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Originally Posted by bluequeen
And I would think that cats are the same in respect to horses that there is going to be a hierarchy, one of them is going to be superior then the other, it's a matter of them sorting out which one is which.
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Cat hierarchies tend to be pretty complex and aren't sorted out in a day. They often have location and time-based hierarchies, where for instance one cat may always get the choice sleeping spot during the day, but the other cat gets it at night. Or one cat may usually eat first, but the other gets the better litter box location. These are issues that they gradually sort out through intricate body language. They have to learn to "read" each other. Just throwing them together doesn't give them time to interpret the other's intentions, and a fight-or-flight response is more likely to arise.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluequeen
I just don't see how this can happen through a closed door, at some point or another they are going to meet and there will be a fight, it's natural animal behaviour...
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It's all about the smell. Cats are very olfactory-centered, so in actuality, they ARE meeting by being introduced behind closed doors. As they gradually get used to the smell, when they do finally see each other visually, it's like an "oh, it's you" response. They're less likely to have a WTF fight-or-flight response.