Scooter not really fitting in

Scooter (5yo male dsh) came into the house about two months ago,
joining Epsy (7yo male dsh- alpha), Nipsy (7yo male longhair), and
Marlo (5yo female dsh). I'd been feeding him outside with his wife and
two kittens but he kept trying to come in and he is a mush of a cat.

So for a while he would spend some time outside and some inside, but
mostly he's just been staying inside lately. I got him shots and
fixed, and he lived a few days in the Cat Introduction Room, and since
then we've been one unhappy family. The three other cats just hate him
and Feliway and towel rubbing and stern lectures haven't changed
anything.

Scooter is also pretty aggressive about trying to eat everyone else's
food and normally they get fed in a bathroom with a narrow entranceway
so that complicates things as well.

I've never had so much trouble having cats get along. Any suggestions?

I've never had so much trouble having cats get along. Any suggestions?

We had to keep Nocturne and Smokey in separate rooms for over a month.

Eight years later, there still isn't a day that goes by that Nox
doesnt' hiss at him, but despite their occasional swearing at one
another, they're coexisting--neither is desperately unhappy or
distressed, they don't injure one another, they don't spray or act
out. We had to accept they'd never be pals, but they aren't mortal
enemies either.

Best of luck.

--Fil

On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:56:27 -0800 (PST), hopitus
wrote:

On Feb 16, 5:39*pm, Enfilade wrote:
I've never had so much trouble having cats get along. Any suggestions?

We had to keep Nocturne and Smokey in separate rooms for over a month.

Eight years later, there still isn't a day that goes by that Nox
doesnt' hiss at him, but despite their occasional swearing at one
another, they're coexisting--neither is desperately unhappy or
distressed, they don't injure one another, they don't spray or act
out. *We had to accept they'd never be pals, but they aren't mortal
enemies either.

Best of luck.

--Fil

After considerable thought, I agree. Give them time.Rowdous had such a
bad
'tude when I first took him in I had to keep him isolated in my
laundry room for
over a month. He got his food in there and only companions beside my
visits
were the washer, dryer, and water heater. When I finally let him
mingle with my
then 5 group of cats, he behaved much better and luckily some of the
cats were
just as big as he was and were not the type to back down. Things
settled down
after a while, no fatalities, and he became so fond of his companions
that I told
the vet who sent him to the Bridge a year ago that he loved company
and so she
should spread his ashes with their other cats who recently left for
the Bridge.
It takes time. Cats don't like changes.


Thanks. I just never had so much trouble before and I feel badly for
Espy, Nipsy, and Marlo. They all get along so well and now I drop
Scooter into the mix and everyone is so upset. Marlo in particular is
just horrified by Scooter. She stares at him like he's some sort of
alien predator in a cat costume.

Scooter isn't blameless in this. I named him Scooter because of the
way he went at the food when I fed him and his friends outside. It was
pretty funny watching him yesterday though. Espy is eating from his
bowl and Scooter is trying to get a paw in so he can take some out. I
brushed him away but it was a funny attempt. Not to Espy I'm sure.