On Thu, 2 Jul 2009 09:48:11 -0700 (PDT), jamina1
wrote:

On Jul 2, 11:21*am, Richard Evans wrote:
dgk wrote:

The introduction can be tricky though. Tons of information on internet
on how to do it right.

Not really tricky. I did rescue work for years and fostered well over
a hundred cats and kittens. Never had a problem integrating a new one
with the group. Some took a little longer than others, but they all
eventually joined in.

Set up a small room for the newcomer. A spare bathroom is ideal.
Provide places to hide, yet still allow you to get to them if you have
to. The vanity cabinet in the bathroom is ideal. Set up a litter box,
water, and food. Let the native cat sniff the newcomer under the door
and see what happens. If that goes well, after a couple of days, open
the door a crack and let them meet face to face. When you get to a
point where the older cat doesn't object to the newcomer, open the
door.

Exactly. This is how I introduced Pagan to Sylvanas when I brought her
home. I kept Pagan in my bedroom and Sylvanas had reign in the rest of
the apartment so she was in familiar surroundings. I kept the door
open about two inches after a week or so, so they could interact
without killing each other. There were some battles to begin with and
Pagan pestered Sylvanas to begin with, but they were finally warming
up to each other.

Good, you know how to do it so then there's no reason not to pull
another cat out of the shelter (or off the street). I have a spare
bedroom that I use as the Cat Introduction Room. Most new cats dive
under the bed and take a few days to get used to me, but not Jackie. I
adopted her because she just looked so miserable at the pet shop - I
never saw a cat look that unhappy. She was old and sick - ended up
costing a few thousand dollars and lived less than a year with me but
her last months were comfortable.

Anyway, I put her in the CIR. A little while later I open the door and
no, she isn't under the bed, she's sitting on the edge right by the
door wanting to go out into the house. No, not yet old lady. But
within a day the scrawny (6 lbs) lady is striding down the hallway
and Espy gets in her face and hisses. She smacked him in the face and
kept walking. Espy was greatly offended but I couldn't stop laughing.
That was one tough old girl.