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Integrating kitties
Hi! I'm 28/f.
So, my cat, Luna, is 8 years old, and spayed. It's been just the two of us (against the world - hah) since she was a kitten. She's skittish to the point that she sometimes gets jumpy and runs if a car sounds wrong. We've had some rough times, but she's adapted to everything, including dogs (not directly, but dogs in the home)... She's never had to adapt to another cat.
I've taken in a kitten - Siren is her name. She's a stray, can't be more than a few months old (still has kitten fuzz and a kitten mew) and the sweetest thing. I checked her for fleas and anything visible before I made the decision to bring her home (haven't taken her to the vet yet, money is tight) and gave her one heck of a bath after I clipped her claws. I've never caved to taking in a stray before (I will have a backup home for her, but not for another couple of weeks), but when I realized how thin she was, I knew I had to take her (guys, you could feel ALL of her ribs and her spine, and when she was given food, it was like she hadn't eaten for weeks)
Luna is not taking too well to this. Even though I sequestered Siren, Luna has holed herself up in the closet. I moved her food, water, AND litterbox into my bedroom because I wasn't sure she would come out to eat or relieve herself. The couple of times they have seen each other, there has been hissing (of course). A couple times Siren actually went after Luna - and Luna, being an indoor, pampered, skittish sweetheart, RAN. In fact, I think she ripped off one of her own claws trying to get away. I tossed Siren into a room with a swat on the butt a couple times.
I'm doing my best to play mediator and build Luna up to be the dominant cat, but I think because of our one-on-one dynamic, I might actually have taken the "alpha cat" position rather than Luna, so I've tried to take that into account. I don't stop Luna from hissing, but I do stop Siren. Today they managed to be within sight of one another for a few minutes before Luna started growling.
I keep Siren in the bathroom (with the necessities of course) when I'm not home so Luna has free reign of the apartment (not that Luna ever seems to leave the bedroom), but when I'm here, Siren LOVES to cuddle. I try to make a point to go cuddle Luna with Siren's scent on me; and Luna sleeps with me at night, but I've never done this before.
Any suggestions? Am I doing the right things? I want everyone to be comfy and happy, and I want my silly, purry, snuggly Luna back.
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Not trying to scare you, but this happened to me about 5 years ago with a stray and the stray ended up chasing my cat out of his own back garden and we didn't see my cat for 2 days.
Luna feels threatened, and while I totally understand how hard it is to turn down say animals you've got to think of Lunas wellbeing.
I mean at this point it's up to you if you keep looking after the stray or taking it to a rescue shelter. But Luna is your cat and your pet who now feels threatened because your giving attention to another animal and some cats are just solo creatures.
To be honest? I don't think it's going to work out in terms of keeping all cats happy. I think if you want two cats then it's best to have two in your home from the get go. Luna has expressed her unhappiness with the situation and I think the only way to make her happy again would be to give the stray to a rescue centre.
I know it's tough but that's what I had to do, mostly because alon with my job I did not have the time to settle in the new cat properly. Also can you afford to keep the stray anyway? If you can't afford the pricey vets now...what if you go and the stray needs this doing and that doing etc...
You tried and I commend you but some times you have to admit stuff is not going to work out. Good luck
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Actually, I would just leave them alone & let them figure it out. Luna may not be the alpha of the two. That's OK. Let them hiss & growl at each other. They usually stop after a while & go about their own business. Don't move Luna's stuff or separate them. If you want them to get along just ignore them & let them work it out. Don't play favorites. I think they will eventually either get along or stay out of each others way.
If for some reason they can't learn to get along, You will have to see about sending the stray to a new home. I think think they will learn to get along when left to work it out amongst themselves.
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