Introducing new cat to old one

[Barbiecat1]

Good job rescuing this 3 year old! She is going to show you love many times over.

I keep them separate for 1 to 3 weeks. I have towels in their bedding, then start switching the towels so both can get the scent of the other one. Initially I only let them out together when I home AND HAVE THE TIME to observe them. Keep a water squirt bottle handy, to break up any interactions that get out of hand. Expect some hissing perhaps even a growl once or twice. NO charging one another allowed! (I don't know if the older one will bother with charging, doesn't sound like it.)

It doesn't sound like you will have much trouble, the young one is used to living with others, and the older one likely just wants to be left alone (From the other cat, not from you, lol). So expect that they will be able to live in peace, don't expect them to be best buddies and play together.

Be sure you have at least 2 litter boxes, not set next to each other. Sometimes in the early stages, one cat will 'guard' the boxes and not allow the other to use them. Hence, separate the boxes, and only one can be guarded at a time. You may want to feed them separately for a time as well, but eventually you can just set out one bowl and they will munch from it.

I said 1 to 3 weeks, I base this on how they are with the switched towels, and my patience dealing with the closed door, etc. You may bring them out when you are available to watch, then put them back in separate rooms while you cook, clean, even watching TV (especially if you are into the Olympics just now) your attention is not going to be wholly on them. Over time, let each take a turn being closed in the bedroom while the other has the whole house and access to you. Remember, the newbie needs time out and about to learn her way around the house, find where you keep things, the good places to jump up or crawl under in case she wants to retreat from the other one. So don't always keep her in the separate room.

If you can, you may want to keep them separate until after she recovers from her spay. Even if you have them out together, consider separating them again while she is healing, you don't want her to jump or run and open her surgery site.

Only issue I can see you may have is, the 3 year old will want to try and play with the oldie, and he may just not be up to it. If she pays attention, he will let her know to go away, stop, etc. and she will leave him be. If she is too full of young cat energy to pay attention to his warnings, he may have to snarl, swat her, etc to get her to mind her elders!

Good luck, let us know how it goes and share some photos!!!

All fantastic advice for sure. My current 17 yr old is in my photos in my profile here; I will have to get the new one up there too. My only concern is that the 17 yr old is blind; he may freak out more than normal not being able to see her, and he is a pretty possessive Siamese, so I really have my doubts about all of this. I definitely will not even try to get them together until WELL after she has healed, and yes, I am into the Olympics big time! I see you are a "neighbor" in RI, I am just outside of Hartford, CT myself. I agree, I am NOT a fan of having to make sure I keep the door closed and make sure neither of them darts to the other side.

[Karen]

All fantastic advice for sure. My current 17 yr old is in my photos in my profile here; I will have to get the new one up there too. My only concern is that the 17 yr old is blind; he may freak out more than normal not being able to see her, and he is a pretty possessive Siamese, so I really have my doubts about all of this. I definitely will not even try to get them together until WELL after she has healed, and yes, I am into the Olympics big time! I see you are a "neighbor" in RI, I am just outside of Hartford, CT myself. I agree, I am NOT a fan of having to make sure I keep the door closed and make sure neither of them darts to the other side.

His sense of smell will trump anything he could gain from sight, cat's noses are so much more sensitive than ours, and so the swapping of towels to get him used to her scent is more important then usual!

[moosmom]

Barbiecat1,

You're in CT??? I'm in East Hartford!!! What a small world! Would love to meet you sometime and maybe even your puddies!!!

[Barbiecat1]

We've already met Donna, remember the time I met you at your place of work in Manchester? I live right near the mall in South Windsor! Sure, we can meet again; maybe you can help me in person with the cat introductions, since you seem to be a cat lady!

[Barbiecat1]

His sense of smell will trump anything he could gain from sight, cat's noses are so much more sensitive than ours, and so the swapping of towels to get him used to her scent is more important then usual!

Thank you for saying that, I thought it would help too. She is getting spayed in a few weeks; should I wait to even start this introduction till she is healed from that?

[moosmom]

Barbiecat1,

Oh yeah, I completely forgot!!! I'd love to help you anyway I can. I'll PM you with my phone number. Give me a call.

[Barbiecat1]

That would be great. Thanks. I know you have had tons of kitties in your life (and still do), but I have NEVER had to integrate cats, and have had many tears and sleepless nights worrying about how to start and if it will ever work out. I don't want to stress the old guy (Koko) into death over this; he is the one I am more concerned about, not Nugget (the Tortie girl)