I have a new cat question...

Ok, I've introduced you guys to my new baby, Zach. I've been trying to slowly introduce him and the other five kitties slowly. He spends some of his day in the bathroom and while he is out, the others are in the basement so they have access to their litter boxes. I have on occassion, missed one because I though they were all in the basement. There is some hissing as to be expected, and he just looks at the hisser like "What's your problem?" I do have a couple that I think are going to take longer to adjust to him as they are still hissing pretty good just from under the door. Nothing really seems to bother him, but he has taken a few swipes at the dog because she goes in to smell him to fast, I think. I hate keeping him in the bathroom, but you have to do what is best for all of them. I'm wondering how long it'll take before I can let them all out together when we're home?

Since he's been out off and on and has not sprayed anything or even attempted to spray anything do you think that I'm in the clear of that fear? Or might he start when they are face to face?


Has anyone tried putting vanilla on their kitties so they all smell the same? Does it work?

Thanks!

 

maybe you could start by introducing him to the cats that appear to be more accepting. That way he won't be so overwhelmed by 5 cats at once.
My quieter cat is my Missy and she's always my introduction tester LOL she's a nose sniffer and if that goes well then I'll introduce another in a day (these are the fosters I'm doing intros with). Zeus is always last cause for some reason none of the fosters have liked him.

 

I love getting new kitties, but I hate trying to introduce them to the exisitng ones. I've never done it slowly, have always brought the new new in and put it in the litter box and let them figure it out because I didn't know I was supposed to do it slowly.

Small update...I purposely left one out tonite when I let him out. ALl Nikki does is sleep on the kitchen chair and tonite was no exception. He even hoeeed up on a chair across from her and nothing from her at all. I do know that she'll eventually hiss at him at some point when he gets closer. Then one of the boys was puttin ghis dirty clothes in the basement and one of the others got out and she's a growler. I sat on the floor and she came to me for loves and ptes so I obliged her talking to her in a soft reassuring voice and also talking to him. She looked at him a few times and they had a stare down with him blinking, which I believe is a sign of submission correct me if I'm worng, and she started up the steps and stopped and looked at him and growled. He inturn turned around and got the wiggly butt and chased after her, but no growling or hissing from him. Is he trying to play with her??

I've had cats for a long time, but somtimes have a hard time reading them.

 

good sight on cat body language (you'll want to see the last one)
http://www.kittyangels.org/language.html

 

She initiated the stare down, and I've seen it done in all of the new kitties I've brought in. But he was blinking to her, so I'm not sure wha tthe deal was with the chase. She was growling when I got up the stairs, which I knew she would be. Have you tried the vanilla?

I hate this part of 'new kittydom'!

 

blinking is usually eye kisses...I love those

 

That's what I thought. He did it several times and them did the wiggly butt (ears up) and off he went.

I've even been feeding the evening meal outside the bathroom door where he is so they get used to the smell of him, and still have a couple that are growling. Am I trying to rush things? We brought him home last Wednesday and I thought I might be able to feed outside the door without the growling by now. I've even put the worst growlers in his bathroon when he's not in there so they can get used to his smell.

Kitties...what would we do without them??

 

I agree with Mary on trying to introduce one at a time starting with the most accepting ones. This is exactly what I did with Richie. Because he was so scared I did'nt want to overwhelm him by introducing him to all six cats plus the dogs at the same time. After he met all the cats, one by one and then two at a time when he was more comfortable with the first one I then slowly introduced him to the dogs...things went very well doing it this way.