The smell of other cats...

[catnapper]

Do your cats react to the smell of strange cats? Today I got a wonderful gift box from someone who has a few cats. Pouncer jumped in the box and sniffed sniffed sniffed. He was there forever. When he jumped out of the box, Harry jumped in. It was all so sweet and cute - or so I thought.

At one point, Pouncer went to lay down next to the box, and I went to pick him up after he laid down. He didn't react well... HUGE hiss and growl. I put him down and tried again - this time he hissed and snapped at me... like he was about to bite, and then thought better of it and turned his head at the last second to avoid actually biting me!

At this point, I was stunned and really mad at his behavior. I picked him up and brought him to my bedroom to see if taking him away from the box would help his aggression, and it only made it worse. Hubby took one look at him and heard the serious growl and was also stunned. I tried to feed him treats to show him I am still nice, and that he wasn't going to have to share his food (thinking the aggression stemed from fear of sharing food, like it did with Harry). He greedily ate the treats (all the while growling at me for holding him)

This is the behavior he exhibited when I would bring new fosters in. Even after he got used to their smells and started playing with the fosters, he still acted like that. Now, months after the last new foster, he finally started acting like "normal Pouncer" and I was all excited to get a new foster since Pouncer was finally back to himself.

Wha can I do about this behavior? Is it normal?

[catmandu]

Everytime,I go,to the door,to see how,theStarys,are doing ,Moose has to come over,and growl,like aBear.He knows,that there are Stray Cats,out there,and according,to the Moose,that is where they belong,no room,at the inn,he says!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

When we first brought CJ home, Peanut could only sniff under the door at him. However, when I came out of the bathroom and went to pick her up, she hissed up a storm and growled at me. She has never done this before, so I know it was because I smelled like Crackers.

I do believe it's normal behavior, but I don't know what to suggest you do about it other than leaving him alone when he acts like that. Try the reverse psychology thing like we're trying on Peanut. Can't guarantee results, but it's worth a try!

I'm taking it Pouncer is Alpha cat?

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Both my cats smell it when I have been seeing other cats or pets!! They sniff sniff sniff all over me . Inka even licks my hands when she suspects that I touched another cat! But they are never agressive over it....

[catnapper]

Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom
I'm taking it Pouncer is Alpha cat?

No he's not! Allen is Alpha Cat around here. Maybe he's worried about being knocked further down the greek alphabet into Zeta Cat????

[smokey the elder]

I delivered a foster on Sunday and the fellow had a tortie and white cat who had to "inspect" me and my bag, which smelled both of my own cats and the foster. She was fine about it, though. Good thing, since she got a new sis-fur!

[mina'smomma]

Ok now everyone is scaring me here. Is this what is going to happen when I adopt Kasie who btw we are thinking about renaming? Why we are on the subject how should I go about introducing the two of them.

[catnapper]

The younger they are the easier introdcutions are. They generally love the company and want a playmate. You'll be fine introducing a kitten to a kitten. Pouncer is a spoiled grown-up cat. Emphasis on spoiled.

[mina'smomma]

How should I go about introducing the two of them?

[lady_zana]

I work in a library and sometimes I'll bring a book home and won't realize that it has been in a house with other cats until my cats see it. They all have different reactions.

Weezie - She screams and hisses at this scary square cat.

Grey Girl - rubs up against it and loves on it as if telling the book, I'm sorry you're an ugly square cat.

Eepie - Huh? Cat smell? Huh? Where's my chow? Ah, I'm going back to sleep.

[catnapper]

Originally posted by mina'smomma
How should I go about introducing the two of them?

First, you might want to have at least one night of the new cat being kept in a separate room from Mina. Try to give Mina a blanket the new kitten slept on and the new kitten one Mina slept on so they can smell each other and get used to the smells. If they start sniffing under the door and trying to bat at each other under the door then you can try a supervised face-to-face intorduction. For the first few days let them pay together a bit longer each time. Watch them closely. If they start batting each other.. thats fine and normal. But make sure the claws are retracted. It the claws are out then separate them for a bit. Read their body language - it speaks volumes. You will know when they are ready to be trusted to have free-roam of the house alone together. Until then keep them apart when you are not home.

When they start cuddling and grooming each other, you know you hit paydirt and will have lifelong friends!

[mina'smomma]

Well the only problem is they both will be declawed by then. Mina is schedule for her surgery at the end of the month. She has a condition in which her claws are growing bac into her paws causeing her pain so unfortunately the alternative to letting her suffer is to have them removed. Kasie is already declawed and microchipped too.

[catnapper]

Well then you won't have to worry about them clawing each other will you? LOL Just keep and eye out on them gettign stressed with each other because declawed cats tend to bite more so than clawed cats... so just really watch body laguage. I've never seen kittens fight badly, so you most likely won;t have any biting issues between the two - just a warning to keep an eye out. Expect the worst and get the best!

[K & L]

They sure do! I still think this is the reason the peed when Kevin came home from KY. His sister has cats and I just bet they smelled them!

[mina'smomma]

So another words make sure they are drawing blood or knocking each other into the furnace?