Hi Chris,
I loved your success stories! I had heard about the crate method
before, you're just smart enough to have stumbled on it all by
yourself! I segregate new comers (at least I did, when I was still
able to take them in), but only to give the new guy a chance to
acclimate, and make sure they're healthy enough to expose to the rest
of the gang. Anytime it goes on longer than a week or so, I get
nervous. I too think they have to bite the bullet at some point and
get used to the household and it's activities. You have to be kind of
pushy with your affection, and watch for the signs that they're feeling
more at ease. When they start to walk more erect, (opposed to that
slinking behavior), when they start to jump on the furniture, (instead
of diving under it), etc. I'm very lucky in that my dogs are really
good at making new cats feel welcome.
I took in a stray who had turned feral, and just hated other cats,
(loved me and my husband and could tolerate the dogs). His name is
Kimba. You can see his pictures and some video clips on my not yet
completed web site http://www.companiondogtraining.com
. I had been looking for a home for him because he was so nasty
with the other cats, of course he's found a home, mine! It took what
seemed like forever to get him to the point where he wasn't challenging
everyone. What I did was make him his own territory in the attached
garage. I put in a screen door, so he could see and hear what was
going on. I slowly started letting him come out into the house when my
two older cats were outside, (they're the ones he has the most trouble
with). I'd watch him closely when he was in the house and whenever
there was a problem, I'd intercede, not get mad, just block the
hostility with my body before it escalated into a fight. As things
progressed, and he got the idea that I wasn't happy with his nastiness,
I'd warn him that he was going to have to go to his room if he didn't
cool it. I'd toss him in the garage for a time out, if he didn't back
down. Again, I wouldn't get mad, just kind of sympathize with him a
little bit and tell him too bad, you blew it. Now he knows that if I
hear any growling or hissing, he's going to loose his house
privileges. He's actually starting to respect my elder cat and will
break eye contact first! I'm making this seem simple, and it is
really, but it took several months and hyper vigilance on my part.
Maybe this technique would work for your older cat and BB. Instead of
always keeping them apart, give them a chance to learn to respect one
another. Only let them have access to each other when you're ready to
"work a session" with the two of them. Follow the aggressor around and
don't let him start anything. When/if he does, it's an immediate time
out. What the heck you're segregating them anyway, it's worth a try to
gain the peace.
Chris wrote:
Not that I'm an expert or have much
experience or anything like that...
but just an observation. When I brought Big Boy in (adult male who I
had
been feeding outside), he really was wanting to be anywhere but where I
or
anyone else was! Circumstances (his + status) forced me to confine him
to
a large dog crate in my bedroom (I put the crate on top of some boxes
so he was
off the floor & I wasn't towering over him). I do some computing
work
at home & my desk is in my bedroom. I had the TV or radio on at
various points. This sort of forced him to look at me for many hours
per
day and at night. Once I figured out I wouldn't have to 'fumigate' the
house if I let him out, things went very quickly from there. First, he
made his
way to the litter box in the bathroom off my bedroom (slinking the
whole way
& usually waiting until he thought I was no longer in the room).
Then
he started jumping out of the crate if he knocked one of the small toys
I had
put in there to the floor. Then I moved his food & water dishes to
a
tray just below the crate. He managed that OK. The final step was
one day I was working away & out of the corner of my eye, I
realized he had
jumped up on the bed & had fallen asleep there (until I moved).
That
was it--he had discovered the good life! All this occurred in about 2
weeks. It took a couple more weeks for him to work up the courage to
jump
on the bed while I was in it but then we got over the big hurdles
quickly. I think that because of this almost constant forced contact,
he
realized he had some 'decisions' to make and that I wasn't so bad after
all.
I had read a lot of info that said isolation
and gradual intros were
the way to go. Luckily, circumstances forced me to take a totally
different route and I am ever so grateful. By contrast, a friend took
in
one of BB's buddies that I had also been feeding. He was a lot more
friendly but she followed the standard advice. Months later, he was
living in the lap of luxury in her guest room & guest bath. He
ate, played, slepton the bed, etc. but would let NO ONE come near him!
She had to give him up & luckily I found him another home who took
a whole
different approach. She put him in her closed off living room where
she
& her family & dogs & other cats spent much time. She made
sure he found some good hiding places when he needed him. Its been
less
than a week now & when I last talked to her, he was being brushed
by her
husband, had met the dog & other cats and was about to be let out
into the
rest of the house. She does a lot of rescue & boards dogs & it
is
her belief & experience that 'immersion' into daily life is always
better
than slow isolation techniques. In retrospect, it makes sense to
me. Most of the little guys are pretty shrewd if they survived
outside--they
are still alive because they knew how to figure out the safest way to
go--Inside, I think if we can force them to realize that we're the safe
way,
well--then the rest sort of follows!
Last year, I found a young kitten in the
group of strays (had been
dumped I’m sure). I took him to local shelter as I knew they could
get him adopted (he was about 8 weeks). A week later, they asked if I
could put him back as he was too ‘wild’-would retreat to back of
cage if someone tried to pick him up! I fostered him for about 3 weeks
& then made a deal with shelter to bring him during the day so
potential
adopters could see him & bring him back with me at night. That
lasted
3 days & he was adopted in part because he was such a friendly,
spunky
little guy!
Finally, my Prince story. Prince was a 1+
year old who had been
living in my complex his whole life. A neighbor would leave food out
for
him but he would let no one come near him. Due to a really horrendous
snow storm, she & I worked to trap him & I also kept him in my
bedroom
for a couple of weeks while he got spayed, shots, etc. End of story is
that a friend adopted him. Took him home on the train to his house
with 2
kids, 2 cats, a dog & hamsters. Put him in the boys’ room that
night and Prince was sleeping on their beds within a week. He managed
to
get out of the house about a month later and after making his owners do
various
song and dances (trying to lure him back in in all the ways only we
humans can
think of), he finally sauntered back in when he figured out they had
had enough
torture! Prince is happy & thriving now that he made sure everyone
knows who is the real boss!
Again, I don't have that much experience but
this sort of worked for
me. The only problem I’ve had is something entirely different and I’m
always looking for advice on that one—one of my older cats can’t
stand BB & is so brutal with him that I have to keep them
seperated.
Any ideas on getting her to just let him be is always more than
gratefully
accepted!
Chris
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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