I have a sweet 16 yr. old female cat; I'm her 5th owner & have had her since she was 10. Recently a 1 yr. old male cat has adopted us. He is also sweet. Problem is Ellie was badly hurt by a cat when she was a kitten per owner #1--she lost half her teeth & her vocal cords are damaged where she can't make any noise. I've never had a cat around Ellie, but hoped she'd be ok w/ this male cat. She was not! She was terrified & hasn't been the same since. Is there anyway I can get her to accept Paul, or do I have to leave Paul outside in the cold? Thanks for any help anyone can give!
Hello Mary
Thank you for adopting both cats. I'm sorry to hear that Ellie had a negative experience with another cat when she was a kitten, which resulted in her losing her teeth and vocal cords.
Accepting Paul may be challenging for Ellie due to the age gap, health issues, and past experiences.
If you tried everything and nothing worked. Is there another area in your home where you could keep Paul indoors? The goal is to separate your house into distinct spaces for Ellie and Paul. This approach requires additional effort on your part. I am unsure if you have the time or ability to care for two cats living in separate parts of the house.
I also encourage you to consult your vet regarding calming supplements for Ellie.
Please let me know your thoughts or if you still want to try to do re-introductions for the last time. Though I reside in Australia, I am happy to offer you a complimentary cat consultation.
All the best,
Melina
Hi Mary.
Apologies for the delay, I had a family member in the hospital.
How is Ellie feeling? Has she fully recovered? You've been on my mind.
Sending love & healing
Melina
@melina-grin Hello Melina, Thank you for responding & offer of help. Unfortunately Ellie got real sick with another UTI; & we had to take her to the vet Tues. as they didn't care to get her in on Mon. We both thought she would die Tues. Thankfully she's still with us, although not doing so good. It's all I can do to get a little food & her antibiotic in her now. I got the spay/neuter place to move up Paul's neuter to next Tues., so that puts him in here then somehow or we keep him out in the storage bldg. as we have all the nights. We have a small house & there is nowhere he could be that Ellie isn't normally herself. She's so stressed with her sickness, it'll be impossible to try to introduce them until she is well.