STRESS!!! Integrating cats?

MsFifers

I think I might have made a big mistake here - I am housesitting for a few months for a friend of mine with two cats, and I have two cats also.

I thought I had everything planned properly - had my bottle of Felliway spray, swapped the cats bedding so they could smell each other, keeping the cats seperate for the first few weeks - no sweat I thought!

So, yesterday moved in, and discovered my friend's cats can open doors!!!:eek::D

I have spent the last 24 hours chasing my (indoor) cats back into their room, trying to stop my cat from trying to attack my friend's cats, trying to encourage my friend's cats back into the house as they are now freaked out and are scared to come in.

Also, one of my cats has a sensitive stomach and has started puking with the stress of it all.

I'm cracking up - and its only been one day!!!

Just needed to rant - but any advice gratefully accepted!!!

The Sweeper

Wedge the doors shut with a doorstop or other wedge-shaped thing. They'll not open them then.

MsFifers

Now, why didn't I think of that!

carwash_2006

I had to change from door handles to door knobs because one of my cats kept opening the door.

Feliway plug-in is the way to go with these things, the spray is not nearly so effective.

The Sweeper

Sorry if that sounded a little glib.

The other thing I was going to point out, since you're house sitting at your friend's place, her cats HAVE to come first. You need to relegate your two to a certain space, and make a big fuss of your friend's cats - it's unfortunate that they managed to open doors when they did, and now you need to repair that damage. Get them back inside, treat them, spoil them cuddles - I'd even suggest shutting off their catflap and giving them a litter tray for a couple of days - just because, if their noses are well out of joint with the two interlopers you've brought in, you friend's cats may well piss off and not come back.

If she gets home from holliers and discovers you've had even a 50% success rate with her cats, she won't be happy! You need to re-establish her moggies as the household rulers. Then you can gradually see if they'll accept your cats - but when that starts, you'll need to continue to spoil you friend's cats and leave your own guys to find their way in the pecking order a bit.

Introducing any new cat to an established cat, you have to take the side of the established animal. (Works for dogs too.) Your household has a pecking order. You should be alpha animal, your family around you are beta animals, the pets come next, and they'll have their own pecking order among themselves. If you introduce a new animal, you must not falsely elevate it above it's place in the natural order. That means you must not scold or admonish your existing pets for growling/snapping/swatting at the newcomer. Ignore the newcomer - or only greet and treat them AFTER you've greeted and treated your existing pet.

You're in a hard position - you're a newcomer to your friend's house, and her cats rule the roost there. Since you're in their territory, they have to be top cat, and yours are the intruders, but since you're also a newbie yourself, it's a tough call. You have to establish yourself as ruler of the house, get your friend's cats to be your best buddies, and move your own cats down the pecking order - and I don't fancy what the outcome of that little shift in power will be when you move your own guys home again! They'll be very unimpressed with you!

The only other solution I could think of would be to keep them separate for the entire time. Keeps yours in one space, where they can rule and you can spoil them, and the house cats should occupy the rest of the house, where you can spoil them separately.

MsFifers

Thanks for that. At the moment, I have put my 2 in the kitchen and the other 2 have the run of the rest of the house and they come and go through a window as they like. My friend's cats are both looking a little bit sad - so I'll try to spend some quality time with them and make a fuss of them. At least they are still coming home for food and sleeping. I'll give them lots of treats!

One of hers is obsessed about my cats. He sits outside of whatever room they are in scratching and banging on the door! If he sees them through the crack they go crazy at him spitting and hissing, and he just sits there looking at them. I actually think he wants to make friends and can't figure out why they are so cranky!:D

My two are both puking with the stress of it all, and running around the kitchen with wild eyes. I managed to calm them down a bit yesterday evening and we had purrs and a snooze on my knee.

I had no idea this would be so difficult!

I will get the Felliway plug in and give that a go too.

Thanks again for the help and advice.

The Sweeper

Yeah one of my rescues still has kitten notions - tries to befriend everything, can't understand why it hates him - goes for dogs, cats, parrots, snakes, horses, whatever.

Your friend's cats are upset because:

Where is your friend?
Who are you?
Who are these new cats?

Your cats are upset because:

Where is home?
Why are we here?
Who are these new cats?
Why are you being nice to them?

Treats to the newbies, separate treats to your own guys. Leave them at the door spitting thing themselves. Don't react to it either way.