My cat (3F) has been fighting with my roommates’ two cats (8F and 17F), and I think she’s the one causing most of the problems. She’s been invading their rooms and seems to be stalking them, which I’m guessing is a territorial thing. The other cats were introduced a few weeks after my cat, and they’re mostly confined to their rooms, while my cat has free reign of the house.
I thought my cat would enjoy having new friends since she lived with another cat at the shelter, but things have only worsened. She’s gotten into a couple of physical fights, one that drew blood (on my cat), and there’s been pee in my roommate’s room, although we’re not sure which cat it came from.
I’m considering confining my cat to my room for a couple of weeks to see if it helps reset the territory dynamic, but I’d love to hear if anyone has other suggestions. Has anyone dealt with something like this before?
@Remy
It won’t take forever, but it does require patience and consistency. You’ll want to seclude your cat for at least two weeks. Let them smell each other through the door during that time before trying to introduce them again.
Rex said:
Were they properly introduced? Jackson Galaxy has a good guide on how to introduce cats.
I’ll check it out! We did a slow introduction—separating them, then letting them sniff under doors, and finally allowing them to meet each other—but it doesn’t seem to have worked.
When I introduced my kitten to my older cats, I let each cat have free reign of the house at different times until their scents were everywhere. Maybe you could try rubbing a towel on your roommates’ cats and letting your cat sniff it to get her used to their scent. I’d also suggest establishing clear boundaries—like making your roommates’ rooms off-limits to your cat.
@Harlem
I was thinking about confining my cat to my room for a bit to spread out the scents too. How would you go about enforcing boundaries for the rooms?
Remy said: @Harlem
I was thinking about confining my cat to my room for a bit to spread out the scents too. How would you go about enforcing boundaries for the rooms?
I’d suggest letting the cats have their own room time where they can meow to go in or out, but don’t let them enter each other’s spaces. Then, slowly reintroduce them under supervision. When they approach each other’s rooms, give treats if they stay out. It’ll take patience and consistency, but it can work!
It sounds like your cat might just want to play, but the other cats aren’t into it. You might need to play with your cat more to tire her out. Pheromone plug-ins might help ease some of the tension too.
Remember that shelter environments are different from home environments, so it might take longer for your cat to adjust. Try keeping them separated for now and maybe reintroduce them slowly over time.
Miller said:
Remember that shelter environments are different from home environments, so it might take longer for your cat to adjust. Try keeping them separated for now and maybe reintroduce them slowly over time.