Meeting new baby sister. Advice wanted

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grassengel
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Meeting new baby sister. Advice wanted

Post by grassengel »

Hello All,

Me and my husband have a gorgeous Persian cat named Pantufla for almost 9 years now, she´s a spoiled indoors cat who actually lived in the same apartment for the past 8 years up until 2 months ago when we moved to another place. We only had another pet, a Russian hamster for the first 2 years of her life, but after he died she was the only pet in the house forever, they got along ok. She´s possessive, spoiled and overall the queen of all things that exists. In our previous apartment she was never fond of any other pets and hissed and growled to the neighbors dogs all the time. Next door neighbor had a kitten she eventually learned to watch through the window and tolerate. We lived on a second floor and through the street window she could watch the neighbor´s cat (a male) from across the street and hated him to death.

I have adopted little Pimienta (in my avatar) this past sunday. She´s a mixed persian,2.5 months old who was rescued from a terrible place. She has the cutest temper and is everyone´s friend.

The first day we brought Pimienta to the house we tried to make sure Pantufla didn´t see her and put her on a safe room, Pantufla did catch a glance at her silhouette through a curtain on a window and went crazy and scratched me when I tried to calm her down. After that, none of them had seen each other until last night through a crack on the door, but I will get to that later.

For the past days I have been making sure they only hear and smell each other, swapping cloths with their scent, giving Pantufla treats and paying extra attention to her. On Tuesday I too Pimienta to the vet, so we let Pantufla go into the terrace and sniff it off while I was there, my husband stayed home and said nothing happened. As possessive as she is, Pantufla did know something was going on in the terrace, so while she was waiting for me by the door I put Pimienta close to it so she could smell her and she hissed. My husband calmed her down.

Last night I came home and the biggest cockroach I have ever seen in my life was in the terrace so I picked Pimienta and put her in the crate and ran into my room with her. Pantufla didn´t see her but since she was in the crate started crying a lot, Pantufla heard her and started sniffing on the door for a while, so I though I might as well let her take a peek. I gave Pantufla her favorite treats next to the bedroom door, came into the bedroom, put the crate in front of it and opened a crack so they could see each other. At first Pantufla didn´t seem to notice her, until she meowed. She kind of saw her and sort growled but finished her treat, then Pimienta meowed again so she moved and stared at her for the first time, she hissed for a bit, but I tried to caress her and talk in a soothing voice, she moved away a couple of feet and continued watching her with a displeased look. The whole encounter lasted about 3 minutes.

I had to move Pimienta from the terrace, in fear that the giant roach would come back for her, into another room in the house. She´s been there since last night.

Pantufla was mad at me last night and seemed disappointed, but this morning she was almost her regular loving self, saying hello and accompanying me while I got ready for work.

Now my question: I plan on doing another quick meet and greet tonight. Do you guys think it´s appropriate, or should wait a bit longer?
Also any advice you have to make this transition easy is more than welcome.
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Lilith
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Re: Meeting new baby sister. Advice wanted

Post by Lilith »

Hi and welcome :)

There's a good section on here re introductions -

http://www.catchat.org/index.php/new-cat-introductions

Although you seem to be doing all that already.

With a cat as feisty and set in her ways as Pantufla it's a good idea to take things very slowly, but it sounds encouraging. I don't think the cockroach would have hurt the kitten - the kitten would have probably attacked the cockroach, but those things can give you a nasty nip I believe - or am I thinking of another sort of beetle?

I'm sorry I can't really give you any specific guidance as I'm used to living with a gang of cats and it's easier to settle a newcomer into communal conditions or at least that's what I've found - we've even had other people's cats dropping in for a free feed and no-one's said a thing.

So I wish you well with Madam Pantufla, and little Pimienta - it's good that Pantufla's seen her and 'forgiven' you, all the very best :)
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grassengel
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Re: Meeting new baby sister. Advice wanted

Post by grassengel »

I´m taking her forgiveness as a good sign. I will check how the house environment feels between the two when I get home tonight and see if another quick meeting can take place. Pimienta is the least of my concerns, she´s social and even walks around the house as she´s live there forever the couple of times I´ve left her out and about. Pantufla on the other hand..... :? :roll:

I will come back with updates and hopefully people with have some encouraging words for me. I really want these two to get along.
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grassengel
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Re: Meeting new baby sister. Advice wanted

Post by grassengel »

I did another quick meet and greet tonight. Same as last night, I got the same response: a bit of hissing and then she moved away from the door.

I stayed with Pimienta in her room for a bit and saw her sniffing at the door, so I know Pantufla was there, but she remained quiet. I got out of the room and she was casually waiting for me expecting me to brush her fur.

She seems less upset than last night, she even showed me her belly a couple of hours after the meeting and though she seems uncomfortable I don't think she's for real. In fact I think she's manipulating me because she knows she can do whatever she wants with me.

What do you think? When should I graduate them from "door crack" to crate-in-room?
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