Quote:
Originally Posted by bluequeen
Sorry but I do think that was slightly rude. I have yet to tell any body that their advice is wrong or not valuable all I wanted is to see if there are different ways to approach this without having to have one cat locked up for an entire week. Yes I realize it's going to do them no harm but both of these cats strive on human affection and I just don't think locking one away for that long is fair.
I have no problems locking one away while the other roams and sniffs it all out and giving the other one something of mine to sniff out while its locked up and yeah they can sniff eachother under the door. I just don't want this to be a week or more long process, I'm going to be stressed enough as it is.
I just find it hard to believe that every person that takes in foster cats/dogs etc does this whole multi-week long ritual to introduce cats. I'm not saying its wrong by any means I just like to have options to choose from and everyone is making is seem like I don't.
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Bluequeen, you're right - it's REALLY important that research be done for situations like this, when we as pet owners have no clue how to handle something. What are you currently doing with your cat? Is she in another room, or are you doing something else?
I think what is important to notice here is that the majority here who are cat savvy, have given you a safe way to introduce your cats. I'm sure you're quite right, and that maybe some other people have done it differently; but seeing as how basically everyone here has told you what they have done or would suggest (and it's the same thing) then you can probably bet this is the one of the best and safest ways to introduce your cats.
Quarantine is done with most species of animals, including birds and small animals. Keeping your new cat in a seperate room isn't just for her safety, but also for the health of your old cats. What if this new cat has brought something with her? It's important to remember that quarantine is done not only to keep introductions safe, but also rule out any health issues that could be quickly passed onto your other animals.
Your cat also does not see this as 'unfair'. That is a human emotion that you're labelling your cat with, and as long as you and the other people in your home understand that keeping this new cat in a room for a while really IS benefiting the entire 'cat pack', it should be far less stressful for you. Sure, it'd be great to just let the new cat out into the rest of the house and hope for the best - and maybe that would be less stressful for you and your family members. But not the cats, and especially not the new cat who has to deal with new territory AND new cats.
You said you don't want this to be a week long process, but you can't really put a time or a day on when your new cat or the old ones will be ready to be with eachother. That's just the bottom line. This new cat is your responsibility, helping her adapt to your home is something you took upon yourself when you brought her home.