New Cat In The House

One yr ago my husband rescued 2 feral kittens. we have two house cats ruby jane 7and roo also7 . roo is a very large male who lost his front paws ann his left ear ,they are both sweeties. the male kitten who now 17mo was easy. he move in the house in jan. everything went great ,wll maybe not at first but ok now. today we brought Xena the warrior cat into the house.she is avery tough little cookie. she has spent 12 adys in 70ft pine tree without food or water. live in and out our garage for the past 16mos.she is now in my spareroom howling the other cats are sitting at the door. we live in the northwest and it get very cold. my husband spent last winter sitting in the col garage with her . we need advice . anyone help.

Thank you for rescuing these cats.

What kind of help do you need?

just need ideals on how to get her to be part of our family. she is so scared of anyone or any ting but my husband. nanci

I can only tell you what has worked for me. I have 11 who were/are semi-feral at the moment. Some have been here since 2001 and are still not real friendly.

Borrow a large cage. Put it where the action is. Provide food, water and a litter box. If the cat seems to be freaking out, cover the cage with a sheet for a few days. Keep the noise level down as much as you can too. After the cat seems to be less upset, remove the sheet. Talk to the cat a lot, using a quiet voice. If you can, pet the cat several times a day. Eventually the cat will accept the petting and possible even want more. How long to keep the cat in the cage will vary with the cat's acceptance of you.

If the cat is not a complete, freaking feral, confine it to a room with the food, water and litter box. Visit often, bringing tidbits of food and a lot of quiet talk. Read or watch TV in the room with the cat. Let the cat come to you when it's ready. When you think it's time to integrate the family, install a screen door to the room so the animals can smell each other. Or only allow one of the other pets into the room at a time. There will be squalling and hissing at first. Hopefully no serious cat fights. When everyone has met and seem to tolerate each other, open the door and walk away. The new cat needs to be able to come out on her terms.

It has taken up to 4 years for some of mine to feel comfortable enough to come out of the cat room when I'm there. Some didn't wait a day.

It takes a lot of patience.
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Xena sounds like my cat, Shai. She was (and is) a spitfire. I thought for 3 years that she was still afraid of me. I sent her picture to the pet communicator and discovered she wasn't afraid of ANYTHING. In fact she was insulted that I thought that. I apologized and she immediately became more friendly. But on HER terms, of course. She came out of the room quickly but wouldn't let me touch her before. Now she will sit on my lap (when she chooses to) and sleep with me, a dog and another cat part of the night. And this happened within 3 weeks of my apology!

Please keep us updated on what method you use and how well it works.....or doesn't. You might get lucky and have her sitting with you in a few days.

Everything Mruffruff posted is right on target. I have also brought in semi feral cats. Giving them a place where they can feel safe is very helpful. My Cuddles has been indoors for 2.5 years and just this month started to venture out of the bedroom. She hasn't left that room willingly (I DO have to get her to the vet now and then!) in all this time. She feels safe in there, eats, drinks, uses the litter box.

It takes time for them to adapt. Let things progress at the cat's pace. This let's the cat feel some control and helps keep the cat calm. always approach the cat slowly and calmly, speaking softly. I would randomly take in a cat toy or catnip and place it on the bed for Cuddles. Initially, she jumped off the bedand hid undr it each time I entered. Eventually, if I was not looking AT her, and placed the toy and left, she remained on the bed.

After over a year, she started to approach me at night. This is when we are least threatening to the cat. Lying down, half asleep. And she learned that petting was NICE! Mmmmm. That was the beginning of making lots of progress. We have a set back each time I have to "trap" her for a vet visit, for shots, to be spayed, etc.

Don't force her to be best buddies with you ro the other cats. All you are doing for no is letting her know that all of you can co exist peacefully. By having your expectations right, you will feel better and recognize progress as she makes it on her terms.

Bless you for helping this kitty!

Having rescued ferals and semi-ferals for approx. 15 years, I can tell you that each cat is different. But the advice that you received in the previous posts is right on. Bless you for rescuing this kitty, good luck and keep us posted. :)

thanks for all the good advice.things are going good. she is eating and using the litter box. she is letting dave brush her and hold her .she seems intrested in roo, he,s the one with no front paws .abig handsom orange tabby.he is such a gentle soul, not too be fooled he can do almost anything a normal cat can. our net challange will be getting her to the vet for booster. we had both her and scout fixed last fall. :) thanks