[Tutubean]

This is something I've been waiting to see for myself - if Tutu can tolerate another cat. Previously I'm told when she stays with people with cats she keeps to herself and wants to be left alone.

Right now I have a feline house guest whose mother Tutu stayed with just last month for 5 days. At first Tutu was nearly terrified and hid for an hour. After that she was just "leave me alone please". I'm told after a few days, the two tolerated each other. The day we left, the other cat (a neutered male) licked her face - with no reaction at all from Tutu - and we left.

It's only been 24 hours, but I thought I was making progress. Tutu and Marvin (the houseguest) were chilling with me on the bed while I worked on my laptop. Very calm, dozing, about 1 foot apart from one another. They had been tolerating each other for most of the day.

But....
This morning, Tutu was so fussy. She was aggressive, and didn't even want to be brushed. She has been hissing at me.
HISSING.... something she only does after vet visits or when she's having a bad back day....
She did this to her human daddy too.
So abnormal.

Cut to this evening, and Marvin once again licked Tutu's face (first time I'd seen since he arrived) and she went berserk!! HISSED, and would have probably swatted him had we not reprimanded her verbally. Marvin ran away.... From about 8am to 8pm the two of them were "fine".... then KABOOM.

Thing is, Marvin is totally sweet, calm, curious, friendly, playful, and respectful. He usually gives her space, but at the same time he's ITCHING to play with her......

Tutu is "off" right now, too. Sulking, mainly. Hissing a lot. Aggressive.

Could this be a sign that she only likes people?
Is it a Queen of the Castle situation?
Could she maybe have an issue with males?

I'm guessing it's mainly to do with this being HER domain. I've seen how she reacts to neighbor cats at HER window, sometimes, females included. ("GET OUTTA MY YARD!! **** kids....")

Also, I have a gut feeling she's very possessive of me. I've been nice to Marvin, naturally, and he's warmed up to me a whole lot. He also likes my boyfriend. Does being NICE to the new cat also **** her off??


The reason why I ask is that I would love one day to have another cat, because Tutu is SOOOOO dependent on me, for playing, mainly. She should be the prime candidate for a companion cat. hrmph.

 

[Arianwen]

Even with cats that really get on, a bit of hissing and swatting is natural. Princess Tramp idolises Oz - she washes him, lets him steal food from her and is generally indulgent but if he wakes her up in the night (she is much older than him) or does something to annoy her, she puts him in his place by hissing and swatting him, albeit without claws.

 

[Tutubean]

Hissing at him I get.....

It's the hissing at me and my boyfriend that is ENTIRELY out of character....

 

[Arianwen]

Is there an identifiable trigger for her hissing at you or is it random?

 

[Tutubean]

If she's already riled-up, the hissing will continue until we leave her alone for a good while.

But this morning while I was brushing her badly shedding body, she attacked the brush like it was a toy mouse, and hissed like crazy, so I don't know where that came from because she had just had breakfast and wasn't really interacting with Marvin. (She never hisses like that when a brush is around... she usually drools just at the sight of it).

 

[hoofmaiden]

This is another temporary guest, correct? I would never do that. It's way too hard on both cats--that's the kind of thing that triggers indiscriminate urination, etc.

When you do an intro of a permanent new family member it should be done VERY slowly. See my 2 threads on this topic:

http://www.catforum.com/forum/37-be...oduction-thread-calvin-jonah-conrad-erik.html

http://www.catforum.com/forum/37-behavior/127267-jonahs-introduction-diary-cat-cat-cat-dog.html

If you do decide to adopt a PERMANENT new cat, the key is to go very slowly. I know I've rushed things if I'm getting more than mild, bored hisses.

I would advise against doing what you are dong--having guest cats in. Cats are extremely territorial and react to stress in ways that human beings generally do not like.

 

[Tutubean]

Well, we figured it would be doable, since when Tutu stayed over his place he was very kind with her (still is) and she was at least civil.

Last night they had another battle, who knows why, so we made sure to have them sleep separated behind closed doors (which Marvin did not like, and howled half the night).

No one is peeing or pooping anywhere other than where they should be, but it's official, Tutu suffers from Queen of the Castle syndrome, and I'll never be able to get her a companion cat. She's fine up until another cat tries to show her affection....

Anyway, I can't really NOT do what I am doing. There's no other way of "stowing" my cat while I'm away (until I am back in the US, anyway).

 

[Susan]

Well, we figured it would be doable, since when Tutu stayed over his place he was very kind with her (still is) and she was at least civil.

Totally different situation. Cats are territorial. When she was at Marvin's place, she was not in her own territory and she was a bit like a fish out of water, which explains why she was more scared/docile there. Now she is in her own territory and she's protecting it. Her behavior is totally normal under the circumstances.

but it's official, Tutu suffers from Queen of the Castle syndrome, and I'll never be able to get her a companion cat.

You can't conclude Tutu won't get along with other cats based simply on a few days with Marvin. From what you've described, I can only conclude two things. First, if you were to get another cat, you would need to go through a proper introduction with Tutu and the new cat. If the intro were done properly, chances are Tutu would be fine. Second, Marvin is an unusually friendly cat...he is likely used to living with other cats and he sounds like he would be a snap to introduce to a new cat. He might also be much younger.

 

[marie73]

Here are some good guidelines by an expert, maybe you'll find some good info here:

Cat-to-Cat Introductions | Little Big Cat

 

[jusjim]

Zenobi (OTB) got really angry at me when I fed and petted Guy, the outside abandoned cat. He was behaving badly though, looking smug, and sitting across the doorway as though he owned me and the house -- really. Zenobi got past him and stalked away through the basement. I still laugh at myself for rushing after her telling her she was my cat, that he didn't matter etc. She stayed angry at me and I had to chase Guy away, and then feed him on the sly. That's the only time Zenobi hissed at me.