When I decided to adopt my new feline angel, I knew that I would be faced with different problems than previous additions, because the Angel was a senior cat who had never lived with other cats. True, I took Jackie at the age of about 11 years, but at that time only my dog Abby was in our house, and it was an easy transition, because Jackie was used to other animals from being in Humane society for so long. Both Gijit and Lola were young when they joined us and mixed up very quickly.
Therefore, I was looking for some tips on dealing with an angel to make the transition as easy on her and our 2 cats and 2 dogs as possible. I found a lot of information on how to bring a new kitten home, but very little for an older cat.
First of all, limit the new cat to a quiet room or area that can be closed so that other animals cannot enter. Put the cat in food, a separate litter box, a bed and some toys in this room. Plan a new cat that is in this room for 10-12 days. Private room is important to ensure that both your real pets and the new cat feel safe without having to face each other, as well as quarantine a new cat until you can take his or her vet to check.
The angel got used to all of us and our home much faster than I expected. One of the things I did was not to close the door to separate the Angel from the others 4, I put the old door mesh through a hole in her room. It made her feel safe, but she was able to watch the movement in the house, while others could look at her too. He also made them all use each other. Starting from the 1st day, I would go in and read or sit quietly in my room so that she could get used to me. On the first day, she did not want to have anything to do with me. She found a closet and some blankets on a low shelf where other cats like to sleep, and claimed it was her own. On the second day, she left the closet for a short time and wanted to stroke her, then, without warning, hissed and returned to the closet, where she sat and studied.
But from the 3rd day she was very affectionate and wanted attention consistently. Then, about the 4th day, I let a single cat enter the Angel’s room for a short time while I was there. Although there was some hiss, the Angel found herself in a closet, and she could retreat to where she felt safe, but could watch the others and see that they did not harm her. On the 5th day, I let the dogs out and restricted the other cats in our bedroom, and brought Angela to let her look around. When she was ready to return to her room, I let the others go. On the sixth day I took the barrier, since I was sure that by this time there would be no fights. One by one the others entered her room and looked around, and then left. On the same day, I restrained the others again, and she ventured and explored throughout the house, including the basement. Then in the morning on the 7th day with us I fed the rest of the animals, and she entered the kitchen to join the group herself and ate next to Gijit, older and calmer than my two cats.
Although Angel is still scared if there is too much anxiety around and returns to her “safe room”, she makes remarkable progress every day. What a difference in a week - Angel left a scared and timid girl who did not want me to be with her, and became a very affectionate knee. My cats are all women and non-confrontational, and I think it helped make everything a lot easier. However, if your cats tend to be aggressive or are male, you can move more slowly.
