hill to climb to fix it.

We’ve got him!

We opted to let them both have a sniff of each other while the new boy was still in his carrier and it was fine, resident cat spent a few seconds looking at him and slowly edged closer to give him a sniff for a little bit. No bad reactions, everyone stayed calm and curious.

Then we whisked new boy upstairs to the room we’ve set up for him and he slowly made his was out, having a good look around and getting the lay of the land before retreating to hid behind something. We decided to leave him to it at that point to settle down from the stress, knowing we’d be able to see him on the cat cam, and no sooner had we shut the door than he came out and started exploring.

We’ve not been back in since, just left him to it, but have been eagerly awaiting camera notifications to see what he’s up to. Resident cat has been sniffing at the door and has gone to sleep on the landing outside, bless him.

I think everything has gone as well as it possibly could have done, so far! He looks like he needs a good brush and he’s a bit smelly but we’ve time to sort that once he starts to settle.

Yay!

Ahh how lovely!he’s a beaut! I’ve had 4 rescue Persians & all came scared & mistreated & ALL ended up being the softest, most loving & happy cats. Takes time & patience but they all come good once they know & trust you! 1 of mine took 2 years🤣

I would do grooming very very slowly & not for the first week or so & start at 30 second brush while feeding cheese dreamies & build it up from there! Also, once settled, I would get some cheap low noise clippers & put them on while you give dreamies (but not clipping fur or grooming, just to get them used to the sound. Just so in future, if you need to clip lugs out it will be easy peasy! Good luck & we’ll done you for giving him a chance, they’re wonderful cats!