What should we do?

[Uabassoon]

We still haven't done the cat introductions yet. We have been letting my cats get used to Payson which for the most part it going really well. Yesterday Tuna escaped from the room and met Corkscrew. It did not go well!

I was just out of the shower when I heard Alexa scream "oh no!" but the time I got down the stairs there were tufts of orange and black hair everywhere! I threw my towel onto Corkscrew and grabbed him, but I was having a hard time keeping control of him and didn't think I'd be able to get him all the way upstairs to his room without dropping him. Alexa then went to grab Tuna and he bit her hard! He bit the vein in her wrist!

I quickly tossed Corkscrew in his room then went to help her with her wound. I asked her if she wanted to go to the ER but she said no, the bite looked really serious and last night she said that even her fingers were hurting. I was asleep when she left for school this morning so I don't know how the bite is doing today.

Are we even going to be able to introduce Corkscrew and Tuna again? Do they have to fight it out and establish something? I'm really scared to ever let them meet each other again.

[sasvermont]

There is no magic bullet I am afraid. Each circumstance warrants it's own take on "smooth landing" or introductions.

I would try leaving one on one side of a closed door and let them book it out under the space of the door......I have failed a couple of times at the introduction thing.......

I am sure some other folks will have some wonderful ideas for you.

Hope the wounds heal quickly. Ouch!

[Karen]

How close have they gotten to each other? Have you tried putting them in adjacent rooms with a shut door so they could get used to the smell of each other (from the air flow under the door) without having to duke it out? Have you left things with the other cats' smell in the room with them? Hmmmm - maybe some chemical intervention in the form of Rescue Remedy, or maybe catnip, if they're the kind of cat that reacts by getting really mellow afterwards, not if either is the "wild frenzy" reaction to catnip type ... My Dad used to bring catnip mice with him over to Lady's Human's place (before they moved 5 hours away) and so my brother would come home to three "stoned and mellow jello" cats lying about.

[Uabassoon]

We have Feliway plugins all over the house, one in my bedroom, one in the living room and one in Alexa's room. Corkscrew and Tibby and getting rescue remedy in their water because Corkscrew gets stressed out very easily. They have met before from under the door. Corkscrew and Tuna will sometimes bat at each other from under the door. They have also smelled each other because they take turns getting access of the full house so the cat trees in the living room and other places should have Tuna and Pocky's smell on them and by now should also have Tibby and Corkscrew's smell.

I just talked to Alexa and she said her bite isn't looking good. Her wrist is swollen and it hurts all the way to her fingers (the bite was on the vein in her wrist). She talked to her mom (a nurse practitioner) and is going to see her so she can get some antibiotics. So hopefully the antibiotics will help.

We were also worried about the outcome of Tuna if Alexa needed to go to the ER. I spoke with my boss at work because a while ago she was bit by her dog while trying to break up a fight. She said that Alexa would have to file a report on Tuna and they would at the very least require a home quarentine and would send someone over periodically to check on Tuna to make sure he didn't have rabies.

[Karen]

We were also worried about the outcome of Tuna if Alexa needed to go to the ER. I spoke with my boss at work because a while ago she was bit by her dog while trying to break up a fight. She said that Alexa would have to file a report on Tuna and they would at the very least require a home quarentine and would send someone over periodically to check on Tuna to make sure he didn't have rabies.

I think the rules are far different for dogs than cats when it comes to rabies, and Tuna has always been indoor-only, right?

[Uabassoon]

I think the rules are far different for dogs than cats when it comes to rabies, and Tuna has always been indoor-only, right?

Yes, Tuna is an indoor only cat. I never thought about the rules being different. But I can still understand her worry for Tuna. However at least she is going to see her mom today so she can have it checked out and get some medication.

[lvpets2002]

I really dont know && I am trying right now to introduce a new adopted baby (kitty) to my other five & its been tough.. This new baby wants to fight the others all the time even if they all just look at her.. I keep her in her own room when I am at work & when I am at home I let her run the house.. Pretty much the five others stay in the front rooms of the house & the new one stays in the back rooms of the house.. Maybe hopfully some day they will all start getting along. You may just have to keep your two babies seperated all the time.. Sorry I couldnt help much & best of luck..

[elizabethann]

Do have a couple of baby gates? Perhaps you can put them on top of eachother making a rather tall baby gate. That way they can see eachother and smell eachother but they can't attack eachother.

Just a thought.

P.S. I would watch over the cat bite since cat bites are pretty serious.

Good luck.

[lvpets2002]

Yup tried that with my second intro babie & Well need I say more I didnt buy two gates to stack & the next thing I knew they had jumped over & were battling it out on opposite sides hey at least they got introduced real fast I wrote it off as a learning experiance..

Do have a couple of baby gates? Perhaps you can put them on top of eachother making a rather tall baby gate. That way they can see eachother and smell eachother but they can't attack eachother.

Just a thought.

P.S. I would watch over the cat bite since cat bites are pretty serious.

Good luck.

[catnapper]

Oh no! I can tell you from experience that cat bites are very serious! Please urge her ot get a tetanus shot and it looked at by a doctor - she might need intraveneous antibiotics.

As for introductions - letting them sniff at each other under the door will help them acclimate to the smell of each other. LEt them play footsies under the door. It might take a few weeks, it might take a few months, but it usually does eventually work. There is the rare occaion where one or both kitties just refuse to like the other.

[Barbara]

I am no help on the introduction side but I definitely recommend Alexa gets her tetanus shots and antibiotics.
However I know I would tell I wanted to catch a stray and he bit me- you know that Tuna is inside and I guess he's up to date on his shots- so bacteria from dirty cat claws is all you can get- no rabies.

[caseysmom]

Most likely the things they would do for a dog bite they won't do for a cat but I am not sure. I definetely would not avoid medical treatment thought that sounds like a bad bite.