# My new kitty!!!!



## jep (Jul 6, 2021)

Hey everyone,

I just adopted this beauty grey DSH on Saturday. He is just over 2 years old and his name is Emmett  He has been adjusting nicely but have some nerves around introductions with our resident cat. She is also a DSH, black and just over 3 years old, her name is Loki! She has only been in our home for 2 months but has adjusted nicely. I have been feeling bad that she is stressed as I was happy she started to become really happy here. I am hoping the introduction stage of their meeting will go well and they will be friends in no time.

I have attached photos of both


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## Mosi (May 17, 2021)

Congratulations on your new kitties! You might want to look up how to introduce a new cat, if you have not already done so. Using the slow protocol usually helps the transition and adjustment.


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## miscellaneous (May 24, 2021)

Hello Jep, Loki, and Emmett, and welcome. Great pix of your family! Introductions are often nerve-racking and there's bound to be some tension. Just remember, cats will take their cues from you, so if you're calm, it will help them to stay calm too. Good luck and let us know how it's going!


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## jep (Jul 6, 2021)

miscellaneous said:


> Hello Jep, Loki, and Emmett, and welcome. Great pix of your family! Introductions are often nerve-racking and there's bound to be some tension. Just remember, cats will take their cues from you, so if you're calm, it will help them to stay calm too. Good luck and let us know how it's going!


Hey there!! Thank you for responding.
I have a really wonderful partner and she helps keep me calm so there is definitely a calm atmosphere around them. We did another face to face meet today and our resident cat (Loki) hissed and growled and then slowly ran away. The new cat, Emmett is a little scared and is staying under my bed whenever she comes around. Since it’s warm, I have my bedroom door open so they are able to come and go. Emmett won’t really leave my room and Loki I would say is being a little protective of the rest of the house. I am hoping to get Emmett to leave my room by the end of the week but obviously won’t rush them. Since Loki seems she might be a little bully to Emmett I am wondering if a feline diffuser would help the process? Any thoughts? Any advise on keeping the door open when we are home and keeping a close eye? Any thing I should change?


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## miscellaneous (May 24, 2021)

I'm very glad you have a partner who's a calming influence. We have a rule in my house that only one of us gets to freak out at a time!

With all the hissing, growling, and nervousness, it might be a good idea to back up a bit. You could go back to keeping the door closed between them, then with you on one side and your partner on the other, have some playtime followed by treats and a meal so they can associate each other with a pleasant activity. Rub your hands or a cloth on one cat then pet the other so they get used to the scent. Then put one cat in a room with your partner and let the other roam with you, then switch cats and rooms so they can get used to each other's presence throughout the house. Have plenty of cat trees, cat beds, toys, litter boxes, and scratchers so they can claim their own space. When you do open the door, keep them busy with toys, treats, and meals so you don't get "the stare-down" which often leads to fighting, and give them an escape route if they need to get away from each other. We had a REALLY hard time introducing my Coco to Sophie, and set-backs were inevitable, so I always waited until the hissing and growling stopped before we moved to the next step. When they are in the same room, keep a close eye on them until you're sure they get along so no one gets hurt.

Honestly, sometimes cats are exhausting. Good thing they're cute!


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## miscellaneous (May 24, 2021)

Also, I've never tried Feliway but have heard that some cats respond well to it and others don't, so it may be worth a try. Good luck and let us know how it's going!


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## jep (Jul 6, 2021)

Oh this is SO helpful. Thank you so much. We have done several rounds of swapping rooms and what not so Emmett is able to roam and explore the new places without Loki watching him. He is really wanting to leave my room which is what is causing me to feel we have to move a little more quickly - but this may just be my own nervousness kicking in. We just finished having them both in the same room playing. Emmett was really happy playing with a wand toy but Loki found a place on top of a dining table chair and she stayed there for the remainder of play, watching closely. She did hiss and growl/snarl and there was one bought of swatting but we pet her and gave her love and told her she was ok and that shes a good girl. Emmett was aloof to it - he really just loved the toy. Would it be a good idea to slow it down more? Loki won’t eat by my door so we didn’t try that more than a few times - she also is NOT food motivated at all. We may try the Feliway, but not 100% sure on it yet.


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## miscellaneous (May 24, 2021)

It sounds like you're doing a great job with the introduction! The only thing I would add is to not touch Loki when Emmett is playing because she may be too tense for physical contact. Resident cats often consider a new-comer as an invader and will guard their territory. Just talk to her in a soothing voice, and try to get her to play with a separate toy while they're both in the same room but away from each other. Once they're both playing, move them closer together a little bit at a time. It's fine if she starts out only watching. She's learning Emmett's moves so she'll be able to read him when they interact together. One thing I had to do when we were working on shared playtime was, when Coco wouldn't play when Sophie was near, we had separate play sessions with Coco so she didn't get left out. Playtime is their version of hunting and burns off a lot of energy, and without that release, there go the curtains and cat-fights ensue! 

Well, so much for the food by the door routine. 🥴 Do you free-feed your cats or have scheduled meals?


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## jep (Jul 6, 2021)

Ah, good point about the no touching. I will definitely take that advise. It’s good to know that Loki’s watching when Emmett is playing is normal. They had another bought of play time yesterday and she just watched most of the time. Good point about the separate play times! Loki is quite playful with her favourite toy and we normally play throughout the day - but will make a better effort to play after Emmett has had his play time!!
As for the food, we feed them on schedules. At first Loki wouldn’t eat at the same time as Emmett so we staggered the feeding times and that helped. I usually leave early for work before my partner gets up, so Emmett is being fed first and Loki is fed once my partner wakes up.
They are both making good progress and we are so proud of them. Thank you again for being so helpful!!!


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## miscellaneous (May 24, 2021)

You're very welcome Jep. It's great to hear they're making progress!

I'm a fan of scheduled meals too. Coco and Sophie wouldn't eat together either (Kate would eat if a marching band played through) so I fed them all at the same time so they'd get used to the routine, but fed Coco and Kate in one room, and Sophie in another room so they couldn't see each other. Then I gradually moved their bowls closer so they could see each other but were still far enough away. Then it was step by step, inch by inch until they were finally able to eat in the same room, with about 2 feet distance between them so they have their own personal space. Before each move, I waited until the cats were completely comfortable with the last move... no hissing, growling, swatting, or Evil Eye, and it finally worked out. Just something to consider.


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## jep (Jul 6, 2021)

miscellaneous said:


> You're very welcome Jep. It's great to hear they're making progress!
> 
> I'm a fan of scheduled meals too. Coco and Sophie wouldn't eat together either (Kate would eat if a marching band played through) so I fed them all at the same time so they'd get used to the routine, but fed Coco and Kate in one room, and Sophie in another room so they couldn't see each other. Then I gradually moved their bowls closer so they could see each other but were still far enough away. Then it was step by step, inch by inch until they were finally able to eat in the same room, with about 2 feet distance between them so they have their own personal space. Before each move, I waited until the cats were completely comfortable with the last move... no hissing, growling, swatting, or Evil Eye, and it finally worked out. Just something to consider.


This is something I will definitely try!
This morning I woke up and Emmett was asleep on the pillow beside me. It was the sweetest thing. I have been finding he has zoomies and play time during the night when I need to sleep and is rather hyper. I have tried to play with him before bed and am wondering if maybe this is simply because he is cooped up in my room? He’s also shown some interest in cords so I put them away during the day. Any advise on how to get that to stop? I’m hoping some of these things will stop once he can roam freely. 
How many cats do you have now?!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Sometimes there's nothing you can do when they're in rocketbutt mode, but I've found it helps if I give them a small meal at *my *bedtime. Then they eat, groom, and hopefully sleep. 

There's a spray called "Bitter Apple" that you can spray cords with.


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## Mosi (May 17, 2021)

You can also run the cords through flexible tubes that are designed for that purpose.


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## miscellaneous (May 24, 2021)

jep said:


> This is something I will definitely try!
> This morning I woke up and Emmett was asleep on the pillow beside me. It was the sweetest thing. I have been finding he has zoomies and play time during the night when I need to sleep and is rather hyper. I have tried to play with him before bed and am wondering if maybe this is simply because he is cooped up in my room? He’s also shown some interest in cords so I put them away during the day. Any advise on how to get that to stop? I’m hoping some of these things will stop once he can roam freely.
> How many cats do you have now?!


Awww... that's so cute Emmett shared your pillow! He seems like he's making himself right at home and I bet Loki will soon come around.

Well, up until recently I had 3 girls. Kate and Coco are approx 5 years old and Sophie's around 3. This past April, Coco was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and I had to put her to sleep. It was and still is heartbreaking. She was always the life of the party and my roommate and I were devastated. He was even more attached to her than I was, so if I tried to talk about her, he started crying, then I started crying, and the two of us ended up in an emotional heap. So I joined this wonderful forum where we can share our joy, sorrow, and life experiences with our furry family, and I can now talk about Coco here and with my roomie and remember all the sweet and funny and outright crazy things she used to do. Tears and all, she still makes us laugh!

Oh and, regarding the Zoomies, all I can say is... get used to them! It will probably lessen when he's out and about, but they never really stop. Cats are weird. Cute, but weird. 😼😸🙀


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## jep (Jul 6, 2021)

miscellaneous said:


> Awww... that's so cute Emmett shared your pillow! He seems like he's making himself right at home and I bet Loki will soon come around.
> 
> Well, up until recently I had 3 girls. Kate and Coco are approx 5 years old and Sophie's around 3. This past April, Coco was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and I had to put her to sleep. It was and still is heartbreaking. She was always the life of the party and my roommate and I were devastated. He was even more attached to her than I was, so if I tried to talk about her, he started crying, then I started crying, and the two of us ended up in an emotional heap. So I joined this wonderful forum where we can share our joy, sorrow, and life experiences with our furry family, and I can now talk about Coco here and with my roomie and remember all the sweet and funny and outright crazy things she used to do. Tears and all, she still makes us laugh!
> 
> Oh and, regarding the Zoomies, all I can say is... get used to them! It will probably lessen when he's out and about, but they never really stop. Cats are weird. Cute, but weird. 😼😸🙀


Oh goodness 😔 I understand loosing pets. I only recently moved out of my family home and we had a 14.5 year old dog and an 18 year old cat who is my absolute best friend and it was heartbreaking to move out and leave him - I still cry because I miss him and I visit him often. He soon will pass as he has some kidney function issues. Our dog passed away a few months ago, she had cancer in her mouth and was very far along when we found it. I still find myself seeing other dogs and feeling sad. Oh pets are so wonderful but oh so hard to loose 😔 I’m sorry to hear about your Coco but happy you still have a couple other kitties too!!
As for the zoomies, I don’t mind them when Loki does them throughout the house, but Emmett being in my room I appreciate the zoomies a little less when he happens to run over me on my bed 😂


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## miscellaneous (May 24, 2021)

Thank you, Jep. I'm very sorry for your loss too and can only imagine how much you miss your cat, especially after having them both for so long. I just recommended to another poster about Skyping with her pet. It may sound odd but who cares? I'd do it. Naysayers be... darned! 

And yes, there's nothing like being in the middle of a nice sound sleep and having a cat land on your head. Good times!


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## dseag2 (Nov 28, 2013)

Sounds like you did everything right. We have a male cat, Andy, who is 4 years old. We recently had to put his 6 year-old buddy, Toby, to sleep due to severe Asthma. We waited a while but adopted Bugsy, who is 6 years old. 

We introduced them for 6 days, keeping Bugsy in my office. We fed them on each side of the office door to equate pleasant experiences with each other. We also fed them treats on each side of the door. We had them lay on towels and then switched them out to swap scents. We switched spaces as you did. We cracked the door on Day 6. Andy did hiss briefly. We let Bugsy out and they have become attached at the hip.

To your particular situation, we have typically had 2 cats and have adopted a kitten when we know the most senior cat is in failing health. We have never really "introduced" them and although they haven't become best buds they have always gotten along and made space for each other. I hope that is the case with Emmett and Loki. BTW, I love black cats. Our Toby was a black cat and so is Bugsy, although they look totally different.


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## jep (Jul 6, 2021)

dseag2 said:


> Sounds like you did everything right. We have a male cat, Andy, who is 4 years old. We recently had to put his 6 year-old buddy, Toby, to sleep due to severe Asthma. We waited a while but adopted Bugsy, who is 6 years old.
> 
> We introduced them for 6 days, keeping Bugsy in my office. We fed them on each side of the office door to equate pleasant experiences with each other. We also fed them treats on each side of the door. We had them lay on towels and then switched them out to swap scents. We switched spaces as you did. We cracked the door on Day 6. Andy did hiss briefly. We let Bugsy out and they have become attached at the hip.
> 
> To your particular situation, we have typically had 2 cats and have adopted a kitten when we know the most senior cat is in failing health. We have never really "introduced" them and although they haven't become best buds they have always gotten along and made space for each other. I hope that is the case with Emmett and Loki. BTW, I love black cats. Our Toby was a black cat and so is Bugsy, although they look totally different.


Thank you for this!! Your cats are beautiful!! and i’m sorry for your loss 😔 poor lil babies, always hard to say goodbye.
It’s nice to hear that we did all the right steps. I am just nervous we maybe introduced them too early. I’m going to go out and get some Feliway today from the humane society where I got both kitties and also have a chat with them about the happenings here. I appreciate your response 😊


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## jep (Jul 6, 2021)

miscellaneous said:


> Thank you, Jep. I'm very sorry for your loss too and can only imagine how much you miss your cat, especially after having them both for so long. I just recommended to another poster about Skyping with her pet. It may sound odd but who cares? I'd do it. Naysayers be... darned!
> 
> And yes, there's nothing like being in the middle of a nice sound sleep and having a cat land on your head. Good times!


Skyping my cat, omg this is amazing. I never thought of this!!! Thankfully I moved only about 10 minutes away so I can make the trip easily. My parents are lovely and send photos almost daily, but it’s never the same. I’ll attach a photo so you can see how cute he is! His name is Jack but everyone calls him Sir 😂


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## miscellaneous (May 24, 2021)

Jep. Thanks for the pix... Sir Jack is adorable! Good idea about talking to the adoption agency. I went back and forth about the Feliway too, and will be curious to see if it works. Keep us posted!


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## miscellaneous (May 24, 2021)

dseag2. Great pix, and black cats are beautiful! I once read that black cats are hard to be adopted (stupid superstitions!) but when we were looking, could not find one. Maybe it was just the timing. Our Kate's gray and white and Sophie's a smokey gray, and there's a dark gray rug in the living room. At night, whenever we walk into the room, we have to watch out for glowing green eyeballs!


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## jep (Jul 6, 2021)

miscellaneous said:


> Jep. Thanks for the pix... Sir Jack is adorable! Good idea about talking to the adoption agency. I went back and forth about the Feliway too, and will be curious to see if it works. Keep us posted!


I talked to the adoption agency yesterday and like everyone here has said - we have been doing everything right! And there is no cause for concern. However, I did purchase the Feliway. Surprisingly, Loki lets Emmett get much closer to her now and isn’t as scared. Very interesting and exciting!!
I’m attaching a photo of Emmett when I woke up yesterday morning - what a sweet boy. He sleeps on my pillow now consistently.


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## jep (Jul 6, 2021)

miscellaneous said:


> dseag2. Great pix, and black cats are beautiful! I once read that black cats are hard to be adopted (stupid superstitions!) but when we were looking, could not find one. Maybe it was just the timing. Our Kate's gray and white and Sophie's a smokey gray, and there's a dark gray rug in the living room. At night, whenever we walk into the room, we have to watch out for glowing green eyeballs!


Omg, your cats sound beautiful!! Post some photos!! I have also heard the same about black cats but love them so much - as does my partner. At my adoption agency they always have lots of black cats and it’s so sad they have such a hard time being adopted 🥺


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## dseag2 (Nov 28, 2013)

Yes, we have been told that black cats are less likely to be adopted because 1) people are superstitious or 2) they do not stand out in photos. Our black cats have been super sweet and loving and have been really special kitties. I would not hesitate to adopt a black cat again. They are beautiful!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

It IS hard to take good pictures of black kitties. For every 20 shots, I would get maybe one good one.

This is Cleo. Trying to bring sexy back. I don't know if it's a black cat thing, but she's my only talker.


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## miscellaneous (May 24, 2021)

jep said:


> Omg, your cats sound beautiful!! Post some photos!! I have also heard the same about black cats but love them so much - as does my partner. At my adoption agency they always have lots of black cats and it’s so sad they have such a hard time being adopted 🥺


Sad to say, no photos of my 2 little beasties will be forthcoming. Techno-idiot here. Not complaining mind you, because I'm really good at the important things like online shopping, chatting online, and online shopping. I'm planning to figure out how to do other stuff on Someday, when Things Settle Down, right after I have Lots of Time and Patience. 😬


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## miscellaneous (May 24, 2021)

marie73 said:


> It IS hard to take good pictures of black kitties. For every 20 shots, I would get maybe one good one.
> 
> This is Cleo. Trying to bring sexy back. I don't know if it's a black cat thing, but she's my only talker.
> 
> View attachment 131283


 That's a great picture of Cleo! My friend has a little black Shitzu and she's been trying to post a decent pix of him for years, but all we can see is a little black blob. So good job!


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## jep (Jul 6, 2021)

marie73 said:


> It IS hard to take good pictures of black kitties. For every 20 shots, I would get maybe one good one.
> 
> This is Cleo. Trying to bring sexy back. I don't know if it's a black cat thing, but she's my only talker.
> 
> View attachment 131283


Omg, we have noticed that our Loki is a big talker. Then again so is our Emmett, but Loki is definitely a big talker!!! Funny black cats.


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