Introducing a new cat into the family

[*julez* 124]

So anyway, thanks to Mags and a few others around here I got thinking about adopting a new cat! Yesterday I was at Petco and saw a lovely grey cat! I left my name and number for the adoption agency, letting them know I was interested in adopting. They called this morning and asked if I could come over to officially meet him, so naturally I said yes! Thirty minutes later we were walking ou the door with a new cat!

Right now I have him separated from my other cat and dog. I did bring the cat in while the new cat was still in his carrier and they hissed at eachother like crazy! The dog nor the new cat seemed much bothered with eachother. How long should I wait before I integrate the new cat into the whole house? Or should I just let him wander around? He is sitting by the bedroom door waiting to get out!

Mags, I am especially looking to you here for advice! This is all your fault, posting that beautiful grey cat Chip on the forum!

Which leads me to my new dilemma, what to name the new fella?

Advice, please my VJ friends!!!

[Amby 490]

Congrats on the new addition to the family! As for introducing them...I'm NOT a cat person and so I have no clue. I'd just let them both free but I'm sure that would end in disaster

[Alex+R 0]

Oo congratulations! (Pics? Pics???) When I was in this situation in March, I think Mags mentioned that she tends to throw them together and let them work it out for themselves. We put Ollie in our bedroom and Madeleine couldn't see him, and we tried the whole "feeding them next to each other on opposite sides of the door" thing, and blah blah we waited and things didn't improve, but then we had to go out of town after about 5 days with the new kitty. I thought it would be disaster! We left both of them with my grandma, and after a day they became best friends. This actually translated into a lasting comfort with each other, even when returned to Madeleine's territory, aka our apartment.

So for us, keeping them separated really didn't do much good. We might as well have just thrown them together. But if you can send them away for a weekend (hehe) it sure worked for us!

[Donia 0]

I've always just put them together and it has seemed to be alright, some hissing , but nothing bad. I have 4 cats right now, but one is dying of cancer at almost 19 years old.

[Jeraly 4]

Haha - oh julez!! I never realised you were a cat person too!!! Mags has been my guru for getting Daisy across to the US

I'd love another cat as well... figure I will wait until I move first though... going to be PITA enough just with Daisy!! That and Jeremy is a dog person

[Jeraly 4]

Oh Donia - I am so sorry... My last cat, Jasper had cancer as well and we never knew - he died two years ago - he had to be put down after he couldn't breathe properly and wasn't eating - he wasn't eating and was obviously in pain... Thing is it was just around Christmas when the vet wasn't open that he started getting real sick - we had to wait almost a week for him to get put down... I came back from picking up some books from my friend's house (he was moving to China for a year) and Jasper was gone. I cried for hours and alphabetised about 250 books He was only 9

It sounds horrible but really if your cat is in pain it would be kinder to have them put down - I hate to say it because I know how much it hurts but I also know that if Jasper could have gone earlier to put him out of his pain when nothing more could be done then I would have wanted that too...

Oh look at me - I'm practically in tears!!

*loves the way Mags is cat guru for everyone on VJ*

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Put the cats in the same pillow case. They'll learn to love each other.

[ladybird216 2]

I have had cats and dogs all my life and had to introduce many new puppies and kittens to older pets...I tried the 'softly, softly' approach by keeping them apart, but that just raised curiosity levels....so the best thing to do is let them sort it out, put up with the hissing and tails that look like Christmas trees, they do get over it!!

Enjoy your new kitty

Jen

[*julez* 124]

Thanks for the advice guys! I have opened the door and we'll see what happens! I'm working on uploading some pics. The viewer that my camera came with is not very user friendly so I am uploading them a different way!

Still pondering a name, though.

[Jeraly 4]

Ooohhh - we can help with names when we get piccies!!! oooh - so exciting!! I do treat Daisy like my kid though so I do wonder how I could juggle five like Mags!!

[*julez* 124]

Ooohhh - we can help with names when we get piccies!!! oooh - so exciting!! I do treat Daisy like my kid though so I do wonder how I could juggle five like Mags!!

My dog's name is Daisy! My other cat is Rory, but better known as Chubbs.

Did you know that Mags now has 7 cats??????????

[Jeraly 4]

Ooohhh!! I just have the one She is a beautiful tabby - here:

Grr... can't upload pics from facebook and can't upload pics to my website and not sure why... well be sure to check out my catbook on facebook if you are on there

I would love another cat... maybe I could cope with two more... Mags must have a very patient husband

Oooh - I want to see your cats!! And I can't stop saying "oooh!" - maybe it is the whisky!!

[*julez* 124]

I have tried everthing I know and cannot get a pic to upload. UGH! It keeps telling me that I did not select a file to upload when clearly I have!

*tearing my hair out*

[Jeraly 4]

Oooh - I hate that!! Can't you post it online somewhere and link to it?

*edit*

There's that "ooh" again!!!!!!

[*julez* 124]

Oooh - I hate that!! Can't you post it online somewhere and link to it?

*edit*

There's that "ooh" again!!!!!!

That would require skills I don't have!!! Plus, I've promised my daughter we'll play Monopoly, so off I go! I'll try to upload again later.