catplushie wrote:i don't know how active this thread is anymore, but if anyone's still lurking, i'd love some advice!
i currently live with 2 cats, one is mine (Shrimp) and one is my roommate's (Freddy). we've had them both since they were babies, they're two of the happiest most spoiled little boys on earth. in about a month we are moving in with my partner, who also has a cat, his name is Egg. my partner's cat was hardly socialized with other cats as a kitten, he was really sickly so he spent most of his time alone at the shelter/vet. because my partner has lived alone since getting Egg, he hasn't really met very many other people either. he's weird but he's a sweet boy, just really skittish and very very attached to my partner. he doesn't know how to play carefully, and will often bite or scratch my partner hard enough to leave scars. since he's never met another cat face to face, i'm nervous about him meeting Shrimp and Freddy. the two of them get along great, though Shrimp gets sort of aggressive whenever our neighbor's outdoor cats are in our yard, and one time one of the outdoor cats literally pulled Shrimp outside through the window screen and kicked his butt (he was okay, just shaken up!), so he's even weirder about the neighbor cats since then.
i'm wondering if anyone has any advice on how to introduce them, or if it's even possible to socialize Egg at this point. he's about 4 or 5, and this is going to be a really stressful change for him. going from being the only cat living with just one person, to living with three new people and two new cats. i'm worried about them all fighting, or that they'll be miserable. the place we are moving is very large, so i'm hoping that there will be enough space for the cats to exist separately and stress free away from each other. our plan for now is to keep the cats shut in our respective rooms for at least the first few weeks/months, and let them take turns exploring the house. so one day, Shrimp and Freddy will get to leave our rooms and walk around, and the next day will be Egg's turn. this way they can smell each other through the doors and get used to each other's scents. we're also going to feed them at the same time, but with a door separating them. so Egg will eat inside my partner's room, while Shrimp and Freddy will eat just on the other side of the closed door, and we'll take turns doing that as well. but other than doing those things, i'm not sure how else to get them used to each other. if anyone has any tips or experience with a similar situation, i'd love to hear!
tldr: i'm moving soon and have to introduce my two adult cats to my partner's poorly socialized adult cat, and i'm wondering if anyone has advice on how to safely introduce them and so they can coexist as stress free as possible.
There are a lot of resources online on how to introduce new cats, and the key will definitely be a lot of time and patience and gradual introductions.
But with cats that have lived their entire lives alone (or only with their person), there is no guarantee they will ever enjoy having other cats and humans around. Treats and positive reinforcement helps of course, but cats, just like humans, develop their own personalities and likes and dislikes, so don't go into the process expecting them to become besties or anything. When the introductions do happen, maybe look into getting something that helps cats with anxiety (I know theres sprays for that, ask a vet maybe), and make sure they have enough vertical space (safe shelves, cat trees, etc) and quiet rooms/hiding spots so they can be able to get away if they get too stressed. And of course make sure to give all of them a lot of love and attention and one-on-one time so no one feels left out or forgotten. Personally I feel like it has to do more with their personality and how they've grown up, than their age, but I don't think youll know for sure until you try.
There are a lot of things you can do to help introductions go smoothly, but keep in mind that some cats just don't like to hang out with other cats, and thats totally fine, and they should have the option to feel safe and loved regardless if that happens or not.