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Cats! Help Needed

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prettylnpink419

Shiny_Rock
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Oct 17, 2008
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Okay, so I''m mostly a lurker but I''m about to pull my hair out and need some help. I was the post yesterday about bringing a new cat into the house and how your other cat will react.

Well....let''s see...about 3 years (yes-3 years!) ago I took in a stray right before it snowed to make sure she''d be okay. She''s been with me ever since. Her name is Sadie. She was 2nd to my first cat, Sullivan (male). Both are fixed. Sullie is about 5.5 years old now and Sadie is about 2-3 (not sure exactly of age).

Sadie is FIV+ (Feline AIDS) so at first I kept them separated until I could decide what to do. I''ve grown very attached to her and she has to me as well. She was staying in a spare bedroom but I eventually moved her into my bedroom full-time. It took her awhile to get used to my dog (who sleeps with me at night) but she has eventually accepted her and now we all snuggle.

Obviously, Sadie and Sullie have had plenty of time to sniff each other through the door, etc. After lots of research and discussing with my vet, I''ve decided to socialize Sullie and Sadie. She is so bored in my bedroom and for my own sanity because she is pretty agressive for attention when I am in my room and wants to be involved in everything. I''ve moved twice in the last 2 years...this last time taking Sadie a week early so she could have the run of condo without Sullie stressing her out. She started peeing in my kitchen sink and a couple of times actually pooped on my kitchen counter....very disturbing. Once Sullie came over, that was it...back in the bedroom because she howls and screams at him. I have seen him chase her and I guess he is trying to attack her? I''m not sure what he really wants with her...maybe even just to sniff her? But she freaks out and gets very aggressive and vocal. I''m not too worried about them scratching one another because it will be difficult for her to spread FIV without actual intercourse but I''m worried about them hurting one another. I want to take the cowards way out and just open the doors and leave for awhile but what happens if one of them really gets hurt? They won''t kill each other will they? Usually Sullie will chase Sadie under the bed and they will have a stand-off...a very loud one. Sullie is silent but Sadie is screaming.

Last night I brought Sadie out to the living room and everytime they''d react to each other (Sadie would start getting vocal and Sullie would creep up on her) I would alternate turns and put one of them in my carry crate so they were both safe but could still see each other.

I''ve socialized Sullie with 3 other cats previously (former roommates). Two males and a female (not all at 1 time). With the first male they were best friends, with the 2nd male they just kind of went their separate ways, and with the female he chased her around a bit and drove her kind of batty but eventually they got over it. It was livable because she wasn''t very vocal. With Sadie, it is impossible to even really hear over her growling and howling.

Are there anti-anxiety meds or anything like that that might help this transition? I don''t need them to be best friends but I really just want to be able to leave my bedroom door open and have them quietly co-habitate. If not, I may need to try to rehome Sadie, even though I love her and named her after my deceased Grandmother. Plus rehoming an FIV+ cat will be extremely difficult.

Any suggestions/tips/advice would be greatly appreciated! I know I need patience and that it''ll take time but there has to be something else I can try to help ease the struggle, I don''t want 2 extremely stressed out cats!

Thanks in advance and if you''ve read this whole thing....thank you thank you thank you! I know I''ve been rambling. :)
 
I''d take them to neutral ground to introduce them.

She''s been there for 3 years. So now they are both fighting for their territory, one is not "the newby" and will natually back off. You are probably in for a long haul. I''d talk to your vet about it, because Sullie should be kept up to date on his FIV shots... and you can discuss with the vet any solutions they might have.

Sorry I don''t have much more to offer.
 
DO NOT LEAVE THEM HOME ALONE!

Others will say this is a good idea. B told me that is what we needed to do when we introduced his cat to my 2 cats. Until they actually got to be in a room together.

Lilly (my youngest and very quiet) attacked Huggy (her older sister). The two of them had been together happily for over 2 years (Lilly''s whole life).

She got one look at the new cat and instead of hissing at her, attacked the one she knew. I don''t mean tried to scratch, I mean jumped on her and tried to kill her.

We couldn''t even have one in a cage and the other in the room because they would attack THROUGH the cage.

(They did eventually get through this, but it was a miserable few weeks.)
 
TLH - Thanks for your reply! I''ve done the whole neutral territory when I moved....both times...thinking neither were attached to the place so now would be the best time but it just didn''t work. Same reactions. I know Sadie is okay around other cats because when I found her she was with a pack of other cats...she was the only one I could catch though but I do know she had it tough...she is missing a tooth and had all kinds of bites and scratches...from other cats I guess when I took her in.

I guess maybe bringing her out every night so they see each other in a supervised environment? I don''t know! And of course the dog isn''t much help. I love my weiner doggie but the only trick she does is jump on Sullie every time I say his name and give him kisses....so add that into the mix of 2 cats about to pounce on each other and it makes for a very frustrating and crazy time!

Sullie is definitely the aggressor. Sadie runs away and hides but just screams the whole time!

TooPatient - how did you get them through it?
 
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