How to proceed

[Marjorie]

Hi Sara. I can certainly sympathize with you.

I recently had a situation occur where I needed to reintroduce our cats (mama and daughter) due to redirected aggression. I was able to separate these two (upstairs cat/downstairs cat) for safety but the reintroduction period dragged on into four weeks where neither would approach the see-through barrier if the other one was there. Ultimately, I tried applying Feliway spray to the barrier which must have really been an attractant because both girls were drawn to it. They, at least, began looking at each other.

My next step was territory swapping (kind of) where mama got confined to a bedroom and daughter was allowed the run of the house for most of the day and they could get almost nose-to-nose through the bedroom door. (Daughter had been confined to the downstairs rooms)

This went on for a few days with no hissing or growling so I opened the barrier and just sat with my downstairs girl and let mama come down to explore. Oddly enough this went without incident and the next day I opened the barrier and left it open.

That was a couple of weeks ago and these two have resumed their original relationship with no more conflict.

I really think it was the territory swapping that was the turning point for us.

It’s so distressing when introductions seem to drag on. I hope your fur babies will find some common ground and build a peaceful relationship. It sounds like you’ve been doing all the right things.

[Sara]

Thank you for your reply. We have tried so many things from books, I’ve forgotten some of the things we tried. We did try the area “swapping” and I had totally forgotten. It did seem to settle Lucy down a little, but we still could not move beyond the gate. We are going to start it up again today letting Lucy check out Rickys place (downstairs) while letting Ricky check out Lucys (upstairs) rooms. I’m so glad you said it worked for you, so we’ll start from scratch and try it again. One more question if you don’t mind. They each have their own box. When swapping rooms, they of course are interested in the others’ boxes. do you let the other cat use the others box while swapping? I’m afraid of pushing Lucy over the edge. LOL She is a typical psycho calico, Ricky is a typical laid back lover orange guy.

[Melina]

Hi Sara

Thank you for reaching out.

It sounds like you’ve taken the proper steps to introduce both cats. However, it’s important to remember that each cat is an individual, so we may need to try different approaches to help Lucy adjust emotionally to a new companion in the home.

A great way to move forward is by introducing clicker training.

Start by clicker training each cat to respond to the following cues: “Sit,” “Stay,” and “Go to a Mat.”

Once they are clicker trained, you can remove the gates by keeping Lucy occupied when Ricky is in the room. Engaging her with clicker training and teaching her stationing behavior (e.g., sitting on a mat) will minimize her need to fixate on Ricky since she will be busy devouring treats and getting brushed (if she enjoys it).

You can also train Lucy to wear a harness and leash indoors. This will allow you to remove the gate and introduce the cats to each other in a controlled manner.

During stressful events or cat-cat introductions, I also like to include Zoopharmacognosy https://www.instagram.com/petnurtureaus/reel/DO_4qQ3E2yO/dried using Valerian root and rosebuds. This may help relax the resident cat.

All of the above need to be done gradually. The most important things are using positive reinforcement, remaining calm and positive, and having short, consistent training sessions.

Please keep us posted on how things progress!

Sending love & healing

Melina

instagram.com

Pet Nurture on Instagram: "What is Zoopharmacognosy? “Zoopharmacognosy is a behaviour in which non-human animals self-medicate by selecting and ingesting or topically applying plants, soils and insects with medicinal properties, to prevent or reduce the harmful effects of pathogens, toxins, and even other animals. The term derives from Greek words zoon (“animal”), pharmacon (“drug, medicine”), and gnosis (“knowledge”).’” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoopharmacognosy 😻Why Is It So Important to Allow and Encourage Cats to Self-Select? Bringing nature’s pharmacy to your pets and allowing your cat to self-select and make choices provides a fantastic experience for both of you. We can bring many fresh and dried herbs into our homes to enrich our cats’ environment. With their innate ability, cats can smell the #herbs , inhale them, roll on them, and crush their aromatics. This provides value for our cats physically, emotionally, and mentally. 😻How to Encourage Cats to Self-Select? To promote #calmness and help ease your cat’s anxiety, prepare a medium-sized towel or blanket as seen in this photo and place the following herbs: valerian root and rosebuds. Observe your cat’s reactions and respect their choices regarding the chosen herbs and their #medicinal properties."

In this video, we explore the fascinating world of zoopharmacognosy, where cats use their natural instincts to select and apply medicinal plants and substances. We discuss the importance of allowing cats to self-select and provide tips on how to encourage … Continue reading

[Sara]

thank you for your reply and input! I have ordered a clicker from Amazon and will give it a try. 🙂 God bless. 🙂

[Marjorie]

Hi Sara. Yes, I let the girls use each other’s litter boxes as well.

I provide three litter boxes for my girls in different areas of the house so they can always have unbothered access.

During our territory swapping they also had a chance to explore and use each other’s toys and beds.

My girls are picky eaters and aren’t interested in each other’s food but I expect if you separate their eating areas, your two might find that intriguing enough to be curious about one another.

I frequently offer new foods just to try to get my girls to eat something different. I try feeding from a spoon sometimes so it looks like something new is actually a treat.

I hope these ideas help.

[Sara]

Majorie, that is very helpful. We were worried about allowing them to use each other’s boxes and make things worse. We’re starting today with the area swap and see if we can’t get to a place where they can be loose in the house at the same time. I’s say what we did before just wasn’t long enough. Fingers crossed! Thank you again and God bless. 🙂