Tres Gatos

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We got a new cat a couple of weeks ago - Delholio. He is an addition to the two cats we already had, which have been mostly indoor cats with little exposure to other animals. It has been a lot of work trying to get the cats to adjust to each other, but at least I enjoy hanging out with the kitties... My current prediction is that it will be two weeks before they accept each other (which would mean next weekend), and two months before Del and Iggy (the other boy cat) are cuddling with each other...

I think I'm a pretty good "cat mama" and I'm doing everything I can think of to make them get along with each other... But does anyone have any suggestions? Or similar experiences to share?

[2fat2fly 0]

Well, I see the your username and my advice on cats pretty much goes in that direction

I am just kidding, dammit

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[Shotgun 1]

Well, shooting them would definitely solve the problem... But then I would probably just get three more cats and be right back in the same situation. (Yes, I am a sucker for the gatos.)

[2fat2fly 0]

I'm mad at cats. I always had pet cats growing up but when I was around 25, they made me allergic to them.

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[ChrisL 2]

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We got a new cat a couple of weeks ago - Delholio.

Delholio??!



How could you ever have a warm, fuzzy feeling for a cat named Delholio?

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My mighty steed

[tigra 0]

I'd say just let them be and they'll sort things out, but TRY not to pay too much attention to the new guy, because that will make the other 2 jealous. Easier said than done.

I'm sure Michele (AKA the "Cat Whisperer") will chime in with some specifics, but in my experience, if the new one is a kitten, the others will automatically feel sort of protective and tolerant towards him. If they're anything like my cats, they'll take their "resentment" out on you and not the little one! The only time I had a problem bringing a new cat into my home was when I took in an adult female stray and I already had two neutered males. They never got along, the new cat was miserable. Eventually I gave her to my mom and she lived out the rest of her days as a spoiled and pampered "only child".

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How could you ever have a warm, fuzzy feeling for a cat named Delholio?

Well, his name was already Del... For me, that's the sort of name that just doesn't roll off the tongue, so we started calling him "Del Gato" or "Del Groucho" (his markings make him look like he has a little Groucho Marx mustache)... and then "Delholio" (my husband and I are silly Beavis and Butthead fans , so it's like "Cornholio"). And "Delholio" seems to have stuck...

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I'd say just let them be and they'll sort things out, but TRY not to pay too much attention to the new guy, because that will make the other 2 jealous. Easier said than done.

Yeah, that's difficult... It's been pretty time-consuming because I have been spending a lot of time with the new guy and I've been trying to balance that by spending at least as much time with the other two.

He was a friend's cat that needed a new home (long story), so he is already four or five years old. I think that because of his age, the two male cats are being pretty territorial. I've been keeping water spray bottles around just in case they decide to start fighting, but so far it's just been a lot of hissing and growling.

He's a cutey though... He just now came in and plopped himself down on my desk, knocking lots of stuff off.

[tigra 0]

They're boys- they'll sort it out eventually! I think the main reason I had a problem with the stray I took home was because she had been on her own for a long time and she was scared and insecure about everything. Having 2 boisterous male cats just made things worse for her, and her being so timid made my guys more agressive.

[Michele 1]

Integration of three adult cats - what a fun adventure!

Actually, it's not so bad a deal. They will be fine eventually, especially since there hasn't been any real fighting, just communication about intentions. Couple of questions:

~How long have you had the three together?
~Del is 4 (ish); how old are the others?
~Any "issues" with them (Mama's boy, ill, psychotic, abandonment issues, stuff like that)?
~All neutered?
~Any declawed?
~How many food/water dishes?
~What's the litter set up?
~All indoor now?
~Any sort of "breed" to these guys? Or all just moggies?

Let me know, and I'll give you my favorite tricks based on the above answers.

Happy to help, and I am the proud slave to 6 loco gatos...and Dos Feral Fuzzies (Emily and Zerox). All have "issues", all went through an integration process (except Simon) because they were all adult rescue (Simon was rescue too; he was just a bitty baby, though...).

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

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Hi Michele,
Del was Frank's cat, but Frank is probably going to end up living on a boat soon, so Del needed a new home. Del lived with another cat for quite a while I think, but she recently had to be put down because of an incurable illness.

At Frank's, he had a pet door so he could go outside... Not sure how we'll handle that since our cats are mostly indoor (unless we supervise them in the backyard). Of course if we do decide to let him go outside, it won't be until he is settled in here.

As of tomorrow, he will have been here for two weeks. We have had the other two (Iggy and Moonshine) since they were kittens, and they are about four years old too (brother and sister). They have no major issues other than that they're both a little timid around people... And actually that seems to be changing since we got Del, so I think it's a good thing for them.

All three cats have been fixed, and none are declawed. They're all mutt cats - no special breed. Del and Iggy are both big boys - 15-16 lbs, and Moonshine is a small female. She seems to be the brave one - she has gone right up to Del a few times, but he always swats her (claws retracted). I carried her over to him this morning, with her tail facing his nose, and he seemed to like her better from that angle (probably because he could sniff her bum, as they like to do).

We are lucky to have a big two-story house, so that gives all of them plenty of space. For now, the guest bedroom is "Del's room." He has his own litter box, food and water in there. He is free to roam the house, but he tends to sleep under the bed in his room during the day. He sometimes goes downstairs and eats out of the other cats' food dishes, and he goes in the garage to use one of the two litter boxes out there. Eventually I'll move all of his stuff down there so that there are three food bowls and three litter boxes, all in the same place.

Anyhow, that's about it. I think they're doing pretty good so far, and of course it's gonna take some time. It's lots of fun though, and I'm happy to have a new baby (and damn, he's a big, luscious boy!

[Michele 1]

Thanks for such great answers. You sound like you're having fun with Del, and that even though there might be some hissing and growling, it's going to be just fine.

Here's a few tips...
~Trade poop. Put some of Del's poop into the box in the garage, and put some of the garage poop into Del's box. This will help them get the concept of "sharing" things, i.e. litter boxes and eventually space/area. It will also help the scent familiarity, and allow them to get used to the others' scent in their own space. It sort of forces "acceptance", and is a good technique to get the process over faster.

~Put them all in "neutral territory" for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day (if you can). Find a spot where there is NOT a dominance play - i.e. the living room, if it can be closed off, or the dining room. Somewhere like that. Stay in there with them, but don't interfere unless fighting is happening - not starting, but actually happening. They need to sort out their hierarchy, and this will help that.

~Don't use water bottles if they're fighting. They won't feel it unless it's a hose, because their attention will be on each other. Have handy a lightweight, dark blanket (a baby blanket is good), and if they start fighting, flip the blanket over them. It will startle them, and they will separate.

~If you have a special kitty who may be feeling jealous, fuss over them IN FRONT of Del. This will reassure them and allow them to be a bit more secure in their relationship with you.

~Don't let Del take over that special spot Moonie likes, or Iggy likes; protect their spot, and let Del determine a spot for himself which is his own.

~Start making sure Del doesn't spend all the time in his room. It is fine now, but eventually it will allow him to become very unsociable and territorial about that room, and that can be a problem. So once a day or so, close the door to the room and not let him in it. He will find a safe place elsewhere, and decrease his "dependence" on the safety of that one place.

~If it gets really really testy, take some vanilla flavoring and daub it under their chin and on the base of their tail (on the topside). This will make them all smell like each other for a while, and the threat becomes more confused and less specific.

~Make sure that they are fed together...separate them far apart but still within sight of each other and feed them at the same time. The order in which they eat is a huge determinant as to the heirarchy, and you'll know it's established when one cat takes a bite, and the rest follow. For instance - Penguin didn't fully integrate into the household until her dish was moved to the kitchen. Once there, she became far more secure and friendly with the other cats, they with her, and her with me, too. Communal feeding is very very important to establish, both for you as the "dominant" "cat" as well as for them.

~Keep them all inside for the time being; later, as you said, maybe some supervised outside time, but for now (and the near future), keep them inside.

It really sounds like you're doing fine, so these tips are just the icing part of the cake. you're not having yowling, bloody fights, and it's been two weeks. I think that pretty quickly, you'll find them hanging out with each other, and eventually cuddling (when it cools down!!!). These tips are simply to help that process become a little more defined and faster.

And thanks for taking Del...I know he appreciates the love and care you'll give him, and will be just fine in short order.

Hope these help - like I said, you've got a good handle on it, so this is jus "fine tuning..."

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[sunshine 2]

It took my Peanut about 2-3 months before she accepted that Jelly was indeed part of our household. Now they're buddies. It will all work out.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[Shotgun 1]

Wow! Thanks, Michele! That sounds like great advice; I'm sure we'll put it to use.

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[Shotgun 1]

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It took my Peanut about 2-3 months before she accepted that Jelly was indeed part of our household. Now they're buddies. It will all work out.

Ahh... Peanut and Jelly... that is too cute.

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[Michele 1]

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Wow! Thanks, Michele! That sounds like great advice; I'm sure we'll put it to use.

You're welcome indeed...no worries. I'm more than happy to help. If anyone ever has kitty questions, as I've said before, pm me and ask...if I can't help, I'll know someone who can (mostly).

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[Remster 30]

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"cat mama"

We prefer to use the term "cat lady"

Remster