STUPID mistake!

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  • #53653
    Leeny
    Participant

    Yesterday evening I began the process of introducing Bryson to his sisters. I brought him into the living room in a carrier and placed it on the coffee table. Buttercup started the “hiss, hiss, growl, growl” routine. Penny joined in, but not as enthusiastically, although she did sweep her whiskers back for effect. Bryson just sat there in the carrier, looking at them. He did nothing; no hiss, no growl, no paw-jabbing-out. After about 20 minutes of verbal abuse from his sisters, I decided Bry had had enough for one night and took him back to his room. Because the girls usually sleep on or near me, I spent a good deal of time with Bry in his room, knowing that I’d have contact with the girls all night.

    After the visit, I left the room to do laundry. As soon as I left, Bryson’s paws emerged from under the door, pads up, as if he were trying to pull the door open. Being tired, and still having the laundry to do, and feeling sorry for Bry in his confinement, I suppose I wasn’t thinking clearly. I said, “Okay, I guess you might as well come out,” and opened the door.

    Bryson explored the bathroom with me, then left to have a look at the rest of the house. Not long after, I heard the gosh-awful noise of a full-fledged cat fight. Buttercup and Bryson were in a corner by the fireplace rolling around and fully engaged, back-foot kicking and all. I yelled something, don’t remember what. Bry streaked down the hall back to his room and I closed the door. Buttercup evaporated.

    I finally found Buttercup under the bed, hissing and growling toward the bedroom door as if she thought Bry was coming through any minute. I lay down on the floor, pet her and talked to her, and she finally fell asleep. I closed the door and went to sleep on the bed above her. She did come out to awaken me for breakfast at 7 this morning, but she didn’t do her usual head-boking, meowing, and purring. When I fed the girls, she started hissing and growling at Penny–displaced aggression. After eating, she went back under the bed in a spot where I can’t reach her. All this time, Penny has been periodically appearing and disappearing. When I left for work, she was in the living room window.

    As far as I can tell, Buttercup is not injured. Bryson has dried blood between two of his back toes; when I tried to look more closely at it during my visit with him this morning, he pulled his foot away and I didn’t push the issue. He is now the only cat who is still speaking to me.

    Given my experience with Bryson, the events during the carrier exposure, my having seen Buttercup sitting in that corner before Bryson entered the room, and Buttercup’s behavior before Bryson even came (I broke up a similar cat fight between her and Penny at 2 o’clock one morning), I think Bry must have approached Buttercup and she jumped him. I didn’t see what happened so I don’t know for sure, but that seems the most consistent with everyone’s behavior.

    I plan to try to salvage this disaster by keeping Bry in his room until the weekend. I will then start bringing him out in a carrier for short periods of time, as much as everyone seems to tolerate. Only when the hiss-hiss-growl-growl behavior has stopped will I bring him out without the carrier and only under my direct supervision.

    Does anyone else have any suggestions?

    #757457
    Buttons
    Moderator

    I think what you should do is leave the girls beds in Bry’s room so he gets fimilar with their smell and leave bry’s bed where the girls can smell it even leave treats in the beds that way when they approach they associate each others smell s with good treats.. Also try and feed them all at the same time bry by his door and the girls on the other side so when they are eating they are fully exposed to each others smells… Cats familiarize themselves with smell first sight after… Its all about them being comfortable with each others smells first…

    Also if he can put his paws under the door encourage play with the others just get a feather toy and keep clicking it under.the.door either side so they all end up playing for the feather and that way they all get some safe physical contact.

    #757458
    Leeny
    Participant

    Thanks, Buttons, I’ll try that after Buttercup is acting normally again. Right now, I don’t think she wants to smell Bry any more than she wants to see him.

    Something just occurred to me. I may have just demonstrated to myself why Bryson “didn’t get along with the other cats” in his previous home.

    #757459
    Emma
    Participant

    Here’s a suggestion:

    1. A few days from now, put up a stack-pack of baby gates at the room that contains Bry and throw a blanket to screen him from the others. They will all be able to smell each other but can’t get at each other.

    2. After about a week, take down the blankets. Let them see each other.

    3. After a few more days of seeing each other, feed all the furkids, Bry on one side and the crew on the other side.

    4. After a few more days, if everyone is behaving and making nice (they have to make nice for at least one full day), then remove the baby gates and put Bry into general population.

    How does this sound? And you have my full sympathy, honey! If you compare their behavior to my introducing Ruggles to Rotley, they are furry little angels.

    #757460
    Leeny
    Participant

    How do I get through the stacked baby gates to attend to Bryson, Emma?

    #757461
    Emma
    Participant

    Put all the other critters in another room with treats to distract the little buggers.

    Remove the blanket. Take off the top gate and step over. Replace the top gate, throw the blanket over the top and tend to Bry.

    When the others start to regroup at the gates, give them a peek under the blanket to let them see you playing with Bry and judge their reactions.

    If they are not too aggressive, remove the blanket.

    And if they are a bit snitty, take off the top gate and start coming over, making warning noises to back off. Screen the two parties from each other using the blanket.

    This does sound like a lot of effort, but it really does work. This process introduces the furry house-mates to each other gradually, and that is the most important element: gradually.

    #757462
    ailuromaniac
    Participant

    Mix in some Feliway to calm them as well.

    #757463
    Leeny
    Participant

    How tall is this stack of gates? Does it fill the entire doorway? How high does one have to step to get over all but the top one? I haven’t heard of stacking baby gates before, and I’m having a hard time visualizing how this is done.

    #757464
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Leeny, I’m sorry this happened. I did want to say, though, please don’t beat yourself up too much. That helps nothing. Take a deep breath and some of the excellent advice you’ve gotten here & start again. I really believe that things will work out, I just don’t want you to be miserable in the process.

    #757465
    Emma
    Participant

    Baby gates are 24-30 inches high, and some are 41 inches high and even 6 feet high. You might want to check them out at Target or WalMart’s. I prefer the 30 inchers that you can stack, and to make sure that the girls do not get in Bry’s room during the introductory stages, duct tape a piece of foam board over the top of the top gate to prevent unwanted intrusions. THAT will fill the entire doorway, which is what you want.

    Baby gates and cat gates all use pressure to stay solidly between the two sides of the doorway. It’s easy for humans to get through. Cats and dogs? Not so much.

    And just realize that they’re all acting like cats who are in love-love-love with their mom. For a great reason: you’re a great mom.

    It’s gonna be fine.

    #757466
    AZDEBRA 5/27 & crew
    Participant

    Emma’s plan sounds like a solid one to me, may be an inconvience at first but if it helps them get along in the long run….I would do it.

    #757467
    Buttons
    Moderator

    Thank god you don’t have to do this everyday Leeny :)) i was thinking after maybe he’s one of them cats that are so friendly and don’t really know proper cat introduction etiquette ?? The poor fella just wanted to say hello didn’t read the.warning signs and got a slap across the face…kinda like what some fellas get if they try a bad chat-up line on a girl :))

    Either way you’ll get threw it and they will be fine eventually :))

    #757468
    KYKAT 12 23
    Participant

    Keep in mind that they will have to sort out who is the head cat in charge, even after they get used to each other. Buttercup may have to smack him around a bit until he accepts that she is alpha cat.

    #757469
    Emma
    Participant

    Yup, you’re right, KYKat. Baby Rotley used to be the alpha cat until he realized that he weighed 8 lbs and Ruggles von Tuggles weighed 16 lbs.

    Talk about a reality check.

    And thank God Ruggles is a gentle giant, and Rotley is a little take-no-prisoners spitfire!

    Somehow, those two actually get along without too much loss of fur and face. They just trade the title “Alpha Cat” back and forth.

    #757470
    Leeny
    Participant

    When Gabie was alive, he and Buttercup used to deal with that dispute by sitting up and waving their paws in the air at each other. He was such a sweet, gentle soul–I miss him.

    #757471
    debsterwiz
    Participant

    I’ve seen this method work for Jackson Galixy on “My Cat from Hell” on Animal planet! I love that show. While I have no bad bad kitties, it’s always nice to know how to handle all of the problems he encounters.

    #757472
    Emma
    Participant

    Gabie was a baby! And Jackson — well, I’ve got a crush on him. Any cool guy who loves cats and plays music………………!

    #757473
    Jeankit
    Participant

    Great info shared, thanks Emma and all.

    My kits shadow box Leeny, so funny to watch tho Lucky will come in for the kill at times while Crockey is the more mellow fellow.

    #757474
    debsterwiz
    Participant

    I’m with you Emma! He may need more hair for my taste but Jackson ROCKS!

    #757475
    CheetahBoysmommy
    Participant

    If you can’t find stacking baby gates, a screen door works too.

    And treats, lots and lots of treats.

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