I am at a cross roads with my cats.. Its been over a year and they still won't get along... I am glad to see other comments knowing that I am not alone.
i have 4 cats. 3 of them love each other, the 4th is my girl i’ve had for almost 10 years and she hates all the other 3. it’s been almost a year and i have yet to get her to calm down and just coexist with them. i’m here searching for answers too 😢
@@imcharlihbu3711i dont know why jackson isnt saying this once but in my country we use to think that cats with different genders also have different playstyle. Ofc there are some unicorns but all in all u can say Boys more rough and girls like to play with things not wrestling with other cats. Thats why we say Boys to Boys and girls to girls , same Charakter and same age. Otherwise there will be trouble at some points
i'm the same way. it's been almost 2 years. its more when one goes near the other when walking by, they can coexist on a couch on opposite sides or room but one will get into the hunting mode and the older, smaller one is scared. I only had 2 days bc i was going back to school so the process on my end wasn't exactly the right thing
You’re doing a lot of things wrong from the sound of it. If you have one cat and another cat and they don’t get along: you don’t get a third cat. Period. That’s that. Your mission from then on out is learning how to gauge and train the two cats in a way that integrates them into your program (I bet you don’t have a program). If that doesn’t work, then be at peace with letting one go (pick the most irritable one) and then you may go out and get that third one you were looking for. Yes, you will have two. Your training level is probably not even 2 to be honest but I’ve seen people learn and get to level 2 from your current predicament so it’s not over.
I want to share my story of my two cats to give you all some more hope. For reference, Miko: 5 years old, we have had her for a year, shelter said she hated other cats so much that they had to speed her adoption process up to put her in a room without any visual access to other cats. Tenshi: 4 month old kitten, loves other cats. When we started introducing them, although the door was fully closed and there was no gap under the door, miko stayed awake the whole night sitting by the door of a room that she rarely ever went in before, because she knew something or someone was in there. There was so much hissing and so so so much growling from miko throughout the whole introduction process and we couldn’t even do it right because miko refused to eat anywhere within a 10 foot radius of the door although we were giving her her favourite food. Miko’s temperament/personality had completely changed, she was very isolated and very angry all the time. i cried so many times because i thought they were never going to get along and it was so stressful having to leave miko alone because if i wasn’t with tenshi, she would meow until i came back. once we had finally removed the barrier between them (4ish weeks after beginning the introduction), there was so much fighting and growling. miko would attack tenshi if she was in a 10 foot radius and tenshi shows stalker behaviours. tenshi was scared but curious and miko was very angry. however, slowly by slowly, her boundaries shrunk and she let tenshi go closer to her. now (2 months after beginning the introduction), they spend most of their time together, they clean each other, they play and play fight, they sleep near each other and they search for each other. you guys got this !! be patient with your cats and pay close attention to their body language.
Wow I'm so glad , that gave me hope but I got a 4 years old female cat and a 9 month old male cat😅 the female is so scared from him that the sight, scent or voice will make her all alert. Even tho the male is not so offensive but the dew fight they had has just worsen it
So you didn't have them separated since the introduction? We just finished a year of separation and exercises. Tried reintroduction last month and still my 17 year old resident wants to kill the kitten - even though kitten is now twice her size!
Thank you for sharing your story. I just introduced a kitten and it's not going well with my 4-year-old female Blookie. I was surprised because she shared this space with another cat we had but sadly lost. Were two days in and my Blookie won't let the baby near her 2 feet or less without hissing or growling. The growling has subsided some. They both eat from the same area at different times. Blookie seems to be getting a little more comfortable but she still has boundaries. I think she doesn't want to share me and feels jealousy. I thought she'd love the baby since the cat we lost Blookie would lick him, and snuggle him? Anyway thanks again for sharing give me hope.
@@galaxigirl1 Going on 8 months here too. We have two 8-year old females and got a another female kitten when she was 2 months old. Our older Siamese cat just wants to kill the new kitty, and we've literally done EVERYTHING, with the homebase, the door, separated parts of our apartment, pheromones, hiding spots, feeding times, gated doorway, you name it - we've done it. Our other older cat is okay being in the same room after many months, but our Siamese hasn't simmered down a bit. We've been sleeping in separate rooms since this all started so nobody feels left out at bedtime. It's extremely frustrating trying to find help too, every damn thing we find starts off at the "Intro" phase or says start over from the beginning - which doesn't work because they already know each other lives here. We can start over with the door completely shut and blocked off, but then they both go to the door and mess with each other, so we block off the door but they still hear each other. I swear if I hear "Introduction" phase one more time...
I got 2 cats within 2 months of eachother. Getting them integrated was the biggest stressor and it took 4-5 weeks to get to equilibrium. They are now friends... and I'm so happy!
I have also used a closed in pourch at someone’s home…not mine. I have found if I introduce my Original cat w a new cat in a confined area which is unknown to both of them, the introduction has been smooth.
I brought home a second cat on Nov 11, took the intro phase slowly, and tonight my furry first resident climbed into the basket the newcomer was sleeping in, and began grooming him! I am so stoked to see them bonding--keep with it, the method really does work. I did notice something JG didn't mention about the play in this video. At one point, she waved a toy in-between the cats, and I think it was the little guy who lunged for it--directly at the other cat! That probably didn't end well. I find it challenging to play with both at once, but have managed to do so with two wand toys, keeping the cats on opposite sides of a large piece of furniture, like a sofa.
@@Lamees.alghamdii keep at it! My boys didn’t like each other for a few months. Now they snuggle every night (and sometimes during the day) and they play all the time! Just give it time and patience. It’s hard when they’re not a fan of each other at first
@@JacksonGalaxy Hey Cat Daddy! I really need your help. I have a 5 year old neutered male cat, named Lil Bit, along with 5 younger cats that are all fixed. Well Lil Bit keeps acting like he's going thru some kind of feline male menopause! He'll even stand up and make crazy growling sounds at the door when he wants to go outside on the porch. I've already tried homeo pet feline anxiety drops and cat nip but nothing has helped. I love all 6 of my kitty babies and I do the very best I can on a fixed income because I'm disabled. I really want to see Lil Bit happy again! 😺 💗😽😽😽😽😽😽💗
If it’s any comfort, my two cats took almost a year to not fight as soon after they see each other, after a year and a half they were walking together around the house and after almost three years we finally found the magic toy that is teaching them to play together. So there is always hope.
@@_clove it’s nothing special, it’s SmartyKat Hot Pursuit Cat Toy Concealed Motion Toy a cheap toy, but it is the one that finally got the interest of both to play together, since they usually don’t like the same type of toys
I have four cats all rescued at different times. It takes a while to introduce older cats but it's very possible. My first cat still hisses and scratches the other three but no ears are back and no one running to hide. They all act like siblings that need to fuss and make noise. I feel like that's normal and I think sometimes we get worried over nothing 👍🤣👍 GOOD LUCK
Thanks a lot for your comment, as I was starting to become desperate about the situation with my two female cats! Could you please specify if you kept them separated during the first year?
Not gonna lie, I adopted a 4 month old kitty in October of 21. She is PERFECT!!!! never hissed, always loving and playful, sleeps with us- she is literally the queen of the house. I got a wild hair up my butt that she needed a friend, EHHHH wrong! So I adopted, on Monday (its currently Thursday) an 11 week old kitty and we had no clue what we were doing. Our current Kitty ( Dana Scully) was PISSED! She started hissing at the kitten (Wanda Maximof) and growling at her, she attacked my husband and my daughter, tried to take my face off. I was horrified. Texted my vet, she said "separate them and introduce them slowly". Done. I moved Wanda into the dining room, made her comfortable and let her get used to her new surroundings ( she was very skittish to begin with). Scully would sit outside the door watching us (its got glass french doors) but able to smell the kitten and see what all the fuss was about. On Tuesday evening, we opened up the doors and let Wanda decide if she wanted to come out (she had been pressing against the doors peering out) she went ZOOMIE! all over the house. Rippin and runnin right past Scully not giving a crap what was going on. Let her do this for about an hour and then put her back in her room for the night. Yesterday, let her out and left her out all day with Scully. No more extreme aggression from Scully, Wanda still hisses at her because she's scared of this giant cat that was mean to her, but they tolerate each other and were mutually engaged in playing with a toy. This morning, let Wanda out and instantly Scully ran up to her and touched noses to smell her, Wanda hissed and then it was them chasing each other as Wanda found all of Scully's favorite places in the house, ie: my bedroom/bathroom. Scully would wait for her to jump off something and then swat at her, back and forth this went. I got a message from my husband just a few hours ago and he walked in the house, they were both on the floor asleep about 12" apart from each other. An hour later, they were laying on the couch together no more than a foot apart. Patience is key. Showing your kitties that its "ok" is key. Showing them both lots of love and affection and not yelling is HUGE! I was ready to give the kitten back after Monday night, not wanting to make my Scully feel vulnerable in HER space, and now I feel stupid for wanting to give up so easily.
Thanks Jackson, reintroducing my two kitties and this video is gold. I recently took one of my cats to the vet, and when we got back, my other kitty wanted nothing to do with her. They fought, and now they can't be in the same room without both attacking each other . I've been really sad these couple of days because I've had to separate them amd they both cry when I'm not in the area wirh them. This video gives me hope ❤
I’m going through the same! My cats were best buddies and it’s been taking me forever to get them to get along again after the vet. It breaks my heart that they don’t seem to have the same bond but it’s getting better.
Im in the same boat, thats what brought me to this video. My cats were best friends and they hate eachother now after the vet. Have you guys been able to make progress? Hoping theres some hope i can cling to
@@deniseu2573 eventually they got along but I had to site swap, and scent swap. Also started feeding them together first with a door as a barrier then without until they finally seemed comfortable. As soon as I saw them sleeping together and grooming each other I knew they were buddies again.
My cat made friends with another cat the first day we moved house. He met the other cat when we were watching the movers bring our stuff in the house and they meowed at each other from the window. It was really cute to watch 😊
@crystal kirlia Awww. Like the two human kids getting to know each other. My question is, did you get to know (or be friends with) the other kitty’s “staff”?
It took a few weeks for mine. Faster then usual, they now often snuggle together. Younger cats introduce better. Mine were about a year and half and 9 months. I think she thinks of him as more like a son and sometime grooms him.
Grateful for this video! Our new kitty (8months) has been with us for almost 3 months. He's so confident and has so much energy, he always wants to attack my resident cat (4yrs). We space swap multiple times a day so little kitty can run around... But they always have to be 100% supervised when together with the distraction of treats
Introducing cats is actually easy in theory but very laborious in practice. But if done correctly it will work. It must be done right since the beginning. 😻❤️😽
I said it under another video previously, but after almost three weeks of introductions, we put a bit butter on each kitten and it worked like a charm! They were too busy licking it off themselves and it helped them get used to being in the same room etc.
My cat Lila was exactly like Tosha, in hunting mode all the time. What made the difference was a clear piece of hard plastic to separate them (when eating or relaxing) so that Lila could get used to the new cat without getting defensive and aggressive. Thanks Jackson for the advice :)
Our best progress yet has been for our resident cat to observe the new kitten from behind the screen door of our balcony. our resident cat loves chasing bugs on our balcony at night. So we closed the screen door for a bit to let our new kitten explore the rest of our apartment. My husband was out on the balcony with our resident cat to monitor her mood. He said she seemed relaxed and happy (tail up). We were hoping it would give our resident cat a chance to observe the kitten to become more relaxed in its presence. Our resident cat is not comfortable playing in the same room with the new kitten. But, it's only been a week, so we will just need more repetition of certain steps of the introduction?
@@jenniferbullard3636 Hey Jennifer it’s been a year now, and my cats are “introduced” but still not buddies. I thought they would be pals by now. The screen door, a pet gate that you can cover, separate living spaces, separate beds, etc. and then swapping blankets with their scent helped them at least get used to each other. Scent is really important, but I think sight is too. I don’t have the answers, would suggest a cat behaviouralist if you can’t find the info you need online. Hope it doesn’t take your resident cat too long though! It helps that he’s older, mine were both kittens (3 months!).
Hi Jackson! You have taught me so much about cats and about the animals in shelters that need our help. Soon I'm going to start volunteering at my local shelter because of you. Me and the my animal family thank you for everything you do!😻
After reading a number of comments - please people, stop introducing kittens to two-year-olds to senior cats! You might want a kitten, but the senior does not. At best, the senior will tolerate or bond with a 'middle-aged' cat, one who has slowed down a bit. I am a senior human, and could think of nothing worse that forced to room with a teenager, it would be like living hell. By the time a solo cat has got to senior, in the same household, it is unlikely they will accept a newcomer. They are (like older humans) settled into their ways and routines. Just wait until your senior passes, and then adopt a pair or trio together, of similar ages. Don't make your senior's last years miserable. You can adopt/introduce other seniors to your existing senior. No guarantee they will bond like besties, but they probably won't hate each other either. Some weird place in between. It is like the last failed adoption of my now fur baby. She was just over six, but had a trauma background, and was clearly a solo cat. So was the other cat a solo (about 10-13) they tried introducing her to. Even the scent of each other without seeing, was enough to stress out BOTH cats. I saw my (about to be new cat) after that failed adoption, she was stressed to the max. So was the other cat apparently. Trauma baby needed time to be on her own, get her mojo back, before the stress of another cat and new home. The senior cat, was probably just happy being the centre of attention, and it was his turf. It is four months now, and my new baby is doing well. Much slower hitting the mojo (turf ownership etc) milestones that a non-trauma cat, but is getting there. She actually got a little too over confident the other day (outside turf expansion). Will she always be a solo cat? Probably. But if I did decide to get her a companion, it would be in a similar age group, and with a personality assessment of both. I would NOT get a kitten or very young cat. Also, you do not need to get a kitten or young cat in order for them to bond to you. A loving and caring home for a senior, and they know and appreciate it. It is very rewarding adopting seniors. Yes sure, my new baby is a youngster in my book (I was looking for an 8-10+), but she chose me, so I had little choice. So yeah, stop trying to introduce kittens to seniors and expect it to work out well. So many seniors still need a home too. Hopefully you can integrate a senior household.
Hey, perfect timing! we adopted second black homeless little Panther, and now our first one is very irritated from sideswopping, very interesting story starts and she REALY needs that new door between.THANK YOU, CAT Daddy! Its now more than one year that we took our first one home, after learning from your videos , its sooo good and helpful !!!!!! Grace and Marleon will hopefully be sweet happy family with us.
After rescuing a neglected and abandoned kitty (Bodhi) four months ago it feels like I’ve become a full-time cat detective and have watched so.many. Jackson galaxy videos! Our older resident cat (Simba)was not happy about it because the new cat is young and SO full of energy and wants to play all the time (acts like a dog honestly). I followed the steps in your introductory video and had NO idea how much work it would be. I was so stressed about the possibility of it not working out, cried a few times because there was talk of needing to rehome him and felt like such a failure. Bodhi had already been given up by two homes and I did not want to put him through that again. Since I’m still out of a job due to COVID and my partner works full time I took on the responsibility of playtime,feeding,etc. Because of how stressed I was trying to split my time between the two cats it began causing tension in my relationship. My partner was understandably concerned for the well being of Simba and felt it wasn’t fair that he was potentially ‘living in fear’ as he put it. When he brought up possibly needing to rehome Bodhi I told him if Bodhi leaves I leave with him ( honestly couldn’t believe I said that either , but i felt so strongly that this would work and he was giving up too soon). Turns out my gut feeling was right! We both committed to the work and I’m so happy to say that after three months we don’t need a gate, the cats eat together and sleep on the couch/ bed near to each other and don’t need constant supervision. Bodhi does still jumps on Simba to play who then sees this as a threat. Bodhi isn’t phased by his hissing but I am worried that Simba might hurt him because hes so fearful he’s being attacked. This video came at the perfect time and I’m excited to work with them through some play therapy! Your videos have helped us so much in understanding the awesome individual kittys they are!
Thanks for these videos! I introduced a kitten to my two adult cats last week and your videos were invaluable! So far they are getting along with a few hisses to teach the kitten boundaries when she pops up out of nowhere. She’s a rescue who wasn’t socialized so she’s learning to love humans but seems to love her cat siblings. I’ll save this video just in case.
I’ll be watching all of these vids!! I’m feeling a bit desperate. I have a nervous cat, Monty. It’s taken me a few years to get him to ‘sort of accept’ a new cat Luna. They are not best buddies but tolerate each other. Now I have rescued a reverted feral. We have made great strides with him and after 3 months we can stroke him! He has a catio in the conservatory, so the other two cats are familiar with him, but are both not interested and quite nervous… a couple of introductions have gone well, the last one not. So I’m here, watching vids for some encouragement.
I would love to send you a video of our two cats as I followed your introduction protocol pretty much to a tee. Almost three weeks. We experienced everything that you said would happen but at the end of the introduction time we have two cats that are Best friends and thick as thieves! Thank you Jackson! We are huge fans! Also. Awareness, be aware, pay attention, as nobody knows your animals like you do. That's my tip of the comment section!
I needed this right now! One of my resident cats, Morag, is having a hard time adjusting to the new cat, Georgie. I introduced them slowly and things are improving, but there was some regression yesterday. I’ll reestablish their base camps and focus on playing with each individually so they feel safer.
Can we see follow up stories? . . to give us hope and confidence so we don't give up. my husband and I may have rushed through the introduction steps and are realizing we have to spend more time at the site swapping stage. Our resident cat is too distracted/uncomfortable to play when the new kitten is in the same room.
my two cats DO get along but we totally have to do the two separate playtimes. they’re the same age but style is different. one cat is “fast” and the other one is a “slow” hunter. so the “fast one” used to “hog” the toys but we decided to take a different approach ☺️
OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO! This is what I've been looking for! I got another cat about 2 months ago, and I'm having lots of trouble introducing her to my resident cat since he's more interested in hunting the newcomer than his food or any treat I give him. There's been some aggression from both their parts and the new cat is very dominant. I'm hoping to start the introduction process all over again, following your advice from this video, will do the trick.
I've had my cat smokey for about 7 months before I adopted two younger kittens. He was probably around a year old and the kittens are about 5 or 6 months. Maybe 7. I cannot for the life of me get Smokey to be cordial with the others. Ive been keeping them separated and I'm going crazy trying to make sure everyone has their human time since they all love cuddles. Praying your tips help me, I know I introduced them wrong, but I'm hoping everyone can get along someday soon! I love the three of them.
I love you and your love of cats and all things cats! Sadly I am down to only 2 indoor cats (from 6). So I will soon be on the hunt for new cats and find your videos so helpful. I have never had issues introducing new cats but there is a first time for everything and I want all the knowledge you share. So thanks for the great videos Jackson! You're an amazing person! PS I miss you on My Cat from Hell😢
@@JacksonGalaxy Oh you got that right! Lol I am in the process of spaying and neutering 22 cats! I do some rescue work & do my best with TNR in my area. Although there are plenty to pick from here in Lamont Alberta Canada, I don't want to stress out my old guy. You would love him! He oozes cat mojo!🤗 Happy New Year!
Thanks so much for making these videos. I have a 12 yo cat who I just found out last week had lived with his brothers but was too rough and was separated, I've had him 4 years and didn't know that so I adopted a 3 yo cat in feb (I was fostering guinea pigs who he got attached to, and kept going into their room and crying after they left so I thought he wanted a new friend... maybe not). It was rough. But I was careful, followed your process, and got to know my cats. It took 8 months to allow them in the same space without separating but they're finally getting along and as she gets braver he relents control a little more . They even boop noses! Thank you for all your help, my family SO appreciates it!
I am so grateful for these introduction videos, Jackson.. My resident cats have already seen/played/interacted/eaten with the kittens but one does not play nice afterward.. So do you just keep starting over even tho they have seen each other? I mean, go to square one with no eye contact even tho they know the other is there? My family has always introduced a new cat by keeping them in a large cage (my mom built it 4x6x3 wood and chickenwire its beautiful!) with supervised playtime outside the cage... It didnt work with these guys so I keep watching you and reading... Anyway, so when it doesn't go well, start over, no eye contact? Thank you for doing what you do!! 🐱❤🐱
I was over cautious introducing my two cats and the stray who I'd adopted got so stressed that she got a urinary tract infection. I let them sort it out and now they're best of friends.
My grumpy old rescue feline doesn't get along with our two 10 year olds, who have been playing together since kittens. She loves my daughter, tolerates me, and seems happy. Our home is very catified and I believe there's no need to do anything more. No one knows for sure how old Elizabeth is, my guess is about 12 or 13, so she seems happy sitting around and watching.
I have two cats and they are both so well behaved and nice because I learned how to give them a good life from this man. I wouldn’t say they are besties but they tolerate and respect each other. One of them is elderly and the other is about 2 years old, so I guess is just that they are on different stages of life but they are both respectful of each other.
I took on the challenge of taking in a cat, Bella, known to not get along with other cats, even her own offspring. Also some behavior problems such as using aggression to communicate when she wants something. Thanks to years of watching My Cat From Hell, for the most part we have managed to over come these issues. We were her fourth home in her 3 short years so first and foremost I figured she was probably terribly insecure. Unconditional love and a predictable routine I feel really helped the most. As for our other cat, they mostly tolerate each other these days, sometimes it even looks like they are playing, unfortunately though, as soon as I think things are settling down they end up having a fight. Normally Bella is the one trying to stand over Oscar and he will just look at her like "what the hell man?" and walk away but every now and again Oscar will just say "I've had enough" and beat her up. A few weeks ago she ended up with a tear in her tongue which is now permanently forked 😱
Just introducing a 10 wk old kitten (Fergus) to a 2 year old (Brodie) and it’s so hard to not get discouraged. Your videos really help! I just hope my big boofus of a Brodie will stop stalking and running after Fergus’ tiny body soon.
People with cats: wow my cats never like strangers. I'm surprised they like you. What's your secret? Me:Ancient chinese secret My ancient chinese secret = Jackson Galaxy
I know you won't see this jackson, but I've watched all your media now, every appearance i could find. I've learned alot, and my cat sara, 5 year old rescue adoption cat and I both thank you. You're advice has allowed me to understand her, and now we have a much better setup. Cat super highway, cat tree, two litter boxes, rewarding training and we play efficiently now, almost 1.5 hrs of play a day. She has no bad behaviors now, she won't attack my hands st and she has learned to sit, jump hoop and to retrieve certain toys. We are gonna work on roll over and a few other tricks, she is really enjoying training and the extra, better quality playtime. My cat is my lifeline and my best friend. You've really helped us both. Thank you. I'll try to find a way to repay you. Even if it means giving your book away as a gift to all my cat owner friends. Thanks. And best wishes jackson.
My cats fought during the first "introduction" it was going pretty good but we weren't able to read our older cats signs and didn't realize they were angry meows and not curious meows. We separated them and started the introduction process again and it went so much better and was even quicker (we think bc baby was fed up from being in the room and our older cat felt bad lool). They still fight sometimes but is only when our kitten attacks the older cat. It's confusing though bc they don't seem to harbor resentment they play, cuddle and just hang out the rest of the time. It'll always start with baby jumping on him or biting his ankles (pawnkles?) and usually he just walks away or ignores her but sometimes I guess it's just too much for him and he snaps, then she screams like he's trying to kill her even tho he usually only gives her one bite and tries to leave BUT she will nottt quit and will keep doing it :(
Jackson galaxy is the reason I know so much about cats and why I love cats so much! Thank you jackson! You are why everyone calls me when they have a cat problem! Although I'm still a kid I know so much! I wanna be just like you when I grow up! You are my favorite RUclipsr!
Thank you so much for saying that!! I’m honored to know that a kid like you will someday be a teacher also and show everyone how cool cats are. Much Mojo to you for the new year!
My mother just adopted 2 adult cats in a pinch. It was either she took them to the pound or bring them home. Ill try everything to make it work ❤️ these videos are helpful and hopefully it'll just turn into a bigger family 😁
This was very helpful! I have a 3 y.o. rescue who is almost totally blind and mostly deaf. He chases after and then pounces on and bites the neck of my 14 y.o. very sweet female cat and, after two years, still has never just washed her or slept nicely next to her. I will try playing with him more and go through the introduction phases, but it's been a challenge to find ways to stimulate him (crumpled paper and a tunnel are good for him) given his blindness and him not being able to hear most toys/birds/etc.. His behavior appears to be all dominance related. He'll attack her just to sit where she was, will go after her even with his favorite food right in front of him, etc.. He came from a hoarding situation in NYC. Initially, he would swipe and bite me, but we've gotten through that stage and now he's very cuddly and sweet with me. Just still attacking his sister . . .Any suggestions are very welcome!
No questions from me Jackson. I just bought your book. Also, I have been using your Peacemaker and Stress Stopper drops, they always work like a charm! Thank you!
This is honestly so comforting to watch, thanks for the work! I've just introduced a kitten to our 3 year old cat and we followed your previous guides. They accepted eachother already within the first weeks, yet think kind of avoid eachother still. I guess it's just cause our little one is still a lot more active and it might tone down some time. :) we're really trying to give both of them the attention they need I'm just hoping they can at some point be friends instead of roommates. Any tips how to encourage positive behaviour?
I'd like to see tips on grooming cats. I've been trimming my cat's claws every few months since she was 4 months old and she has always hated it. She even tries to trick me by relaxing her paw so I can't push the claw out. I've never cut the quick but she still acts like I'm maiming her.
My cat does this too. Only solution is swaddling her VERY tightly in a blanket, and hoping we can get at least a few clipped in one go. She acts like im maiming her too but it must be done.
My two were adopted together from the same rescue, 4 years ago. One is quite laid back and the other is a little jealous girl. She will immediately show up and try to take over when we give the other any attention. They get into tiffs a few times a week. I feel for both girls as we want to make sure they are both getting what they need. We also would like to get a kitten but we don’t think our jelly bean girl will find this to be a good idea.
I am so glad I found your channel, Jackson! We recently adopted a 7 month old male kitten and completely botched the introduction process to our 6 year old anxious and fearful female cat. He is energetic and wants to play but she is afraid of everything and does not want to play. Most of the time she hides under the bed. If he sees her he will run or pounce at her but not aggressively. She will hiss and growl. We had a home visit from an animal behaviorist vet who gave us good info, but your videos are also providing some great advice as well!
Your situation sounds very similar to mine. I have a 9yr old male and a 4 month old fm. The kitten chases and bites the older cat constantly and we ended up at the vets with an abscess on the older cats neck as a result. How are you getting on now, I’d be interested in what advice you were given?
Absolutely, I spent a week JUST site swapping so that both can get used to the smell of each other. Introduces them with the door CLOSED not some death portal. People are to inpatient. Allow a MONTH not a few days! Each should have the own base camp / room until THEY agree otherwise which can actually take years. One of my cats STILL prefers his original room as his safest place.
This is the EXACT issue I'm having with my two boys, after 4 months of site swapping, playtime together, treats, calming pheromone collars, and more. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.
This is me too! We’ve had our second cat for 5 months. We followed JG’s plan carefully, site swapping, other side of the door feeding etc. The resident cat still won’t stop chasing the new one and we have tried everything!
@@kathrynbrewermusic Maybe more playing? If he is agressive maybe you should play a lot with them runing so he can go tired and then put them together until the body language is of attack and then take him out of the room.
Im having this same issue😢 two females: my senior cat is soooo agressive towards everyone. And my little one is a piece of heaven. Idk what to do. The oldest won’t get along with anybody😭😭
We've been trying to introduce our cats for over a year now and we still are having territorial issues like chasing and urine marking. Life is hell. Put out more litter boxes that don't have hoods, different litters (unscented), introduced scents by swapping places and items, feed them together (they do just fine with that). Bought some of your holistic stuff so I'm hoping that helps. They sleep on the same bed with us so it's all confusing. For reference we got the Tuxedo kitten first and a year later got two British short hair sisters that were 5yrs old. I should probably submit a video!
I am so frustrated. My cats fight on site. We've had the new cat two years! We site swap and it's the worst. The new cat chases the older one like prey.
I know how you feel. I got a new cat last February and she was attacking resident cat like crazy. I believe I did everything that I could, but it wasn't working. My resident cat was terrified to the point of not eating and peeing everywhere. Sometimes relationships don't work and you need to know when it's time to say goodbye. I was crushed, of course, I loved my new baby so much. Thankfully my mother took her and I can visit her anytime. Don't feel bad if you'll have to give one cat away, think about what's better for all of you. But if you still wanna try, godspeed to you, my friend.
This is where I’m at. It’s been 6 months and my cat just cannot get along with my boyfriends cat. Now my boyfriends cat feels he needs to get my cat before he gets him so the fighting is 100% worse. They draw blood every single time! So I feel like I’m going to have to find one of them a home. But my cat gets along with my other cat fine so I don’t know if it was something I did or they just do not like each other.
These comments are the best place. I’m trying to spend equal time with them but my resident cat cries and paws at the door whenever I’m in the room with my newbie. It’s emotionally exhausting for me right now. I tried to see if they would be okay in the same room, and the new girl was not having it. Resident boy is very ready to meet, but the girl is still so so hissy and growly. I’m on Day 3. I took a couple days off work to help facilitate this in hopes it would go quickly
@@kiayatwixxer4736 yes i did watch the video. But im Swedish myself so I know its absolutely not a Swedish name :) its russian. Also based on her accent
I have a 21/2 yo cat not very socialized and a new 1 yo cat from shelter. The older intimidated the younger one at first but now is accepting. But the new cat is on guard whenever the separation gate is open. Im exhausted by my rollercoaster human expectations.I've made so many mistakes in the introduction process. Your reassuring words and videos are giving me hope my kitties can become friends.
I have two cats who have lived together with no issue for almost 4 years. Today, sr kitty Cash went out for a walk in the grass. Young Jagger, who has never been in grass, ATTACKED Cash upon re-entry to the house. No one is any newer than the other- but now Jagger doesn’t have trust and we have to re-introduce them 😭
We adopted Rusty a few months ago and he's about 6 months, last week we just adopted another kitten 12 weeks. We separate and swap them as much as possible. The kitten was growling on his first day and was extremely in duress. The kitten has warmed up to us, lets us hold and kiss him, however, he is still a biter and scared of some of his toys. His play right now is just exploring around the apartment and running around because he's still nervous about toys. We introduced our cats, and they chase each other, and Rusty pounces and bites the new kitten and his ears are back. I don't think it's play fighting, it seems aggressive. We still have to keep the separated in fear that he will hurt the kitten. Thank god for this video, I hope they will be able to get along soon.
I am so grateful, my own cat is use to other animals and animal scents off other family regularly coming in to the house so when we brought home the kitten it feels a lot like he took on a sort of dominate but protective role with the kitten. They play together(Yes I know it is play the kitten is always going back for more lol!) and they eat and nap together without issue. He is often bathing the kitten and letting the kitten sneak his own leftover food without any fighting. I hope people who do have these problems are able to overcome them because nothing is cuter then seeing your cat babies play and get along.
oh wow, I was just talking about this with my mom! I'm trying to convince her to work with me to reintroduce the cats since they don't get along as well as we hoped. She's pretty stubborn in wanting to just get the back paws declawed (she had already declawed the front paws) so I'm really working to convince her otherwise. The declawing wasn't something I approved of at all and it still is something I constantly argue about with her
Fight the good fight!! Have her watch my videos on the topic. Front claws are bad enough but back as well? She should also realize that declawing will increase the chances of the cat biting. Which will make the introduction process even worse. And btw if your vet performs that surgery without trying to talk your mom out of it first, it is straight up unethical even from the AVMA guidelines. Go to your vet and ask him or her to counsel your mom also. Thank you for advocating for your cat’s wellbeing!!!
@@JacksonGalaxy I have repeatedly shown my mom your videos on the topic of declawing as well as introducing two cats. When the cats got declawed the first time, the vet worked to convince her otherwise but my mom had said that she "absolutely did everything she could think of and this is the last resort". *insert air quotes and eye rolls* The vet took her word for it saying "Alright well as long as you did everything you could to stop them scratching" and went along with it. I will definitely make sure to pull the vet aside and have a chat with him about what my mom is thinking about when we have our next vet appointment. :)
My resident cat hates my new cat!! She’s 7 years old and has never lived with other cats. She’s not a friendly cat and doesn’t like anyone or anything. It’s just her nature. Over the years, she learned to tolerate me, my husband, and my dogs (who were in the house first), but she keeps her distance and is not affectionate at all. My new cat is about 8 months old. She’s super friendly and affectionate. She lived with a sibling prior to being dumped at a shelter and misses cat company. I kept them completely separated for about a week, switching rooms, just letting them get used to each other’s scents. About a week in, I allowed them to see each other from a distance for a few days. On day 11, I introduced them face to face and it went very badly! My resident cat began hissing and growing and running away. The new cat began to chase her. It was a disaster!!! It reversed any tiny progress that I’ve made. I’m am devastated!! I would never get a second cat if I’ve known how this would be!!! I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. I’m losing hope. :(
It’s only been a week and I’m so stressed out! Lol I have a male and female that love each other and another female showed up at my house and I brought her in. I’ve had them separated for a week but there has been some contact and tonight all 3 had a standoff. When I tried to pick the new one up to put her in her room, she hissed and growled at me. I’ll be following your process from now on. There’s also a hallway in front of her room that is hers and I have a gate up and put a sheet over it, so she can have more space. I would just be happy at this point if they would just tolerate each other but I don’t know if they ever will.
Any updates? Dealing with a similar situation, I have two bonded cats and adopted another adult. I’m only a week in but it’s been the worst week of guilt and crying
@@TheGiordano6 I’ve hesitated to respond to this but after 4 months, they all got to the point that they could be in the same room together as long as my new cat was either asleep or in a chair. One day, she chased my older female upstairs and my male jumped her. It was horrible and there was blood everywhere. She only had a gash in her chest where he got her with a claw but I cleaned her up and all the blood in the house and put the older two upstairs and she stays downstairs. I have them permanently separated and I split my time between them and we’re all happier that way. I wish I could tell you that they’re all cuddled up together and living happily ever after but it didn’t happen that way. I hope you can get yours bonded.
Mine worked it out too. One is sweet but has an attitude (orange & white tabby), the other is just sweet (brown and black striped tabby). Orange cat just slaps brother when he walks by, he looks incredulous that he was assaulted and they both walk off. They sleep next to each other. Weirdos!
My cat Twiggy is incredibly territorial and aggressive with other animals. My roommate got a puppy 6 months ago and my cat still can't stand to be in the same room or even within sight of the dog. She gets severely agitated if she can see him or if it sounds like he is close to her door. If she is some how loose around him she will immediately charge and attack. I have gotten in the middle of this twice to stop her and have received bad bites and scratches (the bite sent me to the ER with a sever infection, and the second incident left my face with a deep scar just below my eye and through the cartilage on my ear). I stopped trying to introduce them all together and I ALSO get sever anxiety now whenever she appears agitated. Someone suggested medication, but I don't know where to start. I'm even afraid to bring her to the vet since she gets so agitated she has tried to lash out at vet techs etc...
I have kind of a modification of this introduction idea. My kids are both 8 years old. They grew up together, had lived their lives constantly together, even travelled in one crate together...... For 2 months they were apart, and now I'm trying to reintroduce them. The female is super aggressive towards the sweet, submissive male. He wants to play, to meet, to get together again, but the female just hisses constantly, everytime she sees him, even they cross paths. Heeellllppppppp!!!! She's food driven, he's more play driven but....not very.
FYI, I have introduced my additional cat in my car. I have placed them in their own carrier and the back seat of my car. Then then get a chance to get use to the smell of the other cat. I have also introducedanother cat to my Original cat was in a store room where they ran around and then they stoped! I picked them up and put them in their separate carriers and drove about one hour home. Then I took them into my AP apartment and they went their separate ways. The next thing I knew they were in the same room resting. I then fed them in separate bowls . They just bonded w each other. I was most grateful! Rosemarie
i had two almost identical cats. thr senior girl was extremely classy but would attack the younger photocopy of her - a guy. one g day i had enough: i grabbed both, and sat all three of us in front of a mirror. in a while they dropped the struggling and looked at the mirror: one is the human yes and the other one is the enemy but there are two! which is which ‽ i pointed out you are this one that one is this one... they caught on and stopped the fighting.. i still have Buster he is over 22 yrs old... the classy girl...
I have two cats (7 years old and 3 years old- both female) and I just adopted a bonded pair (3 years old and 1 years old- both male) and it’s been only a week but I’m really worried that my 7 year old wont budge and wont end up tolerating and liking the two I just adopted. I have let them out on two occasions now briefly (after letting them play underneath the door with each other and with the door shut and having their own spaces and all that) and both of my girls at hissing at the two new boys. I’m hoping with time and retrying the process that they will end up okay! I really don’t want to stress my oldest out but I also really don’t want to have to return the boys to the shelter because I have grown to love them quickly and they haven’t hissed once or shown any issues on their end. I hope it works out 😞
I got a younger male cat that was unfixed for a about a month, recently I decided to get another cat (a older female) they both live in my room. My male cat sprayed the entire room marked it, I cleaned it, when I brought my female cat in they didn’t like each other but they were never scared of each other and never ears back or raised hair. I just let them do there thing even though they both live in the same room and I didn’t separate them I took like 5 days of hissing and growling. Now they really don’t hiss at each other anymore they just look at each other and know that they are not being replaced and they both sleep on me when I go to bed
HELP!! I have two cats and one huge male unclipped Cane Corso, two weeks ago temperatures dropped to -35 at night and -4 daylight. My female cat is 9 and fixed, was abused and has never been accepting to any new cat. My other a 2/12 year old male, fixed yellow tabby, a partial mouth breather and has sight issues. Second night of “the freeze” the cold had settled in over everything and it was cold. 1:30 am my husband and I hear the sounds of an unhappy cat. We forgot to close the cellar cat door and a young 6 - 8 month old beautiful almost red orange tabby appears around the corner, unfazed by my massive dog, angry-hissing Mama kitty and Sonny, circling him like a shark, he had this look on his face that said “ I need help”. For 9 days, we were all locked in the house. Angus, I named him Angus, was so happy to have pets more than food & warmth but he sucked in every second of our hospitality. 4 days ago it started to warm up, really warm up so all the cats became going out again, all cat doors are open. Poor Angus was hiding a lot and I was hearing and seeing evidence of cat disagreements. Spraying, scratched ears but poor Angus held on and kept coming back these last few days. I have not seen him for over 24 hours, I should have locked him up until I could get him to the vet but he was climbing the walls and did not feel safe. I hope my cats did not run him off permanently, with the weather being unseasonably warm and the constant unwelcome him received from my female cat, I do not blame him. If I can get him to the vet and get him fixed, I will keep him. I hope it’s not to late, I hope he comes back. Any advise appreciated. .
I have one ex-feral boy who has become very loving but has never played with humans. He is scared if ever I try to play with him. It took over a year to gain his trust but he is happy. I recently introduced a new cat. All has gone well but neither cat can be picked up (they have issues with human trust). The new cat has huge confidence issues. However, if I allow free movement of the house for both cats then my ex-feral simply guards the room and won't allow the newbie access. If I swap rooms (which takes a lot of time and patience as neither will be picked up) then my ex-feral simply goes to hide under the bed or in the wardrobe. He only did this 2yrs ago. I can stop the wardrobe hiding but cannot stop the bed hiding. The house is somewhat open plan with some doors absent. So to recap, free access for both doesn't work as the old boy just guards, the new girl has no confidence and hides constantly even after a swap. She won't be tempted by play into a strange room but she does play. He never plays, never has except alone but rarely. Help!
I feel so blessed by how our kitty cuties decided to play it. They both arrived at the exact same time, same pet transport, but were from 2 different shelters. Prior to their journey, they've never met. Fortunately, the year old bum is as zen as it gets, and incredibly used to preeeeetty much anything kittens and puppies throw at him. And the 8 month old teenager? Well, he's so fearless there simply was no stopping him. They were cautious around each other, and us, and the new base camp, but not hostile. And the kitty teen was by far too rambunctious to spend too much time getting to know the wallflower, so off chasing toys it was. We realized they very much had the street mentality of forever starving, and that the kitty teen was probably abandoned way too quickly, as he struggled with bite and swipe control - in his excitement, he was simply too rough. Toys, his new older bro, the new human family - didn't matter, he'd forget and chomp and then look confused at all the yelps. Big bro patiently (and sometimes less patiently) helped him figure out that being bit too hard HURTS, and he's settled down. They used to play pretty noisily during that period, but there was never anything beyond the occasional hiss when warning yelps weren't enough, and they chased and sought each other out, so whilst I fretted, they were apparently having a grand ol' time. They now sleep and cuddle together, and seem to not really have a hierarchy. This channel was a huge help to the fretful me and my more occasionally concerned partner, so thank you very much. We're currently working on harness training to help drain some more of that kitten energy... and mentally counting down the days, weeks, months until he's hopefully grown into a bit calmer adult. :D
We introduced our kittens to our older cat as instructed and they started getting along and playing. Then out of the blue, the older cat isn't having it with them at all. Should I start from square one? The kittens have each other so they leave my eldest cat alone, but my eldest cat hisses whenever they just simply walk by. We took 5 steps forward and 10 steps back, I swear.
How long ago did you introduce them? We adopted an older boy in may while already having 2 under one year old. The younger ones hissed at the old boy for a good few months even with the proper introduction. They don't his now but it did take a few months to be honest.
Yes start from square one if it gets out of hand. My cat Prentiss would hiss/growl at my new cat Obi but I would give them treat when she wouldn’t do it with him around. This showed her it made me happy to have both of them around and no one was replacing her. I would spent alone time cuddling her more. She was territorial but slowly realized no one was replacing her. They are best buddies now. Don’t give up! :) Make sure you have a high place he can go to run away from them. Kittens are high energy so if your only kitty gets annoyed or wants peace and quite make sure there is a place he can do that. ♥️
I have been trying to introduce my two kittens to each other. Trying to follow your advice, in some parts. It sort of worked.. I also played with both my kittens with the same toy and keep swapping around their kitty litter trays after they are clean every morning. So they can also get use to the smell of each other. It's at a stage where I go in with my main kitten with harness into the room just to hang out once a day. We use to do it with him in just the carry bag to start with. This has been going on for a couple of months now, until we changed it to the harness. The other day it looked like they wanted to play with each other.. but I think after a while he got grumpy and started to hiss. So I put him back in the other room. Ideally I would love for them to be able to play with each other without me harnessing my main kitten. Both kittens are only a month apart from each other, so they are ruffly the same age. But my new one still won't let me trim her claws, so I don't think that is a good idea until they are trimmed. In the meantime, any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated..
We have a 3 year old spayed female who is a total bully to the 8 month old neutered male kitten we just adopted. He is very shy and was traumatized by a dog prior to being rescued and fostered. I try to let him explore on the upstairs level (which is where the room is that we had him closed off in) but she'll go up there when I'm busy working and go after him, so i end up putting her downstairs for a time out. After looking at the videos, maybe I need to play more with her to bring her energy level down some and it sounds like one or the other needs to be in a room if I can't be there with them.
I count myself very lucky. I have 6 cats, 4 of which are from the same litter. But I have never once had a cat fight. I have No issues besides one of the kittens poops beside the litter box. No cats from hell they are all just so amazing.
I adopted two cats because the shelter said they were best buds and should be adopted together. When we got home, it was like they were total strangers. One decided she wanted nothing to do with the other and hid and ran from both of us. Maybe it was the accumulated scent from decades of my previous cats. But after a couple of months, they grew close again, grooming each other and play-wrestling. They often walk pressed up against each other, the formerly standoffish one sometimes pressed against her companion so hard that she just about pushes her into a wall. So they can work it out.
I and my family always made sure to only allow the new cats to smell each other when first introducing them. They would be able to smell each other under the door but they wouldn't be allowed to see each other for a while as we built up the new cat's confidence. When we got 2 kittens they had a room with each other and were able to play with each other and have toys, so they were confident when they met the 2 resident cats. When we let them see each other we did have some hissing but it wasn't an all-out brawl and we made sure to let the cats have a wide area in which they met each other. They sometimes have their arguments but they all love each other and they're all a happy kitty family
My cat Binx grew up in a 2 story house with 5 other cats, she is definitely the more fearful one (she used to be feral and I was apart of a catch and release program and i decided to adopt her because of her huge attachment to me) and there are 3 young cats in the house that are more forward (less than 3 years). I moved out for a few months and my roommates decided to throw their cat in Binx’s direction to “introduce them” and it ruined their introduction so we couldn’t stay in that house. We since then moved back into my parents house (with the multiple cats + other animals) and she is still on edge. She will engage in toys and when the other young cats are being played with she seems interested, but as soon as she gets closer to watch/possibly play, the young cat(s) will direct their attention to her and would rather jump/scare her away so they could play alone. Binx also has jealousy issues (im assuming because of her attachment to me) and she will get vocal if im giving lovins to another cat 😭 I will try to find other treats that the young cats will like and hopefully find more interesting than her, but if anyone has any advice or suggestions please lmk 😅 (im not planning on staying here for long but in the future we do eventually want to get another kitten and I want Binx to not be scared of new/other cats anymore)
my two kitties are not friends after half a year together.. they’re only in separate rooms until now.. they start hissing and scratching if they see each other, and i did all the steps. when they sniff their smells, they’re not angry, but if they have eye contact it’s a problem. both are female, resident is older almost two years old, and the new is here since a kitten now she’s almost a year old. at the start she was badly beaten by the older one, now they’re more equal but i don’t want to give one up. it’s hard on the streets here, they will die.
I am at a cross roads with my cats.. Its been over a year and they still won't get along... I am glad to see other comments knowing that I am not alone.
i have 4 cats. 3 of them love each other, the 4th is my girl i’ve had for almost 10 years and she hates all the other 3. it’s been almost a year and i have yet to get her to calm down and just coexist with them. i’m here searching for answers too 😢
@@imcharlihbu3711i dont know why jackson isnt saying this once but in my country we use to think that cats with different genders also have different playstyle. Ofc there are some unicorns but all in all u can say Boys more rough and girls like to play with things not wrestling with other cats. Thats why we say Boys to Boys and girls to girls , same Charakter and same age. Otherwise there will be trouble at some points
@@pikagirlyoloo3 of my cats are girls, we have one boy but he is the least of my worries. it’s my 3 girls i need to get along.
i'm the same way. it's been almost 2 years. its more when one goes near the other when walking by, they can coexist on a couch on opposite sides or room but one will get into the hunting mode and the older, smaller one is scared. I only had 2 days bc i was going back to school so the process on my end wasn't exactly the right thing
You’re doing a lot of things wrong from the sound of it. If you have one cat and another cat and they don’t get along: you don’t get a third cat. Period. That’s that.
Your mission from then on out is learning how to gauge and train the two cats in a way that integrates them into your program (I bet you don’t have a program). If that doesn’t work, then be at peace with letting one go (pick the most irritable one) and then you may go out and get that third one you were looking for. Yes, you will have two. Your training level is probably not even 2 to be honest but I’ve seen people learn and get to level 2 from your current predicament so it’s not over.
I want to share my story of my two cats to give you all some more hope. For reference, Miko: 5 years old, we have had her for a year, shelter said she hated other cats so much that they had to speed her adoption process up to put her in a room without any visual access to other cats. Tenshi: 4 month old kitten, loves other cats.
When we started introducing them, although the door was fully closed and there was no gap under the door, miko stayed awake the whole night sitting by the door of a room that she rarely ever went in before, because she knew something or someone was in there. There was so much hissing and so so so much growling from miko throughout the whole introduction process and we couldn’t even do it right because miko refused to eat anywhere within a 10 foot radius of the door although we were giving her her favourite food. Miko’s temperament/personality had completely changed, she was very isolated and very angry all the time. i cried so many times because i thought they were never going to get along and it was so stressful having to leave miko alone because if i wasn’t with tenshi, she would meow until i came back. once we had finally removed the barrier between them (4ish weeks after beginning the introduction), there was so much fighting and growling. miko would attack tenshi if she was in a 10 foot radius and tenshi shows stalker behaviours. tenshi was scared but curious and miko was very angry. however, slowly by slowly, her boundaries shrunk and she let tenshi go closer to her. now (2 months after beginning the introduction), they spend most of their time together, they clean each other, they play and play fight, they sleep near each other and they search for each other. you guys got this !! be patient with your cats and pay close attention to their body language.
Honestly my cat was just fighting my kitten and I started panicking but reading this calmed me down a bit thank youu 💗💗
Wow I'm so glad , that gave me hope but I got a 4 years old female cat and a 9 month old male cat😅 the female is so scared from him that the sight, scent or voice will make her all alert. Even tho the male is not so offensive but the dew fight they had has just worsen it
So you didn't have them separated since the introduction? We just finished a year of separation and exercises. Tried reintroduction last month and still my 17 year old resident wants to kill the kitten - even though kitten is now twice her size!
Thank you for sharing your story. I just introduced a kitten and it's not going well with my 4-year-old female Blookie. I was surprised because she shared this space with another cat we had but sadly lost. Were two days in and my Blookie won't let the baby near her 2 feet or less without hissing or growling. The growling has subsided some. They both eat from the same area at different times. Blookie seems to be getting a little more comfortable but she still has boundaries. I think she doesn't want to share me and feels jealousy. I thought she'd love the baby since the cat we lost Blookie would lick him, and snuggle him? Anyway thanks again for sharing give me hope.
@@galaxigirl1 Going on 8 months here too. We have two 8-year old females and got a another female kitten when she was 2 months old. Our older Siamese cat just wants to kill the new kitty, and we've literally done EVERYTHING, with the homebase, the door, separated parts of our apartment, pheromones, hiding spots, feeding times, gated doorway, you name it - we've done it. Our other older cat is okay being in the same room after many months, but our Siamese hasn't simmered down a bit. We've been sleeping in separate rooms since this all started so nobody feels left out at bedtime. It's extremely frustrating trying to find help too, every damn thing we find starts off at the "Intro" phase or says start over from the beginning - which doesn't work because they already know each other lives here. We can start over with the door completely shut and blocked off, but then they both go to the door and mess with each other, so we block off the door but they still hear each other. I swear if I hear "Introduction" phase one more time...
whenever a situation goes wrong my boyfriend says, "is it time for galaxy?" and Yes, yes it is.
I got 2 cats within 2 months of eachother. Getting them integrated was the biggest stressor and it took 4-5 weeks to get to equilibrium. They are now friends... and I'm so happy!
I'm trying to get mine back together for 16 months. Still no success. They've lived happily for 3 years before it all started
I am doing now
@@InGreed666 any luck
I have also used a closed in pourch at someone’s home…not mine. I have found if I introduce my Original cat w a new cat in a confined area which is unknown to both of them, the introduction has been smooth.
I have a house full of 6 cats. This video really helped me understand why not all if them get along and how I/they can help fix that.
Cool - cat haven.
I brought home a second cat on Nov 11, took the intro phase slowly, and tonight my furry first resident climbed into the basket the newcomer was sleeping in, and began grooming him! I am so stoked to see them bonding--keep with it, the method really does work. I did notice something JG didn't mention about the play in this video. At one point, she waved a toy in-between the cats, and I think it was the little guy who lunged for it--directly at the other cat! That probably didn't end well. I find it challenging to play with both at once, but have managed to do so with two wand toys, keeping the cats on opposite sides of a large piece of furniture, like a sofa.
How.. I just got a second cat TODAY! This is timing, if I've ever seen it
Congrats! 😻👏🎊
I got one a week ago , rescued, I'm trying to get them to like each other but it isn't happening
@@Lamees.alghamdii keep at it! My boys didn’t like each other for a few months. Now they snuggle every night (and sometimes during the day) and they play all the time! Just give it time and patience. It’s hard when they’re not a fan of each other at first
@@JacksonGalaxy Hey Cat Daddy! I really need your help. I have a 5 year old neutered male cat, named Lil Bit, along with 5 younger cats that are all fixed. Well Lil Bit keeps acting like he's going thru some kind of feline male menopause! He'll even stand up and make crazy growling sounds at the door when he wants to go outside on the porch. I've already tried homeo pet feline anxiety drops and cat nip but nothing has helped. I love all 6 of my kitty babies and I do the very best I can on a fixed income because I'm disabled. I really want to see Lil Bit happy again! 😺
💗😽😽😽😽😽😽💗
Just today got a 2 month old kitten to be a new friend to 6 month old kitten... hissing and growling, but taking it slow
If it’s any comfort, my two cats took almost a year to not fight as soon after they see each other, after a year and a half they were walking together around the house and after almost three years we finally found the magic toy that is teaching them to play together. So there is always hope.
you can't mention a magic toy and not drop the name...
@@_clove it’s nothing special, it’s SmartyKat Hot Pursuit Cat Toy Concealed Motion Toy a cheap toy, but it is the one that finally got the interest of both to play together, since they usually don’t like the same type of toys
I have four cats all rescued at different times. It takes a while to introduce older cats but it's very possible. My first cat still hisses and scratches the other three but no ears are back and no one running to hide. They all act like siblings that need to fuss and make noise. I feel like that's normal and I think sometimes we get worried over nothing 👍🤣👍 GOOD LUCK
I advise allocate 1 month. Jackson?? What do you say?
Thanks a lot for your comment, as I was starting to become desperate about the situation with my two female cats! Could you please specify if you kept them separated during the first year?
Not gonna lie, I adopted a 4 month old kitty in October of 21. She is PERFECT!!!! never hissed, always loving and playful, sleeps with us- she is literally the queen of the house. I got a wild hair up my butt that she needed a friend, EHHHH wrong! So I adopted, on Monday (its currently Thursday) an 11 week old kitty and we had no clue what we were doing. Our current Kitty ( Dana Scully) was PISSED! She started hissing at the kitten (Wanda Maximof) and growling at her, she attacked my husband and my daughter, tried to take my face off. I was horrified. Texted my vet, she said "separate them and introduce them slowly". Done. I moved Wanda into the dining room, made her comfortable and let her get used to her new surroundings ( she was very skittish to begin with). Scully would sit outside the door watching us (its got glass french doors) but able to smell the kitten and see what all the fuss was about. On Tuesday evening, we opened up the doors and let Wanda decide if she wanted to come out (she had been pressing against the doors peering out) she went ZOOMIE! all over the house. Rippin and runnin right past Scully not giving a crap what was going on. Let her do this for about an hour and then put her back in her room for the night. Yesterday, let her out and left her out all day with Scully. No more extreme aggression from Scully, Wanda still hisses at her because she's scared of this giant cat that was mean to her, but they tolerate each other and were mutually engaged in playing with a toy. This morning, let Wanda out and instantly Scully ran up to her and touched noses to smell her, Wanda hissed and then it was them chasing each other as Wanda found all of Scully's favorite places in the house, ie: my bedroom/bathroom. Scully would wait for her to jump off something and then swat at her, back and forth this went. I got a message from my husband just a few hours ago and he walked in the house, they were both on the floor asleep about 12" apart from each other. An hour later, they were laying on the couch together no more than a foot apart. Patience is key. Showing your kitties that its "ok" is key. Showing them both lots of love and affection and not yelling is HUGE! I was ready to give the kitten back after Monday night, not wanting to make my Scully feel vulnerable in HER space, and now I feel stupid for wanting to give up so easily.
Thanks Jackson, reintroducing my two kitties and this video is gold. I recently took one of my cats to the vet, and when we got back, my other kitty wanted nothing to do with her.
They fought, and now they can't be in the same room without both attacking each other .
I've been really sad these couple of days because I've had to separate them amd they both cry when I'm not in the area wirh them. This video gives me hope ❤
I’m going through the same! My cats were best buddies and it’s been taking me forever to get them to get along again after the vet.
It breaks my heart that they don’t seem to have the same bond but it’s getting better.
Im in the same boat, thats what brought me to this video. My cats were best friends and they hate eachother now after the vet. Have you guys been able to make progress? Hoping theres some hope i can cling to
@@deniseu2573 eventually they got along but I had to site swap, and scent swap.
Also started feeding them together first with a door as a barrier then without until they finally seemed comfortable.
As soon as I saw them sleeping together and grooming each other I knew they were buddies again.
My cat made friends with another cat the first day we moved house. He met the other cat when we were watching the movers bring our stuff in the house and they meowed at each other from the window. It was really cute to watch 😊
@crystal kirlia Awww. Like the two human kids getting to know each other. My question is, did you get to know (or be friends with) the other kitty’s “staff”?
It took a few weeks for mine. Faster then usual, they now often snuggle together. Younger cats introduce better. Mine were about a year and half and 9 months. I think she thinks of him as more like a son and sometime grooms him.
Grateful for this video! Our new kitty (8months) has been with us for almost 3 months. He's so confident and has so much energy, he always wants to attack my resident cat (4yrs). We space swap multiple times a day so little kitty can run around... But they always have to be 100% supervised when together with the distraction of treats
All in all, we need to be more consistent with their short visits together
Introducing cats is actually easy in theory but very laborious in practice. But if done correctly it will work. It must be done right since the beginning. 😻❤️😽
I said it under another video previously, but after almost three weeks of introductions, we put a bit butter on each kitten and it worked like a charm! They were too busy licking it off themselves and it helped them get used to being in the same room etc.
Thank you, I am going to try this but with pumpkin puree!
Oh this is a wonderful idea! Thank you for sharing :)
This is so cute 😹
My cat Lila was exactly like Tosha, in hunting mode all the time. What made the difference was a clear piece of hard plastic to separate them (when eating or relaxing) so that Lila could get used to the new cat without getting defensive and aggressive. Thanks Jackson for the advice :)
Our best progress yet has been for our resident cat to observe the new kitten from behind the screen door of our balcony. our resident cat loves chasing bugs on our balcony at night. So we closed the screen door for a bit to let our new kitten explore the rest of our apartment. My husband was out on the balcony with our resident cat to monitor her mood. He said she seemed relaxed and happy (tail up). We were hoping it would give our resident cat a chance to observe the kitten to become more relaxed in its presence. Our resident cat is not comfortable playing in the same room with the new kitten. But, it's only been a week, so we will just need more repetition of certain steps of the introduction?
@@jenniferbullard3636 Hey Jennifer it’s been a year now, and my cats are “introduced” but still not buddies. I thought they would be pals by now. The screen door, a pet gate that you can cover, separate living spaces, separate beds, etc. and then swapping blankets with their scent helped them at least get used to each other. Scent is really important, but I think sight is too. I don’t have the answers, would suggest a cat behaviouralist if you can’t find the info you need online. Hope it doesn’t take your resident cat too long though! It helps that he’s older, mine were both kittens (3 months!).
We used your methods to introduce a very feral new cat to our two resident cats and they are now all buddies. Thank you!
Now that’s what I love to hear. Good job!!
Hi Jackson! You have taught me so much about cats and about the animals in shelters that need our help. Soon I'm going to start volunteering at my local shelter because of you. Me and the my animal family thank you for everything you do!😻
Hello Bella how are you doing today
I've started fostering cats last year and really got passionate about socializing. Your advices have been so helpful, so thanks so much :3
After reading a number of comments - please people, stop introducing kittens to two-year-olds to senior cats! You might want a kitten, but the senior does not. At best, the senior will tolerate or bond with a 'middle-aged' cat, one who has slowed down a bit. I am a senior human, and could think of nothing worse that forced to room with a teenager, it would be like living hell. By the time a solo cat has got to senior, in the same household, it is unlikely they will accept a newcomer. They are (like older humans) settled into their ways and routines. Just wait until your senior passes, and then adopt a pair or trio together, of similar ages. Don't make your senior's last years miserable.
You can adopt/introduce other seniors to your existing senior. No guarantee they will bond like besties, but they probably won't hate each other either. Some weird place in between.
It is like the last failed adoption of my now fur baby. She was just over six, but had a trauma background, and was clearly a solo cat. So was the other cat a solo (about 10-13) they tried introducing her to. Even the scent of each other without seeing, was enough to stress out BOTH cats. I saw my (about to be new cat) after that failed adoption, she was stressed to the max. So was the other cat apparently. Trauma baby needed time to be on her own, get her mojo back, before the stress of another cat and new home. The senior cat, was probably just happy being the centre of attention, and it was his turf.
It is four months now, and my new baby is doing well. Much slower hitting the mojo (turf ownership etc) milestones that a non-trauma cat, but is getting there. She actually got a little too over confident the other day (outside turf expansion). Will she always be a solo cat? Probably. But if I did decide to get her a companion, it would be in a similar age group, and with a personality assessment of both. I would NOT get a kitten or very young cat.
Also, you do not need to get a kitten or young cat in order for them to bond to you. A loving and caring home for a senior, and they know and appreciate it. It is very rewarding adopting seniors. Yes sure, my new baby is a youngster in my book (I was looking for an 8-10+), but she chose me, so I had little choice.
So yeah, stop trying to introduce kittens to seniors and expect it to work out well. So many seniors still need a home too. Hopefully you can integrate a senior household.
Thumbs up. People need to use common sense in this!
Jackson always knows what we need. I think he’s psychic.
Hey, perfect timing! we adopted second black homeless little Panther, and now our first one is very irritated from sideswopping, very interesting story starts and she REALY needs that new door between.THANK YOU, CAT Daddy! Its now more than one year that we took our first one home, after learning from your videos , its sooo good and helpful !!!!!! Grace and Marleon will hopefully be sweet happy family with us.
oh wow we JUST adopted a second cat as a companion for our first and they've been fighting a lot. great timing for the video!!!
After rescuing a neglected and abandoned kitty (Bodhi) four months ago it feels like I’ve become a full-time cat detective and have watched so.many. Jackson galaxy videos! Our older resident cat (Simba)was not happy about it because the new cat is young and SO full of energy and wants to play all the time (acts like a dog honestly). I followed the steps in your introductory video and had NO idea how much work it would be. I was so stressed about the possibility of it not working out, cried a few times because there was talk of needing to rehome him and felt like such a failure. Bodhi had already been given up by two homes and I did not want to put him through that again. Since I’m still out of a job due to COVID and my partner works full time I took on the responsibility of playtime,feeding,etc. Because of how stressed I was trying to split my time between the two cats it began causing tension in my relationship. My partner was understandably concerned for the well being of Simba and felt it wasn’t fair that he was potentially ‘living in fear’ as he put it. When he brought up possibly needing to rehome Bodhi I told him if Bodhi leaves I leave with him ( honestly couldn’t believe I said that either , but i felt so strongly that this would work and he was giving up too soon). Turns out my gut feeling was right! We both committed to the work and I’m so happy to say that after three months we don’t need a gate, the cats eat together and sleep on the couch/ bed near to each other and don’t need constant supervision. Bodhi does still jumps on Simba to play who then sees this as a threat. Bodhi isn’t phased by his hissing but I am worried that Simba might hurt him because hes so fearful he’s being attacked. This video came at the perfect time and I’m excited to work with them through some play therapy! Your videos have helped us so much in understanding the awesome individual kittys they are!
Thanks for these videos! I introduced a kitten to my two adult cats last week and your videos were invaluable! So far they are getting along with a few hisses to teach the kitten boundaries when she pops up out of nowhere. She’s a rescue who wasn’t socialized so she’s learning to love humans but seems to love her cat siblings. I’ll save this video just in case.
I’ll be watching all of these vids!! I’m feeling a bit desperate. I have a nervous cat, Monty. It’s taken me a few years to get him to ‘sort of accept’ a new cat Luna. They are not best buddies but tolerate each other. Now I have rescued a reverted feral. We have made great strides with him and after 3 months we can stroke him! He has a catio in the conservatory, so the other two cats are familiar with him, but are both not interested and quite nervous… a couple of introductions have gone well, the last one not. So I’m here, watching vids for some encouragement.
A new kitty video a day keeps the sadness & gloom away. Thanx, JG...your videos spread lots of happiness to all your subscribers like me🐈🌻
I would love to send you a video of our two cats as I followed your introduction protocol pretty much to a tee. Almost three weeks. We experienced everything that you said would happen but at the end of the introduction time we have two cats that are Best friends and thick as thieves! Thank you Jackson! We are huge fans! Also. Awareness, be aware, pay attention, as nobody knows your animals like you do. That's my tip of the comment section!
Hello Kurt how are you doing today
I needed this right now! One of my resident cats, Morag, is having a hard time adjusting to the new cat, Georgie. I introduced them slowly and things are improving, but there was some regression yesterday. I’ll reestablish their base camps and focus on playing with each individually so they feel safer.
morag bal? if so nice
Hello Rebecca how are you doing today
Can we see follow up stories? . . to give us hope and confidence so we don't give up. my husband and I may have rushed through the introduction steps and are realizing we have to spend more time at the site swapping stage. Our resident cat is too distracted/uncomfortable to play when the new kitten is in the same room.
my two cats DO get along but we totally have to do the two separate playtimes. they’re the same age but style is different. one cat is “fast” and the other one is a “slow” hunter. so the “fast one” used to “hog” the toys but we decided to take a different approach ☺️
OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO! This is what I've been looking for! I got another cat about 2 months ago, and I'm having lots of trouble introducing her to my resident cat since he's more interested in hunting the newcomer than his food or any treat I give him. There's been some aggression from both their parts and the new cat is very dominant. I'm hoping to start the introduction process all over again, following your advice from this video, will do the trick.
I hope it helps! Don’t forget I have other videos on introductions also and an entire chapter in my new book, Total Cat Mojo!
Did they finally get along? We have literally the exact same situation.
I believe Marusya and Tosha are Russian cat names, but not Swedish
Yep, was about to comment that too.
Yeah:) There is no place to identify your nationality when submiting the request 🐒
I've had my cat smokey for about 7 months before I adopted two younger kittens. He was probably around a year old and the kittens are about 5 or 6 months. Maybe 7. I cannot for the life of me get Smokey to be cordial with the others. Ive been keeping them separated and I'm going crazy trying to make sure everyone has their human time since they all love cuddles. Praying your tips help me, I know I introduced them wrong, but I'm hoping everyone can get along someday soon! I love the three of them.
I love you and your love of cats and all things cats! Sadly I am down to only 2 indoor cats (from 6). So I will soon be on the hunt for new cats and find your videos so helpful. I have never had issues introducing new cats but there is a first time for everything and I want all the knowledge you share. So thanks for the great videos Jackson! You're an amazing person! PS I miss you on My Cat from Hell😢
Thank u so much for the kindness. And good luck in your hunt - I know they will find you 😻
@@JacksonGalaxy Oh you got that right! Lol I am in the process of spaying and neutering 22 cats! I do some rescue work & do my best with TNR in my area. Although there are plenty to pick from here in Lamont Alberta Canada, I don't want to stress out my old guy. You would love him! He oozes cat mojo!🤗 Happy New Year!
Hello Jennifer how are you doing today
Thanks so much for making these videos. I have a 12 yo cat who I just found out last week had lived with his brothers but was too rough and was separated, I've had him 4 years and didn't know that so I adopted a 3 yo cat in feb (I was fostering guinea pigs who he got attached to, and kept going into their room and crying after they left so I thought he wanted a new friend... maybe not). It was rough. But I was careful, followed your process, and got to know my cats. It took 8 months to allow them in the same space without separating but they're finally getting along and as she gets braver he relents control a little more . They even boop noses! Thank you for all your help, my family SO appreciates it!
I am so grateful for these introduction videos, Jackson.. My resident cats have already seen/played/interacted/eaten with the kittens but one does not play nice afterward.. So do you just keep starting over even tho they have seen each other? I mean, go to square one with no eye contact even tho they know the other is there? My family has always introduced a new cat by keeping them in a large cage (my mom built it 4x6x3 wood and chickenwire its beautiful!) with supervised playtime outside the cage... It didnt work with these guys so I keep watching you and reading... Anyway, so when it doesn't go well, start over, no eye contact? Thank you for doing what you do!! 🐱❤🐱
I was over cautious introducing my two cats and the stray who I'd adopted got so stressed that she got a urinary tract infection. I let them sort it out and now they're best of friends.
My grumpy old rescue feline doesn't get along with our two 10 year olds, who have been playing together since kittens. She loves my daughter, tolerates me, and seems happy. Our home is very catified and I believe there's no need to do anything more. No one knows for sure how old Elizabeth is, my guess is about 12 or 13, so she seems happy sitting around and watching.
I have two cats and they are both so well behaved and nice because I learned how to give them a good life from this man. I wouldn’t say they are besties but they tolerate and respect each other.
One of them is elderly and the other is about 2 years old, so I guess is just that they are on different stages of life but they are both respectful of each other.
I took on the challenge of taking in a cat, Bella, known to not get along with other cats, even her own offspring. Also some behavior problems such as using aggression to communicate when she wants something.
Thanks to years of watching My Cat From Hell, for the most part we have managed to over come these issues. We were her fourth home in her 3 short years so first and foremost I figured she was probably terribly insecure. Unconditional love and a predictable routine I feel really helped the most.
As for our other cat, they mostly tolerate each other these days, sometimes it even looks like they are playing, unfortunately though, as soon as I think things are settling down they end up having a fight. Normally Bella is the one trying to stand over Oscar and he will just look at her like "what the hell man?" and walk away but every now and again Oscar will just say "I've had enough" and beat her up. A few weeks ago she ended up with a tear in her tongue which is now permanently forked 😱
Hello Amy how are you doing today
Just introducing a 10 wk old kitten (Fergus) to a 2 year old (Brodie) and it’s so hard to not get discouraged. Your videos really help! I just hope my big boofus of a Brodie will stop stalking and running after Fergus’ tiny body soon.
People with cats: wow my cats never like strangers. I'm surprised they like you. What's your secret?
Me:Ancient chinese secret
My ancient chinese secret = Jackson Galaxy
Jackson Galaxy really IS the cat whisperer. 😻😼😸
I know you won't see this jackson, but I've watched all your media now, every appearance i could find. I've learned alot, and my cat sara, 5 year old rescue adoption cat and I both thank you. You're advice has allowed me to understand her, and now we have a much better setup. Cat super highway, cat tree, two litter boxes, rewarding training and we play efficiently now, almost 1.5 hrs of play a day. She has no bad behaviors now, she won't attack my hands st and she has learned to sit, jump hoop and to retrieve certain toys. We are gonna work on roll over and a few other tricks, she is really enjoying training and the extra, better quality playtime. My cat is my lifeline and my best friend. You've really helped us both. Thank you. I'll try to find a way to repay you. Even if it means giving your book away as a gift to all my cat owner friends. Thanks. And best wishes jackson.
My cats fought during the first "introduction" it was going pretty good but we weren't able to read our older cats signs and didn't realize they were angry meows and not curious meows. We separated them and started the introduction process again and it went so much better and was even quicker (we think bc baby was fed up from being in the room and our older cat felt bad lool). They still fight sometimes but is only when our kitten attacks the older cat. It's confusing though bc they don't seem to harbor resentment they play, cuddle and just hang out the rest of the time. It'll always start with baby jumping on him or biting his ankles (pawnkles?) and usually he just walks away or ignores her but sometimes I guess it's just too much for him and he snaps, then she screams like he's trying to kill her even tho he usually only gives her one bite and tries to leave BUT she will nottt quit and will keep doing it :(
Jackson galaxy is the reason I know so much about cats and why I love cats so much! Thank you jackson! You are why everyone calls me when they have a cat problem! Although I'm still a kid I know so much! I wanna be just like you when I grow up! You are my favorite RUclipsr!
Thank you so much for saying that!! I’m honored to know that a kid like you will someday be a teacher also and show everyone how cool cats are. Much Mojo to you for the new year!
It’s hopeless 6 months and still step 1 we almost lost an eye
My mother just adopted 2 adult cats in a pinch. It was either she took them to the pound or bring them home. Ill try everything to make it work ❤️ these videos are helpful and hopefully it'll just turn into a bigger family 😁
This was a good episode. Very nice editing and production. I hope we'll see more like this!
This was very helpful! I have a 3 y.o. rescue who is almost totally blind and mostly deaf. He chases after and then pounces on and bites the neck of my 14 y.o. very sweet female cat and, after two years, still has never just washed her or slept nicely next to her. I will try playing with him more and go through the introduction phases, but it's been a challenge to find ways to stimulate him (crumpled paper and a tunnel are good for him) given his blindness and him not being able to hear most toys/birds/etc.. His behavior appears to be all dominance related. He'll attack her just to sit where she was, will go after her even with his favorite food right in front of him, etc.. He came from a hoarding situation in NYC. Initially, he would swipe and bite me, but we've gotten through that stage and now he's very cuddly and sweet with me. Just still attacking his sister . . .Any suggestions are very welcome!
No questions from me Jackson. I just bought your book. Also, I have been using your Peacemaker and Stress Stopper drops, they always work like a charm! Thank you!
This is honestly so comforting to watch, thanks for the work! I've just introduced a kitten to our 3 year old cat and we followed your previous guides. They accepted eachother already within the first weeks, yet think kind of avoid eachother still. I guess it's just cause our little one is still a lot more active and it might tone down some time. :) we're really trying to give both of them the attention they need I'm just hoping they can at some point be friends instead of roommates. Any tips how to encourage positive behaviour?
You should have several million subscribers! We'll get you there.
I'd like to see tips on grooming cats. I've been trimming my cat's claws every few months since she was 4 months old and she has always hated it. She even tries to trick me by relaxing her paw so I can't push the claw out. I've never cut the quick but she still acts like I'm maiming her.
Why are you trimming her claws? Cats don’t need their nails trimmed... they just need a good scratching post to keep them in good condition
Cats scratch to help shed the layers of their claws. They can still get too long.
My cat does this too. Only solution is swaddling her VERY tightly in a blanket, and hoping we can get at least a few clipped in one go. She acts like im maiming her too but it must be done.
My two were adopted together from the same rescue, 4 years ago. One is quite laid back and the other is a little jealous girl. She will immediately show up and try to take over when we give the other any attention. They get into tiffs a few times a week. I feel for both girls as we want to make sure they are both getting what they need.
We also would like to get a kitten but we don’t think our jelly bean girl will find this to be a good idea.
I am so glad I found your channel, Jackson! We recently adopted a 7 month old male kitten and completely botched the introduction process to our 6 year old anxious and fearful female cat. He is energetic and wants to play but she is afraid of everything and does not want to play. Most of the time she hides under the bed. If he sees her he will run or pounce at her but not aggressively. She will hiss and growl. We had a home visit from an animal behaviorist vet who gave us good info, but your videos are also providing some great advice as well!
Your situation sounds very similar to mine. I have a 9yr old male and a 4 month old fm. The kitten chases and bites the older cat constantly and we ended up at the vets with an abscess on the older cats neck as a result. How are you getting on now, I’d be interested in what advice you were given?
Hello Katie how are you doing today
Absolutely, I spent a week JUST site swapping so that both can get used to the smell of each other. Introduces them with the door CLOSED not some death portal. People are to inpatient. Allow a MONTH not a few days! Each should have the own base camp / room until THEY agree otherwise which can actually take years. One of my cats STILL prefers his original room as his safest place.
This is the EXACT issue I'm having with my two boys, after 4 months of site swapping, playtime together, treats, calming pheromone collars, and more. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.
This is me too! We’ve had our second cat for 5 months. We followed JG’s plan carefully, site swapping, other side of the door feeding etc. The resident cat still won’t stop chasing the new one and we have tried everything!
It has taken a couple YEARS for us.
@@NdnUrbanCat years!! 😩🥴
@@NdnUrbanCat omg. Can u let me know a little more about how you did your steps and how they acted and everything please? 🙏
@@kathrynbrewermusic Maybe more playing? If he is agressive maybe you should play a lot with them runing so he can go tired and then put them together until the body language is of attack and then take him out of the room.
Thank you for what you do! As a professional dog trainer, I love watching your videos.
Where did you get that hoodie? Brand and where online?
Im having this same issue😢 two females: my senior cat is soooo agressive towards everyone. And my little one is a piece of heaven. Idk what to do. The oldest won’t get along with anybody😭😭
We've been trying to introduce our cats for over a year now and we still are having territorial issues like chasing and urine marking. Life is hell. Put out more litter boxes that don't have hoods, different litters (unscented), introduced scents by swapping places and items, feed them together (they do just fine with that). Bought some of your holistic stuff so I'm hoping that helps. They sleep on the same bed with us so it's all confusing. For reference we got the Tuxedo kitten first and a year later got two British short hair sisters that were 5yrs old. I should probably submit a video!
I am so frustrated. My cats fight on site. We've had the new cat two years! We site swap and it's the worst. The new cat chases the older one like prey.
I know how you feel. I got a new cat last February and she was attacking resident cat like crazy. I believe I did everything that I could, but it wasn't working. My resident cat was terrified to the point of not eating and peeing everywhere. Sometimes relationships don't work and you need to know when it's time to say goodbye. I was crushed, of course, I loved my new baby so much. Thankfully my mother took her and I can visit her anytime.
Don't feel bad if you'll have to give one cat away, think about what's better for all of you. But if you still wanna try, godspeed to you, my friend.
This is where I’m at. It’s been 6 months and my cat just cannot get along with my boyfriends cat. Now my boyfriends cat feels he needs to get my cat before he gets him so the fighting is 100% worse. They draw blood every single time! So I feel like I’m going to have to find one of them a home. But my cat gets along with my other cat fine so I don’t know if it was something I did or they just do not like each other.
These comments are the best place. I’m trying to spend equal time with them but my resident cat cries and paws at the door whenever I’m in the room with my newbie. It’s emotionally exhausting for me right now. I tried to see if they would be okay in the same room, and the new girl was not having it. Resident boy is very ready to meet, but the girl is still so so hissy and growly. I’m on Day 3. I took a couple days off work to help facilitate this in hopes it would go quickly
I have two foster kittens who aren’t getting along, i really hope they can form a good relationship
Hearing Jackson struggle with Russian names is entertaining, not gonna lie 🤣He did great though. The "я" sound is definitely a tough one
Hello Alena how are you doing today
It's Swedish
@@kiayatwixxer4736no it’s not. It’s very Russian 😂
@@mykasulin but he said Swedish. Did you watch the video
@@kiayatwixxer4736 yes i did watch the video. But im Swedish myself so I know its absolutely not a Swedish name :) its russian. Also based on her accent
I have a 21/2 yo cat not very socialized and a new 1 yo cat from shelter. The older intimidated the younger one at first but now is accepting. But the new cat is on guard whenever the separation gate is open. Im exhausted by my rollercoaster human expectations.I've made so many mistakes in the introduction process. Your reassuring words and videos are giving me hope my kitties can become friends.
I have two cats who have lived together with no issue for almost 4 years. Today, sr kitty Cash went out for a walk in the grass. Young Jagger, who has never been in grass, ATTACKED Cash upon re-entry to the house. No one is any newer than the other- but now Jagger doesn’t have trust and we have to re-introduce them 😭
We adopted Rusty a few months ago and he's about 6 months, last week we just adopted another kitten 12 weeks. We separate and swap them as much as possible. The kitten was growling on his first day and was extremely in duress. The kitten has warmed up to us, lets us hold and kiss him, however, he is still a biter and scared of some of his toys. His play right now is just exploring around the apartment and running around because he's still nervous about toys. We introduced our cats, and they chase each other, and Rusty pounces and bites the new kitten and his ears are back. I don't think it's play fighting, it seems aggressive. We still have to keep the separated in fear that he will hurt the kitten. Thank god for this video, I hope they will be able to get along soon.
Hello Lauren how are you doing today
I am so grateful, my own cat is use to other animals and animal scents off other family regularly coming in to the house so when we brought home the kitten it feels a lot like he took on a sort of dominate but protective role with the kitten. They play together(Yes I know it is play the kitten is always going back for more lol!) and they eat and nap together without issue. He is often bathing the kitten and letting the kitten sneak his own leftover food without any fighting. I hope people who do have these problems are able to overcome them because nothing is cuter then seeing your cat babies play and get along.
I think this was a sign. I recently moved in with my sister and her boy cat is NOT happy with my cats (or me) D: thank you so much!!
Can you do a more in-depth video of introducing dogs and cats?
That’s on the list! Thank you for reminding me.
@@JacksonGalaxy thanks man!!!! 🙌
I love this man! He always knows the right thing to do. I really listen to his advice because it works!
oh wow, I was just talking about this with my mom! I'm trying to convince her to work with me to reintroduce the cats since they don't get along as well as we hoped. She's pretty stubborn in wanting to just get the back paws declawed (she had already declawed the front paws) so I'm really working to convince her otherwise. The declawing wasn't something I approved of at all and it still is something I constantly argue about with her
Fight the good fight!! Have her watch my videos on the topic. Front claws are bad enough but back as well? She should also realize that declawing will increase the chances of the cat biting. Which will make the introduction process even worse. And btw if your vet performs that surgery without trying to talk your mom out of it first, it is straight up unethical even from the AVMA guidelines. Go to your vet and ask him or her to counsel your mom also. Thank you for advocating for your cat’s wellbeing!!!
Think of declawing is like cutting off all your fingertips. It’s evil to do so.
@@JacksonGalaxy I have repeatedly shown my mom your videos on the topic of declawing as well as introducing two cats. When the cats got declawed the first time, the vet worked to convince her otherwise but my mom had said that she "absolutely did everything she could think of and this is the last resort". *insert air quotes and eye rolls* The vet took her word for it saying "Alright well as long as you did everything you could to stop them scratching" and went along with it. I will definitely make sure to pull the vet aside and have a chat with him about what my mom is thinking about when we have our next vet appointment. :)
@@Nedra007 it is very evil indeed, not something that anyone should support
@@bethanyzatto9676 I‘m sorry for you and for the cats. Maybe you should buy a cat tree for scratching?
My resident cat hates my new cat!! She’s 7 years old and has never lived with other cats. She’s not a friendly cat and doesn’t like anyone or anything. It’s just her nature. Over the years, she learned to tolerate me, my husband, and my dogs (who were in the house first), but she keeps her distance and is not affectionate at all. My new cat is about 8 months old. She’s super friendly and affectionate. She lived with a sibling prior to being dumped at a shelter and misses cat company. I kept them completely separated for about a week, switching rooms, just letting them get used to each other’s scents. About a week in, I allowed them to see each other from a distance for a few days. On day 11, I introduced them face to face and it went very badly! My resident cat began hissing and growing and running away. The new cat began to chase her. It was a disaster!!! It reversed any tiny progress that I’ve made. I’m am devastated!! I would never get a second cat if I’ve known how this would be!!! I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. I’m losing hope. :(
It’s only been a week and I’m so stressed out! Lol I have a male and female that love each other and another female showed up at my house and I brought her in. I’ve had them separated for a week but there has been some contact and tonight all 3 had a standoff. When I tried to pick the new one up to put her in her room, she hissed and growled at me. I’ll be following your process from now on. There’s also a hallway in front of her room that is hers and I have a gate up and put a sheet over it, so she can have more space. I would just be happy at this point if they would just tolerate each other but I don’t know if they ever will.
Any updates? Dealing with a similar situation, I have two bonded cats and adopted another adult. I’m only a week in but it’s been the worst week of guilt and crying
@@TheGiordano6 I’ve hesitated to respond to this but after 4 months, they all got to the point that they could be in the same room together as long as my new cat was either asleep or in a chair. One day, she chased my older female upstairs and my male jumped her. It was horrible and there was blood everywhere. She only had a gash in her chest where he got her with a claw but I cleaned her up and all the blood in the house and put the older two upstairs and she stays downstairs. I have them permanently separated and I split my time between them and we’re all happier that way. I wish I could tell you that they’re all cuddled up together and living happily ever after but it didn’t happen that way. I hope you can get yours bonded.
Hiii😊Could u please talk about food aggression? I saw the snack attacking video but my cat is a bit more extream
Mine worked it out too. One is sweet but has an attitude (orange & white tabby), the other is just sweet (brown and black striped tabby).
Orange cat just slaps brother when he walks by, he looks incredulous that he was assaulted and they both walk off.
They sleep next to each other. Weirdos!
Can we get updates from Eugenia cats? 💕Really need to know! 🥺🥺🥺
This perfectly describes the situation between my new cat and one of my resident cats, I have to start the introduction again.
My cat Twiggy is incredibly territorial and aggressive with other animals. My roommate got a puppy 6 months ago and my cat still can't stand to be in the same room or even within sight of the dog. She gets severely agitated if she can see him or if it sounds like he is close to her door. If she is some how loose around him she will immediately charge and attack. I have gotten in the middle of this twice to stop her and have received bad bites and scratches (the bite sent me to the ER with a sever infection, and the second incident left my face with a deep scar just below my eye and through the cartilage on my ear). I stopped trying to introduce them all together and I ALSO get sever anxiety now whenever she appears agitated. Someone suggested medication, but I don't know where to start. I'm even afraid to bring her to the vet since she gets so agitated she has tried to lash out at vet techs etc...
Sounds like you'd need to find a new apartment
Hello from Winnipeg MB Canada! 🇨🇦 I have a 4 month old kitten named Whiskey. Very feisty but we love her! 🖤
I have kind of a modification of this introduction idea. My kids are both 8 years old. They grew up together, had lived their lives constantly together, even travelled in one crate together......
For 2 months they were apart, and now I'm trying to reintroduce them. The female is super aggressive towards the sweet, submissive male. He wants to play, to meet, to get together again, but the female just hisses constantly, everytime she sees him, even they cross paths.
Heeellllppppppp!!!!
She's food driven, he's more play driven but....not very.
FYI, I have introduced my additional cat in my car. I have placed them in their own carrier and the back seat of my car. Then then get a chance to get use to the smell of the other cat. I have also introducedanother cat to my Original cat was in a store room where they ran around and then they stoped! I picked them up and put them in their separate carriers and drove about one hour home. Then I took them into my AP apartment and they went their separate ways. The next thing I knew they were in the same room resting. I then fed them in separate bowls . They just bonded w each other. I was most grateful! Rosemarie
i had two almost identical cats. thr senior girl was extremely classy but would attack the younger photocopy of her - a guy. one g
day i had enough: i grabbed both, and sat all three of us in front of a mirror. in a while they dropped the struggling and looked at the mirror: one is the human yes and the other one is the enemy but there are two! which is which ‽
i pointed out you are this one that one is this one... they caught on and stopped the fighting..
i still have Buster he is over 22 yrs old... the classy girl...
I have two cats (7 years old and 3 years old- both female) and I just adopted a bonded pair (3 years old and 1 years old- both male) and it’s been only a week but I’m really worried that my 7 year old wont budge and wont end up tolerating and liking the two I just adopted. I have let them out on two occasions now briefly (after letting them play underneath the door with each other and with the door shut and having their own spaces and all that) and both of my girls at hissing at the two new boys. I’m hoping with time and retrying the process that they will end up okay! I really don’t want to stress my oldest out but I also really don’t want to have to return the boys to the shelter because I have grown to love them quickly and they haven’t hissed once or shown any issues on their end. I hope it works out 😞
I got a younger male cat that was unfixed for a about a month, recently I decided to get another cat (a older female) they both live in my room. My male cat sprayed the entire room marked it, I cleaned it, when I brought my female cat in they didn’t like each other but they were never scared of each other and never ears back or raised hair. I just let them do there thing even though they both live in the same room and I didn’t separate them I took like 5 days of hissing and growling. Now they really don’t hiss at each other anymore they just look at each other and know that they are not being replaced and they both sleep on me when I go to bed
HELP!!
I have two cats and one huge male unclipped Cane Corso, two weeks ago temperatures dropped to -35 at night and -4 daylight.
My female cat is 9 and fixed, was abused and has never been accepting to any new cat. My other a 2/12 year old male, fixed yellow tabby, a partial mouth breather and has sight issues.
Second night of “the freeze” the cold had settled in over everything and it was cold. 1:30 am my husband and I hear the sounds of an unhappy cat. We forgot to close the cellar cat door and a young 6 - 8 month old beautiful almost red orange tabby appears around the corner, unfazed by my massive dog, angry-hissing Mama kitty and Sonny, circling him like a shark, he had this look on his face that said “ I need help”.
For 9 days, we were all locked in the house. Angus, I named him Angus, was so happy to have pets more than food & warmth but he sucked in every second of our hospitality. 4 days ago it started to warm up, really warm up so all the cats became going out again, all cat doors are open. Poor Angus was hiding a lot and I was hearing and seeing evidence of cat disagreements. Spraying, scratched ears but poor Angus held on and kept coming back these last few days.
I have not seen him for over 24 hours, I should have locked him up until I could get him to the vet but he was climbing the walls and did not feel safe.
I hope my cats did not run him off permanently, with the weather being unseasonably warm and the constant unwelcome him received from my female cat, I do not blame him.
If I can get him to the vet and get him fixed, I will keep him. I hope it’s not to late, I hope he comes back.
Any advise appreciated. .
I have one ex-feral boy who has become very loving but has never played with humans. He is scared if ever I try to play with him. It took over a year to gain his trust but he is happy.
I recently introduced a new cat. All has gone well but neither cat can be picked up (they have issues with human trust). The new cat has huge confidence issues. However, if I allow free movement of the house for both cats then my ex-feral simply guards the room and won't allow the newbie access. If I swap rooms (which takes a lot of time and patience as neither will be picked up) then my ex-feral simply goes to hide under the bed or in the wardrobe. He only did this 2yrs ago. I can stop the wardrobe hiding but cannot stop the bed hiding. The house is somewhat open plan with some doors absent.
So to recap, free access for both doesn't work as the old boy just guards, the new girl has no confidence and hides constantly even after a swap. She won't be tempted by play into a strange room but she does play. He never plays, never has except alone but rarely. Help!
I feel so blessed by how our kitty cuties decided to play it. They both arrived at the exact same time, same pet transport, but were from 2 different shelters. Prior to their journey, they've never met. Fortunately, the year old bum is as zen as it gets, and incredibly used to preeeeetty much anything kittens and puppies throw at him. And the 8 month old teenager? Well, he's so fearless there simply was no stopping him. They were cautious around each other, and us, and the new base camp, but not hostile. And the kitty teen was by far too rambunctious to spend too much time getting to know the wallflower, so off chasing toys it was. We realized they very much had the street mentality of forever starving, and that the kitty teen was probably abandoned way too quickly, as he struggled with bite and swipe control - in his excitement, he was simply too rough. Toys, his new older bro, the new human family - didn't matter, he'd forget and chomp and then look confused at all the yelps. Big bro patiently (and sometimes less patiently) helped him figure out that being bit too hard HURTS, and he's settled down. They used to play pretty noisily during that period, but there was never anything beyond the occasional hiss when warning yelps weren't enough, and they chased and sought each other out, so whilst I fretted, they were apparently having a grand ol' time.
They now sleep and cuddle together, and seem to not really have a hierarchy.
This channel was a huge help to the fretful me and my more occasionally concerned partner, so thank you very much. We're currently working on harness training to help drain some more of that kitten energy... and mentally counting down the days, weeks, months until he's hopefully grown into a bit calmer adult. :D
We introduced our kittens to our older cat as instructed and they started getting along and playing. Then out of the blue, the older cat isn't having it with them at all. Should I start from square one? The kittens have each other so they leave my eldest cat alone, but my eldest cat hisses whenever they just simply walk by. We took 5 steps forward and 10 steps back, I swear.
How long ago did you introduce them? We adopted an older boy in may while already having 2 under one year old.
The younger ones hissed at the old boy for a good few months even with the proper introduction. They don't his now but it did take a few months to be honest.
Yes start from square one if it gets out of hand. My cat Prentiss would hiss/growl at my new cat Obi but I would give them treat when she wouldn’t do it with him around. This showed her it made me happy to have both of them around and no one was replacing her. I would spent alone time cuddling her more. She was territorial but slowly realized no one was replacing her. They are best buddies now. Don’t give up! :) Make sure you have a high place he can go to run away from them. Kittens are high energy so if your only kitty gets annoyed or wants peace and quite make sure there is a place he can do that. ♥️
Thank you both for your responses! It has only been a month since we introduced them, so, we haven’t had them long. I’ll try it, again.
Your Advise to distract the cats so they see the other one isn´t dangerous was the best help ever.
I have been trying to introduce my two kittens to each other. Trying to follow your advice, in some parts. It sort of worked.. I also played with both my kittens with the same toy and keep swapping around their kitty litter trays after they are clean every morning. So they can also get use to the smell of each other. It's at a stage where I go in with my main kitten with harness into the room just to hang out once a day. We use to do it with him in just the carry bag to start with. This has been going on for a couple of months now, until we changed it to the harness. The other day it looked like they wanted to play with each other.. but I think after a while he got grumpy and started to hiss. So I put him back in the other room. Ideally I would love for them to be able to play with each other without me harnessing my main kitten. Both kittens are only a month apart from each other, so they are ruffly the same age. But my new one still won't let me trim her claws, so I don't think that is a good idea until they are trimmed. In the meantime, any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated..
We have a 3 year old spayed female who is a total bully to the 8 month old neutered male kitten we just adopted. He is very shy and was traumatized by a dog prior to being rescued and fostered. I try to let him explore on the upstairs level (which is where the room is that we had him closed off in) but she'll go up there when I'm busy working and go after him, so i end up putting her downstairs for a time out. After looking at the videos, maybe I need to play more with her to bring her energy level down some and it sounds like one or the other needs to be in a room if I can't be there with them.
I count myself very lucky. I have 6 cats, 4 of which are from the same litter. But I have never once had a cat fight. I have
No issues besides one of the kittens poops beside the litter box. No cats from hell they are all just so amazing.
I adopted two cats because the shelter said they were best buds and should be adopted together. When we got home, it was like they were total strangers. One decided she wanted nothing to do with the other and hid and ran from both of us. Maybe it was the accumulated scent from decades of my previous cats. But after a couple of months, they grew close again, grooming each other and play-wrestling. They often walk pressed up against each other, the formerly standoffish one sometimes pressed against her companion so hard that she just about pushes her into a wall. So they can work it out.
Happy New Year!
I and my family always made sure to only allow the new cats to smell each other when first introducing them. They would be able to smell each other under the door but they wouldn't be allowed to see each other for a while as we built up the new cat's confidence. When we got 2 kittens they had a room with each other and were able to play with each other and have toys, so they were confident when they met the 2 resident cats. When we let them see each other we did have some hissing but it wasn't an all-out brawl and we made sure to let the cats have a wide area in which they met each other. They sometimes have their arguments but they all love each other and they're all a happy kitty family
Will you ever do livestreams of helping people with their cats? I mean like when it's going down? that would be cool
My cat Binx grew up in a 2 story house with 5 other cats, she is definitely the more fearful one (she used to be feral and I was apart of a catch and release program and i decided to adopt her because of her huge attachment to me) and there are 3 young cats in the house that are more forward (less than 3 years). I moved out for a few months and my roommates decided to throw their cat in Binx’s direction to “introduce them” and it ruined their introduction so we couldn’t stay in that house. We since then moved back into my parents house (with the multiple cats + other animals) and she is still on edge. She will engage in toys and when the other young cats are being played with she seems interested, but as soon as she gets closer to watch/possibly play, the young cat(s) will direct their attention to her and would rather jump/scare her away so they could play alone. Binx also has jealousy issues (im assuming because of her attachment to me) and she will get vocal if im giving lovins to another cat 😭 I will try to find other treats that the young cats will like and hopefully find more interesting than her, but if anyone has any advice or suggestions please lmk 😅 (im not planning on staying here for long but in the future we do eventually want to get another kitten and I want Binx to not be scared of new/other cats anymore)
my two kitties are not friends after half a year together.. they’re only in separate rooms until now.. they start hissing and scratching if they see each other, and i did all the steps. when they sniff their smells, they’re not angry, but if they have eye contact it’s a problem. both are female, resident is older almost two years old, and the new is here since a kitten now she’s almost a year old. at the start she was badly beaten by the older one, now they’re more equal but i don’t want to give one up. it’s hard on the streets here, they will die.