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Offline fcderosa

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Cat Question
« on: September 13, 2009, 11:20:24 am »
First let me establish that I have always been a dog person, everyone in the family was a dog person.  After raising and training sheppards, cats are a new learning experience.

About a 1 1/2 years ago a stray cat showed up on our deck wet and shivering, winter was in its onset, make a long story short we got adopted.  She chose a house of german sheppards and a pitbull.  How the coyotes didn't get her I haven't figured out.  She's wise in the ways of the woods and a better mouser I couldn't wish for.  She couldn't trully be feral as she''ll let me handle her anyway I wish - total trust.

Anyway another stray showed up yesterday.  She tried to sneak into the barn, got chased out by the present cat, bit, and treed.  Well, we got her out of the tree and make a long story short, promptly adopted my wife.  She's a very young adult , nothing but fur and bone; starving. Her heart melted (especailly after losing her dog) and I couldn't say no. 

The old cat has plenty to say though.  Yowl yowl hiss hiss.  On advice of a freind we put the new cat in a cage with water, food, litterbox, and bed.  We left her in a side room with the door open.  The old cat will have nothing to do with the room and hisses evertime she sees the new cat.  This is only day two.  Are we doing it right?  How long will it go on?  Any advice?

I always thought the problem would be between cats and dogs, the dogs have no problem with either cat.
The good life is honey on a Ritz.

Offline fermentedhiker

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Re: Cat Question
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2009, 11:27:17 am »
I wouldn't have put the new one in a cage although it might work.  I usually just lock the new one in a room for a week(with food/water/litterbox) to let the established cat(s) get used to the smell of the newcomer.  At some point you'll just have to give up and let them sort it out for themselves.  They should adapt to the point of not fighting within a week or two, getting along may take much longer.  I had one cat that never liked the new one EVER and another that was playing with on in less than a month and now they sleep together and are inseparable.  Cat's have very individual personalities so you can just never tell.  Just keep them from killing each other for the first couple of weeks and they'll come to some sort of arrangement on their own.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
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Offline MustbeeNuts

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Re: Cat Question
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2009, 01:40:12 pm »
I would reccoend that if they begin to fight, don't be putting hands down there unless gloved. they won't differentiate between your hand and the other cat. bite scratch, and etc.
Each new day brings decisions,  these are  new branches on the tree of life.

Offline doak

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Re: Cat Question
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2009, 09:19:28 pm »
Dogs and cats both have rivals. Their same sex is their worst.
Even siblings that grow up together will do it.

You also need to check your surroundings, People are dropping off pets more than ever now days.
a shame. doak

Offline poka-bee

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Re: Cat Question
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2009, 12:37:29 am »
3 of our 4 cats are rescues although they were kittens when found.  I always use the room method keeping them separated for a week or so, at least until you can have the new one checked out for feline aids & leukemia, shots & wormed. She will most likely need fixing too.  They will come to some sort of agreement by themselves. The same sex will have a rivalry, one will be the dominant one. Our boys hang out together and our girls hang together.  The boys will groom each other, sleep & play whereas the girls rarely sit on the same piece of furniture.  Both girls hate Gus. He is like Baby Huey no social skills. Mannefried will go up & slap either of the girls for no reason. Meka was declawed but is the best mole catcher. BG is the complainer.  Hates to be held but sleeps curled up on my neck. All "special" in their own ways, much like most of us! Enjoy your new family member!
Jody 
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Offline MustbeeNuts

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Re: Cat Question
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2009, 07:04:02 am »
You also need to check your surroundings, People are dropping off pets more than ever now days.
a shame. doak


My area is a popular drop off spot. A few years ago I had dozens of cats living under the house, I finally got rid of them, gave them to a farmer for his milk barn. and a few to anyone that stopped by. lol

Now I have a dog that was dropped off a month or better ago. it lives under the porch. I feed it but winter is coming. I guess I need to decide if I'm keeping it. Really don't want a dog, but it appears I have one. It is a good dog. stays in the yard pretty much. and guards the place. Just like it supposed to. Pretty sure it was a drop off, every time an old clunker goes by it runs to the drive way looking for his old master. Of course they never come. its sad for sure. I'm gonna build it a house this week. I guess I already decided to keep it. No one wants it but me, and I can't see giving it to a pound, I hear 4 days is all they give an older dog before it has to go.
Each new day brings decisions,  these are  new branches on the tree of life.

Offline fcderosa

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Re: Cat Question
« Reply #6 on: September 14, 2009, 12:11:35 pm »
Well I hate to speak ill of the military.  I live in the sticks directly next to the Ft Knox impact area and near the only road exiting to the interstate..  Other than the occasional report of a 120mm it's peaceful out here in the sticks.  The problem is every soldier that can't find a home for the pet they no longer want, dumps them in the woods thinking they'll revert back to the wild.  Most of the time nature takes its course and it ends up food for the many predators we have here.  The problem is when they do go feral.  When we first moved out here we had issues with a pack (20+) of ferral chows. We'd walk out of our house to find four or five in the front yard growling at us.  Bold?  We had two large sheppards and a pit bull, and the chows weren't even intimidated.  We called animal control and were informed "you're in the county, deal with it".  Between my .308 and a cougar that moved into the area, the chow pack dissappeared.  The cougar then moved on after eatings everyones chickens and guinies.  Now we're back to coyotes, foxes and bobcats.  What showed up is a young female housecat craving human contact.

On a more peaceful note, today my cat has finally stopped hissing at the interloper.  They got loud last night hissing and yowling, our german sheppard jumped up, got between them and nudged the my country cat away from the cage and out of the room. 

Frank
The good life is honey on a Ritz.

Offline qa33010

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Re: Cat Question
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2009, 10:31:16 pm »
    I'm a dog person also and have never really liked cats, even though they seemed to like me enough to hang around all the time.  I was an involuntary drop off point while in Georgia and have had a few here also.  I pick a certian kind of cat and only a certian kind of cat will hang around me after a time, our current one is coming up on 12 years old and he rules the roost and the neighborhood animals.  I learned really young that critters will be critters and they will establish some sort of pecking order.  But they have to interact to do it.  Fortunately we don't have any breakables exposed when this is being sorted out with a new fosterling.
Everyone said it couldn't be done. But he with a chuckle replied, "I won't be one to say it is so, until I give it a try."  So he buckled right in with a trace of a grin.  If he had a worry he hid it and he started to sing as he tackled that thing that couldn't be done, and he did it.  (unknown)

Offline Bee Happy

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Re: Cat Question
« Reply #8 on: September 26, 2009, 11:10:46 pm »
I like pets of pretty much all kinds. I prefer cats and dogs, but I like horses and exotics too as long as they belong to someone else.
you've probably figured out by now that the cats may never ever like each other, but their aggression will subside after a while. - best case they may actually tolerate and like one another - as far as cats 'liking' anything really goes. worst case, they'll always dislike each other but it won't amount to very much, just hissing and dirty looks.
be happy and make others happy.