Please Give Advice

Hi, my name is Mark McMahon. I've had my male cat, Zack, for about a year and a half. He's the nicest cat anybody could have, very gentle. He's fat, although I do make him exercise daily. He's never ever hurt a human being. About 2 months ago, as I would go to visit my grandmother, I noticed a kitten always roaming around her house. So I started to feed it, and this became a daily routine. She was very skinny, but not underfed. She was very affectionate, very nice. She would start to purr within seconds of petting her. I went around and asked nearby neighbors if they have a stray cat that roams around or if they lost one. I also called the local human society. Nobody reported a missing cat, so I decided to take her home. I kept her locked in my bedroom, which gave plenty of space to run around. I just wanted her to stay away from Zack. I named her Sonya. I took her to the vet, and they said she didn't have any diseases or whatever. So I took her home and introduced her to Zack, and as soon as she saw him she started hissing and ran right after him. I had to grab her. The very next day she was spayed and declawed. (Zack was also neutered and declawed but he was young when we did it to him). Anyways, I kept her in my room for another week or so until she healed up, which she did in record time. Zack has his own room, but I needed the room for something, so I moved both Zack and Sonya's litter pans into the basement, which is cool, and there is very much space. I put their litter pans and food bowls near their boxes. They are on the same wall but spaced out alot. Now the vet said she is 1-2 years old. So they are basically the same age. Both are EXTREMELY nice to people. She simply hates him. He avoids her, he isn't scared but just wants to steer clear of her. Sometimes she goes after him and they swat at each other, but nothing serious like biting. She gets very jealous of him when we pet him and such. Anyways, they just fight all the time and it's beginning to get annoying, because the other day she scared him and he fell down the stairs, which scared me. Thankfully he was fine. It's been about 3 weeks that they've been together and there's been no cooperation as of yet. Please give me advice on how I can get Sonya and Zack to get along.

Thanks!

 

:m23: Mark and welcome. What a nice thing to do to take in a stray. I can't even get a stray that roams my yard to come anywhere near me. Socialization among cats may not always be easy. Sometimes it takes months or years. For others, almost immediate. Getting products like Feliway can help calm both cats.

Some good read:

http://www.hsus.org/ace/13902

http://petplace.netscape.com/articles/artShow.asp?artID=1806

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/behavior.html

When you have a chance, we'd love to see pics!

 

Welcome to the forum!

I think that eventually your cats will at least learn to tolerate one another. Some cats just take a bit longer than others. If I remember correctly, there was one member here with a similar dilema in which it took 6 months before the cats tolerated each other. With your female previously being a stray it may take a bit longer since she may have had to "fight" for territority or food in the past.

 

Hi and welcome to Auspet. I was going to post the link to a site I post here a lot, but Vene posted it. There are plug-ins which you can purchase called: Feliway with ComfortZone. I have a few friends who say it was the best product they ever got to help their cats calm down and get along.

Since you had your cats declawed you may want to take some time to read about possible behavioral and medical problems that may occur from declawing, just so that you are prepared incase this turns out to be an issue. I hope both of your cats will soon be good pals, or at the very least tolerate each other.

 

Hello Mark and welcome!

You've already gotten some great advice but I'll tell you my story. I introduced my female cat to a house of 3 male cats and 2 dogs a year and a half ago. I then threw a female kitten into the mix just to make things interesting

It took a good few months before calmness took over. Hissing and growling are normal. I used Feliway spray and the plug in's. I think the product is great and I really think it made a difference. All the cats get along great now on different levels. Some are best buds and play with each other. Some are just on the "tolerate" level but I haven't heard a hiss or growl in ages. Oh wait...except for at the dogs :lol: The cats rule the house though...heehee

Patience and lots of love will help the process along. Try to give each one alone time with you during their adjustment period.

How is feeding time? Do they eat together?

Maybe having another cat will help Zack shed some pounds too. How overweight is he? What kind of toys do you have for them to play with? One of the favorite interaction toys I have in the house is a circle will a ball along the outside of it that doesn't come out. In the center is a cardboard scratcher that I add catnip to every once in a while. I have found that every cat, from the kitten to the 15 year old, like to bat this ball around the circle. Sometimes another cat will come watch and wait for their turn to play.

Well I think I've rambled on enough...keep us updated on the progress!

 

my line of thinking is you introduced the 2 shortly after the spay and (choke choke) declawing and especially with her being older she might have still been in pain. I'd isolate her again and start over. Keep her separated from him for 2 more week and introduce them slowly.

Check the link on my profile for more detailed declawing info too please. It's too late now but I hope in the future you'll find out more about what declawing entails and then find alternate measures to train your cats to not scratch your furniture.

 

This is my pal Zack, and he's proud to be an American! Lol, he just loves that blanket.

This is my Sonya on her favorite sleepy place, the computer chair.

Who doesn't love furballs?!

 

And in reply to all, Zack is 15 lbs. and Sonya is 7 lbs. The vet said that I should get him to exercise anyway that I could. His favorite toy is the laser pointer, hehe...Sonya will roll around for an hour with a little toy mouse, boy is that cute.
Yeah I'm moving out next year and I'll probably get a cat, and I'll train it to stay off furniture instead of declawing it. I had no choice while at home. My sister trained her cats just fine to use a scratching post and cat tree for all of their clawing needs.

 

Both of your cats are beautiful! Thanks for sharing the photos.

 

they look so much alike it's uncanny. They look like very nice cats

 

Love their pics. They look like Bengals! What do you think Lynn? Lynn- hello, are you there? :0011: These could be Rene and Max's relatives. LOL's! :mrgreen:

 

I'm thinking it's Alpha and terrotorial behavior. Most cats will eventually work it out for themselves. And if I'm right, you can expect jelousy. And don't even hope that they'd share a litterbox LOL.

Beauties, both of them!

 

my cat shadow treats buster, my older cat like that especialy if hes the one getting attention and shes not. the've been togther for almost 4 years. it got so bad that buster was afraid to go into my room (shadows room) without me going up with him. the past week or so buster has been fighting back when she attacks him and she has been atacking him less often. i think that zack just needs to learn that he has to fight back and then when he does after a while sonya will quit.

one reason that she might do it is if she was abused before you found her and shes afraid that you might abuse her to if shes not tought and shes trying to prove that shes tough by picking on poor zack. shadow was abused before i got her from the spca, and the tip of her tail had been broken and it had never been fixed so it healed crooked. maybe you just need to give sonya more attention when it looks like shes scared, like durring a thunder storm or on a trip to the vet. if she gets a lot of attention when shes scared she may feel safer and more secure in her place in your home and stop bulling poor zack.

 

yes!!!! bengal blood is in da miiiiiiiix!!!!!


oops...sorry mark....i get carried away each and every time when i see a kitty that might have bengal blood. :lol: :shock:

welcome to auspet....LOVE your kitties.... :0018:

im with mary...starting over slowly might help things....

good luck. i hope you stay a part of the forum. wecome!

 

beautiful kitties!

*eyes lynn,.... slowly backs away*
:mrgreen:

 

Zack and Sonya thank you all very much for your compliments...hehe

Yeah there seems to be such a good feeling about this forum I will be sticking around to chat with all you other animal lovers. Off to bed!

 

i hoe that sonaya can get along with zack soon :lol:

 

Update!

Zack and Sonya are snuggling as we speak!

Pics soon to come.

 

Hooray, soon is not soon enough. How about pics now? :m7: :m36: BTW, where is your pic for the sticky?

 

Woo Hoo

So glad to hear it!! Time, patience, and love prevails again!