I have a 19 year female cat and we just got a 1 year old neutered male. The female cat stalks, scratches, ambushes, and hiss at the 1 year old male cat.
How long should this go on?
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
This is completely normal and your cat is very old. I did have a cat for 17 years and I thought this was a very long time. Your older cat just wants to be left alone and live out the rest of her life. She is not interested in playing with the new baby cat and this can take time for them to adjust and get along. Your other cat has dominated your home for many years and now is not so willing to share it with the new baby. For right now try to keep them seperated and only allow the baby around your other cat for short period of time.
My female cat grew up with a male cat. The male cat past away about 18 months ago. So she has been the only cat in the house until we got the male cat about a month ago. The house is big enough for them both to have their own space.
Awww!
Has the resident gal been to the vet lately and did she get a clean bill of health last time she was there? I always ask because sometimes behavior issues can be prompted by a health issue (and just exacerbated by having the "interloper" in the house).
If your female has/gets a clean bill of health, then the intro process needs to be slow and safe.
Have them spend time in a supervised location where you can give them each equal love and time. Let them attempt to interact BUT, if you see things getting dangerous, separate them and try again.
Best to keep them separate until they can figure it all out, which they usually do after one (probably the female) sets herself as the dominant cat.
Now I will tell you sometimes it never works, especially with a cat that old. I used to cat sit cats that had to live upstairs and downstairs from each other, because the old gal never liked the new boy.
It worked for them. Actually, at one point there were three cats, 1 per level because a second gal joined the group after her mommy went to a nursing home and she hated the boy and the old gal.
Everyone was happy, healthy and had separate, but equal spaces, and each had their own lovie time!
Sometimes cats (like people) just cannot live together. So they have to live together, apart.
Post back what you learn! Blessings!
It's hard for your older cat after all of these years to get use to the new kid(cat). It will take time for your female to get used to your male!
Give each cat a blanket with the others scent.
Give the older cat a perch so it can demonstrate dominance.
Spend individual time with each cat.
Keep them separate for some of the time.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
