Two's a crowd!

We have had to adopt another cat. Mrs Pal decided that now her Mum has gone we would bring her cat called'Rusty' into our family. Thing is,despite Rusty being very friendly, our cat 'Lucky'has not taken it too kindly and spits and growls at him.
The situation is not ideal as we are living away from home for a while but both cats are free to roam the fields during the day but they are kept in at night...separated of course..and meal times have to be staggered too.
We wondered if there is a possibility they will get along or will life forever be a tense stand off? Would a good s**** sort out the pecking order or make things worse??

 

Paladin. My sister is a cat person and at one time she had 5 (at the same time). They mainly hated each other but after living together for a few years they did learn to tolerate each other albeit in the 'tense standoff' sense of tolerate. Quite honestly I think all you can do is keep them apart as much as possible, but aware of each others presence. They may one day learn to, at least, ignore each other. Which I think is the most you can hope for. I know we have a dog expert (AG) but I never really met a cat trainer. Cat's are their own bosses.

 

Pal, my friend.

As you probably know, I came to Portugal with three English babes, brother and sister (white) and my precious Magic Sam (Boo). We got Boo when t'other two were four and she never liked him but he tolerated him. He died first aged 13 (here) and poor Boo was left with her ... it still didn't work for two years till she died.

Then we were Boo, aged 10 plus when we found Candi and Cal at the rubbish bins. Boo was horrified. Candi tamed him. Candi died.

A year on, it's just Boo and Cal now and they are best friends ... Cal (aged 15 months now) has a Big Bro and Boo (just turned 12) has a Little ****tle who keeps him young and makes him climb trees again and run around the garden and tossle together ...

Pecking order sorts itself out.

 

Ok,here they are,first night together back in our 'proper' home.
This is Lucky,the hissy lady!

and Rusty,the friendly chap.

They've not come to blows since they have lived together but they will not have as much space here so it's going to be an interesting few days I think.

 

I took on a rescue cat in similar circumstances. had an elderly female cat of seventeen and introduced a young one year old rescue mainecoon male.

Basicly muffin the female hated it and would contanly hiss grow and attack but tuffty wouldnt respond, eventually muffin calmed down and would only growl if he came within a couple of feet. Muffin passed away a year latter and tuffty is now a happy only cat.

Rusty looks a mainecoon cross, similar build and markings only ginger not tabby.

 

Awww lovely cats Nick,yea they'll sort themselves out either to be mates or ignore each other,bit of a territorial thing with them really.

 

For comparison, here is my tuffty (a mainecoon), IMO definately a bit of mainecoon in Rusty

 

Lovely cats guys makes me almost want to get another one.
I am sure like us humans cats learn to torlerate one another even though at times it may seem like a war zone!
Helen.xxx.

 

Pro Gard...Mrs Pal asks "How the hell do you get the knots out of his fur???" She brushes him constantly but he gets knotty tufts deep down around his neck.

 

No easy answer, i tend to brush his head and back regularly with a wide comb to seperate the knots then again with a fine flea type comb.

Anything really bad I just cut out as the fur is so long it covers it.

 

Pal, Just let them get on with it - I am sure they will tolerate each other soon, may even become best friends

Daisees had two cats then adopted a stray - very stand-offish at first but they even share the same cushion now!

____________________________________________

 

Indeed I did! Thing was that the second cat was a stray that had been living rough for ages - I'm sure he was a victim of a drive by dumping! But he used to sneak in through the cat flap and empty the dishes. Oscar would go into overdrive but the crafty beggar wouldn't attack him right off. He would wait till TomTom's head and shoulders were safely in the cat flap and then attack his rear end! No flies on him! But because at first I didn't know he was a stray, I would chase him out too so Oscar felt he had my support to behave that way.

Anyway, I finally learned the awful truth about poor TomTom and decided to take him in. Oscar went mental about it and they had some fearful altercations at the beginning (mostly noise and posturing as cats do). So I got an animal behaviourist in (paid for by the insurance! Woo hoo!) and I will share with you the advice I was given.

First off, she said on no account keep them separate. It only prolongs the situation.

Second, she said get two cloths, one for each cat. Rub one cat with his cloth, all around his body but focusing around the cheeks, mouth, ears and toes where the scent glands are. Then rub the cloth all over the other cat. Then do likewise for the other one. Eventually they begin to take on a pack smell and stop seeing each other quite so much as adversaries.

Third, don't ever get involved in their spats. Don't pick up or shoo away one or the other. Neither must see you as taking sides. Keep a water pistol handy and as soon as the aggravation shows signs of building up, discreetly 'shoot' them, principally the aggressor, with just enough to distract them.

Fourth - let them get on with it. It is natural for there to be a wrestle for dominance.

I was fearful for my two as I despaired they would ever settle down but here is the evidence that they have ultimately reached a kind of armed truce.





Oscar is the white one and TomTom the HUGE ginger and white. Given the difference in size, I assumed it would be TomTom that would be the aggressor, but the AB said it was Oscar. In fact she described him as "having too much self confidence for his own good!". That was what made me decide to sign him on as a PAT cat which he absolutely adores doing!

 

did it again! I'm the ultimate thread killer!!

 

Not at all Daisees..

That cloth tip is being tried as I type.
The new cat Rusty went AWOL for 24 hours and only returned early this morning, heaven only knows where he got off too!...we were begining to think he had tootled off back to his old home about a mile away on the other side of the village.
It's been noticed that Lucky doesn't growl at him as he passes her anymore,perhaps she is begining to accept her new 'brother'...(That's Mrs Pal's saying,not mine :rolleyes: )

 

Well,it seems all the little tips we have used just might be working. They are eating out of each others bowls and at this moment are kipping in the same bedroom , one is on the bed and the other under the radiator a few feet away, and in full view of one another.