Problem: Leia and Onyx!

[Elaine]

Originally Posted by dandysmom

Thanks all for your replys! I have already tried the fur from the comb/FURminator bit, and the rubbing of a towel with Onyx's scent around the house. I will order a Feliway and some rescue remedy tonight, hope it will help calm Leia down...I cannot believe how fierce she was!! And I'd very much like Onyx to be an indoor only cat. but having been used to going outdoors (or being outdoors!) I suspect she will want to go out; I don't like it but can live with it...
Leia has never been shut off in a room by herself; I guess I could put her in the bedroom for an hour or so while Onyx explored; but am afraid she might be unhappy at being locked away...
'Tis a problem.......

Keep doing all the other things too Eileen, everything needs to be consistant so keep up with the scent transfer etc.
Dont confine Leia to one room only, if you can then confine Onyx to one room and then very very slowly open up the rest of the house to her. If you do it the other way round, Leia will really be pissed as its her house. Be gentle with Leia, she is a Diva but you can win her round slowly to thinking that having a friend in the house is ok. xxx

[dandysmom]

There's no doubt they know one another's scents! You know how cats scent-mark you by rubbing their cheeks where the scent glands are on you? Well, both of them do it to me regularly! And they've smelled one anothers fur.....
Onyx is such a small little cat, and Leia was really, really angry...
Distressing, but I will soldier on and hope the Feliway helps...
Again, thanks for the kind remarks and good suggestions....

[Kazz]

Originally Posted by Elaine

Some very good advice there Eileen.
As you know it took me 6 months to introduce Bernie into our home with Eva.
Leia reminds me soo much of Eva and her temperament, its scarey
Just take things as fast as Leia will let you is my best advice. Scent transferance, feliway and rescue remedy will all help a great deal but take take it all very very slowly. So slow that leia hardly notices whats going on. As Leia and Onyx are fairly food orientated, do you have a mesh door? It may also be an idea to feed on either side of this, not too close to begin with but gradually moving closer so that they can see, hear and smell eachother. The more relaxe they both become about eating and being in view, the closer you can bring the food but at the slightest spat, move back a step.
Softly softly catchy monkey

What she said.

[Fran]

Originally Posted by Elaine

Dont confine Leia to one room only, if you can then confine Onyx to one room and then very very slowly open up the rest of the house to her. If you do it the other way round, Leia will really be pissed as its her house.

I really wouldn't confine Onxy to one room. If you were planning to get her in and keep her in forever then yes but my worry is that if you confine her against her will then she will be reluctant to come back in...

[dandysmom]

And the "one room" might be a problem. The downstairs is what you would call I guess open plan: hall goes directly to the kitchen, living room is off the hall and leads to the dining room and the little plant room. The only room downstairs with a door is the very, very small downstairs bathroom. The bedrooms and upstairs bath all have doors of course, but that would mean carrying her upstairs...I don't think the one room is going to be too feasible...
Onyx was waiting for her tea and did the leg-twining, face stropping bit, but made no attempt to come in today; Leia is guarding her porch and glaring thru the screens...
Feliway to the rescue...?

[Mags]

You can but give the Feliway a try Eileen, it may do the trick...

[dinahsmum]

They'll sort it out Eileen. Don't be too alarmed by the hissing and spitting (even if you are amazed that your dignified Leia even knows such language, never mind uses it! ) It's her only language - they can't go down the pub together and talk through how they can live together, or have a cup of tea and a scone and a nice chat - so I'd be inclined to let her/them get on with it in feline fashion. I also think that it would be better (if it's possible) not to have a 10 point action plan. Get the Feliway and RR, and get that running, but leave the protagonists to work it out cat-style, without you arranging furniture/open or closed doors etc. Easy to say, more difficult to do
Stay cool, don't allow yourself to get stressed. You have done sooooo well to get to this point - it will improve even more.
Well done! Good Job!

[mable1718]

Im so sorry but I do not know much about this sort of thing so I hope everyones advice has helped

[dandysmom]

Originally Posted by dinahsmum

They'll sort it out Eileen. Don't be too alarmed by the hissing and spitting (even if you are amazed that your dignified Leia even knows such language, never mind uses it! ) It's her only language - they can't go down the pub together and talk through how they can live together, or have a cup of tea and a scone and a nice chat - so I'd be inclined to let her/them get on with it in feline fashion. I also think that it would be better (if it's possible) not to have a 10 point action plan. Get the Feliway and RR, and get that running, but leave the protagonists to work it out cat-style, without you arranging furniture/open or closed doors etc. Easy to say, more difficult to do
Stay cool, don't allow yourself to get stressed. You have done sooooo well to get to this point - it will improve even more.
Well done! Good Job!

Thanks for your good common sense answer....I do tend to worry too much and imagine "what if?"....I could put up with the hissing/spitting: Misty did that when Patches came .... but it's an actual cat fight that has me worried, with the size disparity. I will keep a large beach towel and a spray bottle of water handy if and when ......

[Elaine]

I'm sorry but I disagree with just letting them "get on with it" at this stage.
That was exactly the advice we were given when Bernie arrived and I already had the feliway and RR on the go for his arrival.
The result for us letting them get on with it was hell!!! Eva got into such a state, and she is a fair bit bigger than Bernie, that she messed herself several times and at one stage began to hyperventilate. I know that some cats may well just have a small spat and work out the pecking order, Winston was always like that and accepted other cats fairly well but Eva is not Winston.
We had to go back to the drawing board and take things as slowly as Eva allowed us in order for her to accept him. Some cats can be so territorial that they WILL hurt the other and to my mind introductions have to be taken seriously and gently.