If it’s any comfort, my two cats took almost a year to not fight as soon after they see each other, after a year and a half they were walking together around the house and after almost three years we finally found the magic toy that is teaching them to play together. So there is always hope.
@@_clove it’s nothing special, it’s SmartyKat Hot Pursuit Cat Toy Concealed Motion Toy a cheap toy, but it is the one that finally got the interest of both to play together, since they usually don’t like the same type of toys
I have four cats all rescued at different times. It takes a while to introduce older cats but it's very possible. My first cat still hisses and scratches the other three but no ears are back and no one running to hide. They all act like siblings that need to fuss and make noise. I feel like that's normal and I think sometimes we get worried over nothing 👍🤣👍 GOOD LUCK
Thanks a lot for your comment, as I was starting to become desperate about the situation with my two female cats! Could you please specify if you kept them separated during the first year?
I am at a cross roads with my cats.. Its been over a year and they still won't get along... I am glad to see other comments knowing that I am not alone.
i have 4 cats. 3 of them love each other, the 4th is my girl i’ve had for almost 10 years and she hates all the other 3. it’s been almost a year and i have yet to get her to calm down and just coexist with them. i’m here searching for answers too 😢
@@imcharlihbu3711i dont know why jackson isnt saying this once but in my country we use to think that cats with different genders also have different playstyle. Ofc there are some unicorns but all in all u can say Boys more rough and girls like to play with things not wrestling with other cats. Thats why we say Boys to Boys and girls to girls , same Charakter and same age. Otherwise there will be trouble at some points
i'm the same way. it's been almost 2 years. its more when one goes near the other when walking by, they can coexist on a couch on opposite sides or room but one will get into the hunting mode and the older, smaller one is scared. I only had 2 days bc i was going back to school so the process on my end wasn't exactly the right thing
You’re doing a lot of things wrong from the sound of it. If you have one cat and another cat and they don’t get along: you don’t get a third cat. Period. That’s that. Your mission from then on out is learning how to gauge and train the two cats in a way that integrates them into your program (I bet you don’t have a program). If that doesn’t work, then be at peace with letting one go (pick the most irritable one) and then you may go out and get that third one you were looking for. Yes, you will have two. Your training level is probably not even 2 to be honest but I’ve seen people learn and get to level 2 from your current predicament so it’s not over.
I was getting really frustrated with reintroducing my cats. You seem to always know when to talk about things. Thanks Jackson you've changed my cats lives.
How did you get them to like each other again. Ours have had to be separated now for over 2 yrs after a bad attack when they used to love each other. We have tried so many things and even calming meds from the vet to try to reintroduce them...nothing has worked in over 2 yrs.
Im also having trouble with reintroducing 2 cats with my alpha cat again. They used to be fine with each other, but now the alpha is just chasing them when we turn our backs for one second. We tried eating together in the kitchen(but in different corners) and we have a divider board just in case of the staredown. But during this holiday season, I think this is my chance to focus on getting them back together, even if it means sacrificing my own free time for them.
I want to share my story of my two cats to give you all some more hope. For reference, Miko: 5 years old, we have had her for a year, shelter said she hated other cats so much that they had to speed her adoption process up to put her in a room without any visual access to other cats. Tenshi: 4 month old kitten, loves other cats. When we started introducing them, although the door was fully closed and there was no gap under the door, miko stayed awake the whole night sitting by the door of a room that she rarely ever went in before, because she knew something or someone was in there. There was so much hissing and so so so much growling from miko throughout the whole introduction process and we couldn’t even do it right because miko refused to eat anywhere within a 10 foot radius of the door although we were giving her her favourite food. Miko’s temperament/personality had completely changed, she was very isolated and very angry all the time. i cried so many times because i thought they were never going to get along and it was so stressful having to leave miko alone because if i wasn’t with tenshi, she would meow until i came back. once we had finally removed the barrier between them (4ish weeks after beginning the introduction), there was so much fighting and growling. miko would attack tenshi if she was in a 10 foot radius and tenshi shows stalker behaviours. tenshi was scared but curious and miko was very angry. however, slowly by slowly, her boundaries shrunk and she let tenshi go closer to her. now (2 months after beginning the introduction), they spend most of their time together, they clean each other, they play and play fight, they sleep near each other and they search for each other. you guys got this !! be patient with your cats and pay close attention to their body language.
Wow I'm so glad , that gave me hope but I got a 4 years old female cat and a 9 month old male cat😅 the female is so scared from him that the sight, scent or voice will make her all alert. Even tho the male is not so offensive but the dew fight they had has just worsen it
So you didn't have them separated since the introduction? We just finished a year of separation and exercises. Tried reintroduction last month and still my 17 year old resident wants to kill the kitten - even though kitten is now twice her size!
Thank you for sharing your story. I just introduced a kitten and it's not going well with my 4-year-old female Blookie. I was surprised because she shared this space with another cat we had but sadly lost. Were two days in and my Blookie won't let the baby near her 2 feet or less without hissing or growling. The growling has subsided some. They both eat from the same area at different times. Blookie seems to be getting a little more comfortable but she still has boundaries. I think she doesn't want to share me and feels jealousy. I thought she'd love the baby since the cat we lost Blookie would lick him, and snuggle him? Anyway thanks again for sharing give me hope.
@@galaxigirl1 Going on 8 months here too. We have two 8-year old females and got a another female kitten when she was 2 months old. Our older Siamese cat just wants to kill the new kitty, and we've literally done EVERYTHING, with the homebase, the door, separated parts of our apartment, pheromones, hiding spots, feeding times, gated doorway, you name it - we've done it. Our other older cat is okay being in the same room after many months, but our Siamese hasn't simmered down a bit. We've been sleeping in separate rooms since this all started so nobody feels left out at bedtime. It's extremely frustrating trying to find help too, every damn thing we find starts off at the "Intro" phase or says start over from the beginning - which doesn't work because they already know each other lives here. We can start over with the door completely shut and blocked off, but then they both go to the door and mess with each other, so we block off the door but they still hear each other. I swear if I hear "Introduction" phase one more time...
I got 2 cats within 2 months of eachother. Getting them integrated was the biggest stressor and it took 4-5 weeks to get to equilibrium. They are now friends... and I'm so happy!
I have also used a closed in pourch at someone’s home…not mine. I have found if I introduce my Original cat w a new cat in a confined area which is unknown to both of them, the introduction has been smooth.
My cats merely tolerated each other after they were properly introduced (it took a month), and while they're still not buddy-buddy 8 months on, they've grown to be completely comfortable in each others presence and personal bubbles. They even play on occasion - and their relationship is still making noticeable improvements! But while it was totally worth it, I honestly don't think I could do it again. xD I remember VIVIDLY how stressed I was during the introduction process. I have no roommates, so splitting my time between two cats that had to be kept apart stressed me out so much - especially since the little one (7 months at the time) would often cry if I left the room. I felt bad for her because all she wanted was company, felt bad for my resident cat because I couldn't spend enough time with her, and was constantly worried that my neighbors would hear the meowing and complain. We got through it - though after these two, any future cats I have will either be adopted in pairs, or I'll be a single cat household. So you are not alone! And I was at the end of my rope after only a month, I can only imagine how tough it's been for those of you on month 4, 5, 6 and so on. Keep at it folks, you're doing better than you think you are.
Thank you. This is helping alot. I am 2 months into the introduction. Went very slowly and also started again, because the first round was to fast. They now coexist. They spend time in a room together but not close. It's fine i guess. The only thing is that she (new cat) hits and hisses at him (resident Cat) when he gets to close. But I am stressed too. I live with my bf but he's not that much help. I kinda feel alone as well. I also wouldn't do it again.
Thank you. This is helping alot. I am 2 months into the introduction. Went very slowly and also started again, because the first round was to fast. They now coexist. They spend time in a room together but not close. It's fine i guess. The only thing is that she (new cat) hits and hisses at him (resident Cat) when he gets to close. But I am stressed too. I live with my bf but he's not that much help. I kinda feel alone as well. I also wouldn't do it again.
Thank you. This is helping alot. I am 2 months into the introduction. Went very slowly and also started again, because the first round was to fast. They now coexist. They spend time in a room together but not close. It's fine i guess. The only thing is that she (new cat) hits and hisses at him (resident Cat) when he gets to close. But I am stressed too. I live with my bf but he's not that much help. I kinda feel alone as well. I also wouldn't do it again.
Its taken two years for my too to just tolerate each other...they still have moments, but we are FINALLY seeing improvements!!! Boy and girl boy is old and grumpy girl is younger and playful
Wish you had a video showing actual footage of the very first part of this process. Scent introduction, and the different behaviors outside of the Basecamp door. Like that's the hardest part for people going through the process for the first time themselves. So emotions come out easily and we know we don't want to do that. Please show more of each steps with actual footage. Every video on TH-cam is the same situations and either do b-roll clips of random cats or they use two cats that are already comfortable with each other and reanact the situations. I've rewatched your videos so many times and literally I think the biggest struggles we have is the very start of the process. Some of us never seen this side of our cats before so we just want to know how to handle our emotions better when they do flip out at the doors or gates. Hissing, vocalizing, swatting, and even sometimes charging at the door or cat if see. I plan to try and record some of my current situation and send it over to Jaxon so we have something. Most people want to rush the process, we are guilty at making a couple newbie mistakes but managed to prevent things from getting to a certain point. They are currently separated, but have seen each other already. Fredds NOT thrilled atm. Doing our best to keep our personal emotions out of it but it's very hard when there's nothing on the internet showing anything remotely related to this situation. 😅
This totally resonates with me, seeing that new side from our old cat has been daunting. She is out for blood, hissing, growling, she wants to claw him out from under the closed door. Help us Jackson, more in depth introductions please, she won’t eat anywhere where our new cat is, she just stares at the closed door and meows and hisses aggressively.
I wish there were examples of doing the very first steps in tiny houses too. I have a two bedroom apartment where we can't put higher shelves anywhere but my bedroom and I work home office, so for eight hours I can just pray one of my three cats will go sit with my mom while one is outside and letting the other roam when the others are busy or sleeping. 😢 It's the most stressful part of the process and the one that doesn't get any footage
I brought home a second cat on Nov 11, took the intro phase slowly, and tonight my furry first resident climbed into the basket the newcomer was sleeping in, and began grooming him! I am so stoked to see them bonding--keep with it, the method really does work. I did notice something JG didn't mention about the play in this video. At one point, she waved a toy in-between the cats, and I think it was the little guy who lunged for it--directly at the other cat! That probably didn't end well. I find it challenging to play with both at once, but have managed to do so with two wand toys, keeping the cats on opposite sides of a large piece of furniture, like a sofa.
I did all the steps outlined at 7:37 minus reading the book with my two cats for about 3-4 days, then I opened the door by an inch during feeding times for the next 2-3 days, then I opened the door just during feeding times without allowing any interaction, and now they get along just fine with the door permanently open. It definitely works.
Grateful for this video! Our new kitty (8months) has been with us for almost 3 months. He's so confident and has so much energy, he always wants to attack my resident cat (4yrs). We space swap multiple times a day so little kitty can run around... But they always have to be 100% supervised when together with the distraction of treats
Thanks Jackson, reintroducing my two kitties and this video is gold. I recently took one of my cats to the vet, and when we got back, my other kitty wanted nothing to do with her. They fought, and now they can't be in the same room without both attacking each other . I've been really sad these couple of days because I've had to separate them amd they both cry when I'm not in the area wirh them. This video gives me hope ❤
I’m going through the same! My cats were best buddies and it’s been taking me forever to get them to get along again after the vet. It breaks my heart that they don’t seem to have the same bond but it’s getting better.
Im in the same boat, thats what brought me to this video. My cats were best friends and they hate eachother now after the vet. Have you guys been able to make progress? Hoping theres some hope i can cling to
@@deniseu2573 eventually they got along but I had to site swap, and scent swap. Also started feeding them together first with a door as a barrier then without until they finally seemed comfortable. As soon as I saw them sleeping together and grooming each other I knew they were buddies again.
Same here... it’s been 3 weeks trying to introduce our new kitten and our 10 months old cat... such a frustrating process, but we have to keep trying...
Same! I’ve been trying to get my cats to tolerate each other since June. I have already hired a cat behavior specialist, which helped, but now we’re stuck again. They’ll tolerate each other fine from a distance, but the older cat clearly doesn’t trust the new cat, and won’t let him come closer (and he desperately wants to play with her).
We've had our cats for 7 years, got them a month apart, and they still aren't BFF's. But looking back they have come a long way. It definitely takes a lot of patience. Getting a really big cat tree helped for a while but we are realizing now two would be better.
My cat has been separate from my roommate's cats for the entire 2+ years we've lived together. Working up the courage to introduce them by rewatching these introduction vids.
@@Lamees.alghamdii keep at it! My boys didn’t like each other for a few months. Now they snuggle every night (and sometimes during the day) and they play all the time! Just give it time and patience. It’s hard when they’re not a fan of each other at first
@@JacksonGalaxy Hey Cat Daddy! I really need your help. I have a 5 year old neutered male cat, named Lil Bit, along with 5 younger cats that are all fixed. Well Lil Bit keeps acting like he's going thru some kind of feline male menopause! He'll even stand up and make crazy growling sounds at the door when he wants to go outside on the porch. I've already tried homeo pet feline anxiety drops and cat nip but nothing has helped. I love all 6 of my kitty babies and I do the very best I can on a fixed income because I'm disabled. I really want to see Lil Bit happy again! 😺 💗😽😽😽😽😽😽💗
My boyfriend and I adopted a 4yr old named Tink and after a year of having her, we decided to get a kitten. Tink is so high energy that she gets along swimmingly with Sushi (the kitten). However, instead of playing with the toys like she use to, she prefers to watch Sushi play without joining. They play with each other often, but it’s like Tink took on a motherly role once we got Sushi. ANYWAY, the introducing cat video really helped, along with every single one of your videos!! Thank you so much Jackson, cuz I couldn’t be a “cat expert” without you 😁
I said it under another video previously, but after almost three weeks of introductions, we put a bit butter on each kitten and it worked like a charm! They were too busy licking it off themselves and it helped them get used to being in the same room etc.
Hi, I just wanted to say to anyone trying to reintroduce cats: keep the faith. My two girls were littermates and very close as kittens. One day, due to a stranger cat coming into our garden, one of my cats just started chasing the other one , which led to fights and I had to separate them. It’s been extremely upsetting for all of us, including the cats as they are usually very sociable and did not like being kept away from us. I thought at one time that things would be like that forever. I watched the videos about cat introductions multiple times and even though it has taken 4 months I am so happy to say that we can now all be in a room together in harmony and without the cats hissing or growling. I am still cautious and do separate them if I’m going out, but we are a million miles away from where we started. Like JG says, “stay on the horse” and be patient. Good luck to anyone that’s going through this it’s not nice.
I’m going through the exact same thing right now. For two years they got along great and all of a sudden, they saw a strange cat through the window and started attacking one another. I don’t know what to do.
@@fernandamoura6178 It's really upsetting because to us it just doesn't make sense, but don't give up on them. My two might not be snuggling up together like they used to, but they greet each other with a sniff every morning now and are friends again.
Hey, perfect timing! we adopted second black homeless little Panther, and now our first one is very irritated from sideswopping, very interesting story starts and she REALY needs that new door between.THANK YOU, CAT Daddy! Its now more than one year that we took our first one home, after learning from your videos , its sooo good and helpful !!!!!! Grace and Marleon will hopefully be sweet happy family with us.
After rescuing a neglected and abandoned kitty (Bodhi) four months ago it feels like I’ve become a full-time cat detective and have watched so.many. Jackson galaxy videos! Our older resident cat (Simba)was not happy about it because the new cat is young and SO full of energy and wants to play all the time (acts like a dog honestly). I followed the steps in your introductory video and had NO idea how much work it would be. I was so stressed about the possibility of it not working out, cried a few times because there was talk of needing to rehome him and felt like such a failure. Bodhi had already been given up by two homes and I did not want to put him through that again. Since I’m still out of a job due to COVID and my partner works full time I took on the responsibility of playtime,feeding,etc. Because of how stressed I was trying to split my time between the two cats it began causing tension in my relationship. My partner was understandably concerned for the well being of Simba and felt it wasn’t fair that he was potentially ‘living in fear’ as he put it. When he brought up possibly needing to rehome Bodhi I told him if Bodhi leaves I leave with him ( honestly couldn’t believe I said that either , but i felt so strongly that this would work and he was giving up too soon). Turns out my gut feeling was right! We both committed to the work and I’m so happy to say that after three months we don’t need a gate, the cats eat together and sleep on the couch/ bed near to each other and don’t need constant supervision. Bodhi does still jumps on Simba to play who then sees this as a threat. Bodhi isn’t phased by his hissing but I am worried that Simba might hurt him because hes so fearful he’s being attacked. This video came at the perfect time and I’m excited to work with them through some play therapy! Your videos have helped us so much in understanding the awesome individual kittys they are!
Thank you for this channel, this summer some young community cats with notched ears spent most of the summer in our back yard. One was a little timid. And not as athletic. We let it in the house and it had a great time with the stamps in my craft room so his name is Stamper. A large aggressive cat tried to get the best ofStamper and he is now our cat living inside. Our vet could not believe what a nice, handsome cat he is. Thanks again.
I’ll be watching all of these vids!! I’m feeling a bit desperate. I have a nervous cat, Monty. It’s taken me a few years to get him to ‘sort of accept’ a new cat Luna. They are not best buddies but tolerate each other. Now I have rescued a reverted feral. We have made great strides with him and after 3 months we can stroke him! He has a catio in the conservatory, so the other two cats are familiar with him, but are both not interested and quite nervous… a couple of introductions have gone well, the last one not. So I’m here, watching vids for some encouragement.
My cat made friends with another cat the first day we moved house. He met the other cat when we were watching the movers bring our stuff in the house and they meowed at each other from the window. It was really cute to watch 😊
@crystal kirlia Awww. Like the two human kids getting to know each other. My question is, did you get to know (or be friends with) the other kitty’s “staff”?
It took a few weeks for mine. Faster then usual, they now often snuggle together. Younger cats introduce better. Mine were about a year and half and 9 months. I think she thinks of him as more like a son and sometime grooms him.
Introducing cats is actually easy in theory but very laborious in practice. But if done correctly it will work. It must be done right since the beginning. 😻❤️😽
I have a 21/2 yo cat not very socialized and a new 1 yo cat from shelter. The older intimidated the younger one at first but now is accepting. But the new cat is on guard whenever the separation gate is open. Im exhausted by my rollercoaster human expectations.I've made so many mistakes in the introduction process. Your reassuring words and videos are giving me hope my kitties can become friends.
These comments are the best place. I’m trying to spend equal time with them but my resident cat cries and paws at the door whenever I’m in the room with my newbie. It’s emotionally exhausting for me right now. I tried to see if they would be okay in the same room, and the new girl was not having it. Resident boy is very ready to meet, but the girl is still so so hissy and growly. I’m on Day 3. I took a couple days off work to help facilitate this in hopes it would go quickly
Hi Jackson! You have taught me so much about cats and about the animals in shelters that need our help. Soon I'm going to start volunteering at my local shelter because of you. Me and the my animal family thank you for everything you do!😻
No questions from me Jackson. I just bought your book. Also, I have been using your Peacemaker and Stress Stopper drops, they always work like a charm! Thank you!
So we're like 8 months in after taking in a stray cat. Have two resident cats already. It's been stressful. And a learning experience. But it's getting there. SLOWLY. 😩😆 Thank you thank you Thanks to Jackson. It might actually work. 🤞
Thank you!!!! Saving cats!! How wonderful!! Good points below. All things that are a little complicated take time. It will happen. God bless you and your cats. You have a very big heart, All things are possible!
Not gonna lie, I adopted a 4 month old kitty in October of 21. She is PERFECT!!!! never hissed, always loving and playful, sleeps with us- she is literally the queen of the house. I got a wild hair up my butt that she needed a friend, EHHHH wrong! So I adopted, on Monday (its currently Thursday) an 11 week old kitty and we had no clue what we were doing. Our current Kitty ( Dana Scully) was PISSED! She started hissing at the kitten (Wanda Maximof) and growling at her, she attacked my husband and my daughter, tried to take my face off. I was horrified. Texted my vet, she said "separate them and introduce them slowly". Done. I moved Wanda into the dining room, made her comfortable and let her get used to her new surroundings ( she was very skittish to begin with). Scully would sit outside the door watching us (its got glass french doors) but able to smell the kitten and see what all the fuss was about. On Tuesday evening, we opened up the doors and let Wanda decide if she wanted to come out (she had been pressing against the doors peering out) she went ZOOMIE! all over the house. Rippin and runnin right past Scully not giving a crap what was going on. Let her do this for about an hour and then put her back in her room for the night. Yesterday, let her out and left her out all day with Scully. No more extreme aggression from Scully, Wanda still hisses at her because she's scared of this giant cat that was mean to her, but they tolerate each other and were mutually engaged in playing with a toy. This morning, let Wanda out and instantly Scully ran up to her and touched noses to smell her, Wanda hissed and then it was them chasing each other as Wanda found all of Scully's favorite places in the house, ie: my bedroom/bathroom. Scully would wait for her to jump off something and then swat at her, back and forth this went. I got a message from my husband just a few hours ago and he walked in the house, they were both on the floor asleep about 12" apart from each other. An hour later, they were laying on the couch together no more than a foot apart. Patience is key. Showing your kitties that its "ok" is key. Showing them both lots of love and affection and not yelling is HUGE! I was ready to give the kitten back after Monday night, not wanting to make my Scully feel vulnerable in HER space, and now I feel stupid for wanting to give up so easily.
I needed this I just bought home a new kitten Montana (6 months) for my resident kitten aspen (also 6 months) I’ve been so stressed out about introducing them but this video and comments have given me alot of comfort that we can make it work
:) i followed your advice to introduce my two cats. Katniss, female age 13, and hugo, male age 2 or 4 idk, he's the new cat. It took me 2 weeks to introduce them, but it went relatively smoothly. Katniss wasn't very aggressive toward him, she eventually accepted him, occasional swats and hisses. Now they can be in the same room together, even on my bed. They dont cuddle like i want them too, but they tolerate each other and play sometimes. :) I'm so happy to have 2 cats now.
Huge age gap. Try always to get a second cat in the same (or similar) life-stage as the first. 13 years is a definite senior, 2 years is like a teenager, or at least a 20-something. You just know that human seniors really don't like the company of such youngsters. Cats really are not that much different.
i had two almost identical cats. thr senior girl was extremely classy but would attack the younger photocopy of her - a guy. one g day i had enough: i grabbed both, and sat all three of us in front of a mirror. in a while they dropped the struggling and looked at the mirror: one is the human yes and the other one is the enemy but there are two! which is which ‽ i pointed out you are this one that one is this one... they caught on and stopped the fighting.. i still have Buster he is over 22 yrs old... the classy girl...
I had to go through this process when I brought one of my cats home from a dental cleaning and my other cat didn't recognize him. Took three days but my boys are back to being bros. Trust the process! (and brush them with the same brush)
I have two cats and they are both so well behaved and nice because I learned how to give them a good life from this man. I wouldn’t say they are besties but they tolerate and respect each other. One of them is elderly and the other is about 2 years old, so I guess is just that they are on different stages of life but they are both respectful of each other.
My cat Lila was exactly like Tosha, in hunting mode all the time. What made the difference was a clear piece of hard plastic to separate them (when eating or relaxing) so that Lila could get used to the new cat without getting defensive and aggressive. Thanks Jackson for the advice :)
Our best progress yet has been for our resident cat to observe the new kitten from behind the screen door of our balcony. our resident cat loves chasing bugs on our balcony at night. So we closed the screen door for a bit to let our new kitten explore the rest of our apartment. My husband was out on the balcony with our resident cat to monitor her mood. He said she seemed relaxed and happy (tail up). We were hoping it would give our resident cat a chance to observe the kitten to become more relaxed in its presence. Our resident cat is not comfortable playing in the same room with the new kitten. But, it's only been a week, so we will just need more repetition of certain steps of the introduction?
@@jenniferbullard3636 Hey Jennifer it’s been a year now, and my cats are “introduced” but still not buddies. I thought they would be pals by now. The screen door, a pet gate that you can cover, separate living spaces, separate beds, etc. and then swapping blankets with their scent helped them at least get used to each other. Scent is really important, but I think sight is too. I don’t have the answers, would suggest a cat behaviouralist if you can’t find the info you need online. Hope it doesn’t take your resident cat too long though! It helps that he’s older, mine were both kittens (3 months!).
Thanks so much for making these videos. I have a 12 yo cat who I just found out last week had lived with his brothers but was too rough and was separated, I've had him 4 years and didn't know that so I adopted a 3 yo cat in feb (I was fostering guinea pigs who he got attached to, and kept going into their room and crying after they left so I thought he wanted a new friend... maybe not). It was rough. But I was careful, followed your process, and got to know my cats. It took 8 months to allow them in the same space without separating but they're finally getting along and as she gets braver he relents control a little more . They even boop noses! Thank you for all your help, my family SO appreciates it!
I needed this right now! One of my resident cats, Morag, is having a hard time adjusting to the new cat, Georgie. I introduced them slowly and things are improving, but there was some regression yesterday. I’ll reestablish their base camps and focus on playing with each individually so they feel safer.
I'm so glad my kitten was well accepted by my resident older cat (6 years old). They are both tortoiseshell. Kiri, the kitten was pretty fierce and hissed at the older, while Chloe was always super calm, accepted her into her territory and gave her space. We separated them, I set up a base camp for Kiri in our bedroom while Chloe had the liviing room and bathrooms for her, made them meet while eating and playing while Chloe was up on her tower. I don't know if the meetup was too sudden or if they were very fast but they took 1 week to be comfortable and start playing. Two weeks in, they are playing together, not one fight, they sleep on different stories of their cat tower and they eat together comfortably. I'm so lucky!
Your videos have really been helping me to be a better cat parent. I have 3 cats, one of whom is a newly integrated kitten. Your tips about slowly introducing the kitten to our other two cats have been a godsend. My new kitten is now getting along so well with the other two cats, and is actually now a great buddy with the younger cat! They even groom each other and sleep in the same cat bed.
OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO! This is what I've been looking for! I got another cat about 2 months ago, and I'm having lots of trouble introducing her to my resident cat since he's more interested in hunting the newcomer than his food or any treat I give him. There's been some aggression from both their parts and the new cat is very dominant. I'm hoping to start the introduction process all over again, following your advice from this video, will do the trick.
I realise, as I’ve been binge watching your videos, that I’ve fallen into some bad habits with my resident cat and I must correct those as I slowly introduce and acclimatise her to our new cat. Jackson you have saved my family I know it, as long as I follow your guidance everything will go well I know it. Thank you for saving us indirectly. Especially me who has fallen into some non helpful owner habits and then wondered why my resident cat behaviour had changed. I needed re training and refreshing on my cat relationship and behaviour knowledge and I feel empowered to improve my behaviour with my cats. Your a cat and human hero.
People with cats: wow my cats never like strangers. I'm surprised they like you. What's your secret? Me:Ancient chinese secret My ancient chinese secret = Jackson Galaxy
My resident cat is the scaredy cat who sounds aggressive and the new one is shy but when my cat runs and hide the new kitty chases her and hisses and taunts her but there’s never any physical fighting. My resident cat when scared enough will pee as I’ve learned recently. They’re also not food driven but rather kind of water driven. I’ve never had issues like this with introducing cats but it’s definitely an interesting process. Thank you for your videos! And to those who left your comments describing your processes, thank you too, for helping me trust the process.
Jackson's advice definately works, it worked for me, introducing my second cat to my first, both had very different lives before becoming part of my family. (one had lived as a stray, the other was one of 10, I think she had only everlived as an indoor cat). All of Jackson's advice worked :) So hang in there :) They both snuggle up to each other, snooze together, look out for each other, teach each other and play together. I also played some 'relax my cat music' to, - from youtube. Jackson's advice & process is spot on. (I did struggle to site swop, as neither were keen on being picked up, we just had super extra playtime) Always leave introduction on a positive, and what gets rewarded gets repeated :) The joy they both bring me has been beyond awesome, I totally thank Jackson for this :)
Thank you very much. I benefited from the information and I am still watching more clips from you. I do not speak English and do not understand it very much, but the translator did it well.
So glad I found this video. Fairly similar to the issues we're having! We've followed the introduction guide to the letter (other than site swapping, as our resident cat bawls when he's shut in a room - but we have found a way to ensure both cats have good amounts of space) - and when we do the gated introductions the new cat just wants to be friends while our resident cat is more interested in hissing at him! Looks like we might have to find a way to do some site swapping in order to get them back on track!
I introduced last year my 13-year-old resident female to a 1-year-old male. I did everything by the books and then some to introduce these two. Both cats had a history of being socialized with other felines. The two cats just would not get along. They could not be kept in the same room. I spoke to the experts and vets. I did everything they suggested with the exception of sedating my female. After one year I had to rehome the male. It broke my heart. My vet and the animal shelter I adopted him said at this stage it was the only option.
Ty. I'm so stressed with introducing my new rescue Bengal to my other cats. He dives on them without any warning. I'm going to try some of the suggestions. Oh, he loves Jackson Bulky spray. My Bengal will actually put a paw on the bottle to ask me to spray some. It comforts him.
Thanks for these videos! I introduced a kitten to my two adult cats last week and your videos were invaluable! So far they are getting along with a few hisses to teach the kitten boundaries when she pops up out of nowhere. She’s a rescue who wasn’t socialized so she’s learning to love humans but seems to love her cat siblings. I’ll save this video just in case.
Jackson galaxy is the reason I know so much about cats and why I love cats so much! Thank you jackson! You are why everyone calls me when they have a cat problem! Although I'm still a kid I know so much! I wanna be just like you when I grow up! You are my favorite TH-camr!
Thank you so much for saying that!! I’m honored to know that a kid like you will someday be a teacher also and show everyone how cool cats are. Much Mojo to you for the new year!
I've had my cat smokey for about 7 months before I adopted two younger kittens. He was probably around a year old and the kittens are about 5 or 6 months. Maybe 7. I cannot for the life of me get Smokey to be cordial with the others. Ive been keeping them separated and I'm going crazy trying to make sure everyone has their human time since they all love cuddles. Praying your tips help me, I know I introduced them wrong, but I'm hoping everyone can get along someday soon! I love the three of them.
I would love to send you a video of our two cats as I followed your introduction protocol pretty much to a tee. Almost three weeks. We experienced everything that you said would happen but at the end of the introduction time we have two cats that are Best friends and thick as thieves! Thank you Jackson! We are huge fans! Also. Awareness, be aware, pay attention, as nobody knows your animals like you do. That's my tip of the comment section!
I am so grateful, my own cat is use to other animals and animal scents off other family regularly coming in to the house so when we brought home the kitten it feels a lot like he took on a sort of dominate but protective role with the kitten. They play together(Yes I know it is play the kitten is always going back for more lol!) and they eat and nap together without issue. He is often bathing the kitten and letting the kitten sneak his own leftover food without any fighting. I hope people who do have these problems are able to overcome them because nothing is cuter then seeing your cat babies play and get along.
my two cats DO get along but we totally have to do the two separate playtimes. they’re the same age but style is different. one cat is “fast” and the other one is a “slow” hunter. so the “fast one” used to “hog” the toys but we decided to take a different approach ☺️
FYI, I have introduced my additional cat in my car. I have placed them in their own carrier and the back seat of my car. Then then get a chance to get use to the smell of the other cat. I have also introducedanother cat to my Original cat was in a store room where they ran around and then they stoped! I picked them up and put them in their separate carriers and drove about one hour home. Then I took them into my AP apartment and they went their separate ways. The next thing I knew they were in the same room resting. I then fed them in separate bowls . They just bonded w each other. I was most grateful! Rosemarie
Also don't give the new cat more attention and don't let the old cat see you giving more attention to the new cat. It makes the old cat VERY jealous. You need to talk to the old cat saying things like the "Marusia is Tosha's new friend" . Instead of calling the cat Marusia, call her "Tosha's buddy" so Tosha will hear you constantly saying his/her name. Anitra Frazier in her book THE NATURAL CAT gives a great description of how to introduce cats so they are begging to be together - as long as you do the steps right.
This was very helpful! I have a 3 y.o. rescue who is almost totally blind and mostly deaf. He chases after and then pounces on and bites the neck of my 14 y.o. very sweet female cat and, after two years, still has never just washed her or slept nicely next to her. I will try playing with him more and go through the introduction phases, but it's been a challenge to find ways to stimulate him (crumpled paper and a tunnel are good for him) given his blindness and him not being able to hear most toys/birds/etc.. His behavior appears to be all dominance related. He'll attack her just to sit where she was, will go after her even with his favorite food right in front of him, etc.. He came from a hoarding situation in NYC. Initially, he would swipe and bite me, but we've gotten through that stage and now he's very cuddly and sweet with me. Just still attacking his sister . . .Any suggestions are very welcome!
After reading a number of comments - please people, stop introducing kittens to two-year-olds to senior cats! You might want a kitten, but the senior does not. At best, the senior will tolerate or bond with a 'middle-aged' cat, one who has slowed down a bit. I am a senior human, and could think of nothing worse that forced to room with a teenager, it would be like living hell. By the time a solo cat has got to senior, in the same household, it is unlikely they will accept a newcomer. They are (like older humans) settled into their ways and routines. Just wait until your senior passes, and then adopt a pair or trio together, of similar ages. Don't make your senior's last years miserable. You can adopt/introduce other seniors to your existing senior. No guarantee they will bond like besties, but they probably won't hate each other either. Some weird place in between. It is like the last failed adoption of my now fur baby. She was just over six, but had a trauma background, and was clearly a solo cat. So was the other cat a solo (about 10-13) they tried introducing her to. Even the scent of each other without seeing, was enough to stress out BOTH cats. I saw my (about to be new cat) after that failed adoption, she was stressed to the max. So was the other cat apparently. Trauma baby needed time to be on her own, get her mojo back, before the stress of another cat and new home. The senior cat, was probably just happy being the centre of attention, and it was his turf. It is four months now, and my new baby is doing well. Much slower hitting the mojo (turf ownership etc) milestones that a non-trauma cat, but is getting there. She actually got a little too over confident the other day (outside turf expansion). Will she always be a solo cat? Probably. But if I did decide to get her a companion, it would be in a similar age group, and with a personality assessment of both. I would NOT get a kitten or very young cat. Also, you do not need to get a kitten or young cat in order for them to bond to you. A loving and caring home for a senior, and they know and appreciate it. It is very rewarding adopting seniors. Yes sure, my new baby is a youngster in my book (I was looking for an 8-10+), but she chose me, so I had little choice. So yeah, stop trying to introduce kittens to seniors and expect it to work out well. So many seniors still need a home too. Hopefully you can integrate a senior household.
I know you won't see this jackson, but I've watched all your media now, every appearance i could find. I've learned alot, and my cat sara, 5 year old rescue adoption cat and I both thank you. You're advice has allowed me to understand her, and now we have a much better setup. Cat super highway, cat tree, two litter boxes, rewarding training and we play efficiently now, almost 1.5 hrs of play a day. She has no bad behaviors now, she won't attack my hands st and she has learned to sit, jump hoop and to retrieve certain toys. We are gonna work on roll over and a few other tricks, she is really enjoying training and the extra, better quality playtime. My cat is my lifeline and my best friend. You've really helped us both. Thank you. I'll try to find a way to repay you. Even if it means giving your book away as a gift to all my cat owner friends. Thanks. And best wishes jackson.
Thank you Jackson, honestly. I adopted a bonded pair who were also litter mates from a shelter, they previously came from a hoarder's home. One had to stay at the shelter for an extra 2 months while they received treatment for an illness. Now that I finally have them both, the original cat, Finlay, doesn't seem to recognise his brother Angus! They are approximately 2 years old. This makes me so sad. Finlay hisses and growls at Angus. I have your book, Total Cat Mojo, and am currently working through the steps. Some days are better or worse than others. Sometimes Finlay smells his scent somewhere after sure swapping and growls :( there's some redirected aggression too towards me and my partner, we have light cuts all up our arms now. He doesn't attack Angus outright, which is fantastic, so I know there's hope. I'm sure Angus recognises Finlay because he tries to approach him and does not react AT ALL to his posturing, he just sits there calmly. What a sweetie lol. We are on day 3 or 4 of the reintroduction process now, so wish us luck! 😺
Absolutely, I spent a week JUST site swapping so that both can get used to the smell of each other. Introduces them with the door CLOSED not some death portal. People are to inpatient. Allow a MONTH not a few days! Each should have the own base camp / room until THEY agree otherwise which can actually take years. One of my cats STILL prefers his original room as his safest place.
I’m sure the cat introduction method totally works but I’ve never had a roommate with the patience to do it for more than a few days. Never had cats get along.
I am so glad I found your channel, Jackson! We recently adopted a 7 month old male kitten and completely botched the introduction process to our 6 year old anxious and fearful female cat. He is energetic and wants to play but she is afraid of everything and does not want to play. Most of the time she hides under the bed. If he sees her he will run or pounce at her but not aggressively. She will hiss and growl. We had a home visit from an animal behaviorist vet who gave us good info, but your videos are also providing some great advice as well!
Your situation sounds very similar to mine. I have a 9yr old male and a 4 month old fm. The kitten chases and bites the older cat constantly and we ended up at the vets with an abscess on the older cats neck as a result. How are you getting on now, I’d be interested in what advice you were given?
we just introduced our new kitten to our 1,5 y/o cat. Without any information from the internet we just brought in the kitten in the livng room. Kees (the 1,5 y/o) came in in the afternoon after being outside all day like he always does. It was a lott of yelling. Now, 2 weeks later ish they are fine. I think we are just really lucky! They play with eachother, Kees is clear in setting boundaries for the little one but all is fine. But for sure i will folow up this advice from this channel for the next cat we ever get haha
I adopted two cats because the shelter said they were best buds and should be adopted together. When we got home, it was like they were total strangers. One decided she wanted nothing to do with the other and hid and ran from both of us. Maybe it was the accumulated scent from decades of my previous cats. But after a couple of months, they grew close again, grooming each other and play-wrestling. They often walk pressed up against each other, the formerly standoffish one sometimes pressed against her companion so hard that she just about pushes her into a wall. So they can work it out.
I am so grateful for these introduction videos, Jackson.. My resident cats have already seen/played/interacted/eaten with the kittens but one does not play nice afterward.. So do you just keep starting over even tho they have seen each other? I mean, go to square one with no eye contact even tho they know the other is there? My family has always introduced a new cat by keeping them in a large cage (my mom built it 4x6x3 wood and chickenwire its beautiful!) with supervised playtime outside the cage... It didnt work with these guys so I keep watching you and reading... Anyway, so when it doesn't go well, start over, no eye contact? Thank you for doing what you do!! 🐱❤🐱
Just introducing a 10 wk old kitten (Fergus) to a 2 year old (Brodie) and it’s so hard to not get discouraged. Your videos really help! I just hope my big boofus of a Brodie will stop stalking and running after Fergus’ tiny body soon.
I submitted a slightly different question with a lot of the same problems. I can't do regular site swaps because the new cat, Valerie, is a very timid wallflower who isn't comfortable exploring the apartment without access to my room. So, I let her explore while Eliza's sleeping, which doesn't always work. They've never fought, but if Eliza spots or hears her, she eventually chases her back into my room.
We were probably not following the guidelines closely enough -- particularly the sight swapping, we weren't anywhere near 50/50 between new cat and current cats. Now new cat has become a Napoleon of the guest bedroom. This video cleared that up for us, so now we'll try to break that down
I love you and your love of cats and all things cats! Sadly I am down to only 2 indoor cats (from 6). So I will soon be on the hunt for new cats and find your videos so helpful. I have never had issues introducing new cats but there is a first time for everything and I want all the knowledge you share. So thanks for the great videos Jackson! You're an amazing person! PS I miss you on My Cat from Hell😢
@@JacksonGalaxy Oh you got that right! Lol I am in the process of spaying and neutering 22 cats! I do some rescue work & do my best with TNR in my area. Although there are plenty to pick from here in Lamont Alberta Canada, I don't want to stress out my old guy. You would love him! He oozes cat mojo!🤗 Happy New Year!
My mother just adopted 2 adult cats in a pinch. It was either she took them to the pound or bring them home. Ill try everything to make it work ❤️ these videos are helpful and hopefully it'll just turn into a bigger family 😁
My grumpy old rescue feline doesn't get along with our two 10 year olds, who have been playing together since kittens. She loves my daughter, tolerates me, and seems happy. Our home is very catified and I believe there's no need to do anything more. No one knows for sure how old Elizabeth is, my guess is about 12 or 13, so she seems happy sitting around and watching.
Can we see follow up stories? . . to give us hope and confidence so we don't give up. my husband and I may have rushed through the introduction steps and are realizing we have to spend more time at the site swapping stage. Our resident cat is too distracted/uncomfortable to play when the new kitten is in the same room.
I rescued a Russian Blue and my husband and I were just talking about possibly getting him a lil kitty companion. Still not sure but I always appreciate all the wisdom and help!!
Use the feed across a door method, if it goes well crack it. Keep the first cat in a bedroom and let the new one wonder about for about an hour or until they go back into their room then let the first cat out to smell all the places the new cat has been, does it hiss or not. Be patient and pay attention to their reaction.
I was over cautious introducing my two cats and the stray who I'd adopted got so stressed that she got a urinary tract infection. I let them sort it out and now they're best of friends.
my significant other and I brought our cats together (he moved to my house) his cat knows me since I started visiting him on weekends, she knows my scent (on his shirt, sweater etc) and she never disliked me, always came up to cuddle and even did so the same way when he wasn't around now she's here, everything went perfectly well, she's loving her new home, her new little brother (she grooms him like a mama cat) she's loving all the extra cuddles she's getting from 2 ppl now and all in all feels pretty good in the house only until like a couple of days ago she started disliking specifically me for absolutely no reason She keeps staring at me from wherever she's at, doesn't interact with me, runs whenever I stand up and walk around (no matter if I'm on the other side of the room) and hisses at me as if I have terrorized her to trauma I have never done anything bad to that cat, always given her snacks, filled her food bowl, gave her attention whenever she wanted it and never initiated contact by myself meaning I did all I could to give the already shy cat the peace and quiet she needs She ran from everything even before me and my s/o got to know each other but even he said that she was never this scared before (doesn't crave our affection only when I'm gone then shes cuddling with her owner, barely moves except if I'm not in the room then she's absolutely fine, doesn't accept food from me) He often left her alone, for weeks even when he was at school (she didn't have a kitty companion, hence, she was alone for up to 6 weeks straight, only the neighbor came around and fed her) Now I'd really like to know if she is traumatized by whatever I didn't do or if she just developed anxiety throughout the years and just.. Acts like this for her time being It's a grand stress for me and the cat because I seriously just don't know what I did wrong and she obviously just doesn't get along with me walking around in my home and just doing my thing ignoring her My s/o doesn't want to give her away but we also can't afford a vet just yet All I know is that I'm simply done with my nerves and whenever I see her run again I get stomach pains I'd love to hear anybodys opinion on what to do..
“Left her alone for up to 6 weeks straight” Uh, that? That’s fucked up. Imagine being without interaction for two months, just being fed. You’d go crazy too. Maybe already have.
@@DplusCProductions I know it's really irresponsible and I already told him that, he also never cleaned her toilet, just replaced the whole thing every week I don't know if he understands that he laid the foundation for her behavior with leaving her on her own for almost her entire life since she was a kitten I just know that he thinks it's probably me who's at fault for her current, even more extreme behavior and it's making me incredibly sad
My two were adopted together from the same rescue, 4 years ago. One is quite laid back and the other is a little jealous girl. She will immediately show up and try to take over when we give the other any attention. They get into tiffs a few times a week. I feel for both girls as we want to make sure they are both getting what they need. We also would like to get a kitten but we don’t think our jelly bean girl will find this to be a good idea.
If it’s any comfort, my two cats took almost a year to not fight as soon after they see each other, after a year and a half they were walking together around the house and after almost three years we finally found the magic toy that is teaching them to play together. So there is always hope.
you can't mention a magic toy and not drop the name...
@@_clove it’s nothing special, it’s SmartyKat Hot Pursuit Cat Toy Concealed Motion Toy a cheap toy, but it is the one that finally got the interest of both to play together, since they usually don’t like the same type of toys
I have four cats all rescued at different times. It takes a while to introduce older cats but it's very possible. My first cat still hisses and scratches the other three but no ears are back and no one running to hide. They all act like siblings that need to fuss and make noise. I feel like that's normal and I think sometimes we get worried over nothing 👍🤣👍 GOOD LUCK
I advise allocate 1 month. Jackson?? What do you say?
Thanks a lot for your comment, as I was starting to become desperate about the situation with my two female cats! Could you please specify if you kept them separated during the first year?
I am at a cross roads with my cats.. Its been over a year and they still won't get along... I am glad to see other comments knowing that I am not alone.
i have 4 cats. 3 of them love each other, the 4th is my girl i’ve had for almost 10 years and she hates all the other 3. it’s been almost a year and i have yet to get her to calm down and just coexist with them. i’m here searching for answers too 😢
@@imcharlihbu3711i dont know why jackson isnt saying this once but in my country we use to think that cats with different genders also have different playstyle. Ofc there are some unicorns but all in all u can say Boys more rough and girls like to play with things not wrestling with other cats. Thats why we say Boys to Boys and girls to girls , same Charakter and same age. Otherwise there will be trouble at some points
@@pikagirlyoloo3 of my cats are girls, we have one boy but he is the least of my worries. it’s my 3 girls i need to get along.
i'm the same way. it's been almost 2 years. its more when one goes near the other when walking by, they can coexist on a couch on opposite sides or room but one will get into the hunting mode and the older, smaller one is scared. I only had 2 days bc i was going back to school so the process on my end wasn't exactly the right thing
You’re doing a lot of things wrong from the sound of it. If you have one cat and another cat and they don’t get along: you don’t get a third cat. Period. That’s that.
Your mission from then on out is learning how to gauge and train the two cats in a way that integrates them into your program (I bet you don’t have a program). If that doesn’t work, then be at peace with letting one go (pick the most irritable one) and then you may go out and get that third one you were looking for. Yes, you will have two. Your training level is probably not even 2 to be honest but I’ve seen people learn and get to level 2 from your current predicament so it’s not over.
I was getting really frustrated with reintroducing my cats. You seem to always know when to talk about things. Thanks Jackson you've changed my cats lives.
How did you get them to like each other again. Ours have had to be separated now for over 2 yrs after a bad attack when they used to love each other. We have tried so many things and even calming meds from the vet to try to reintroduce them...nothing has worked in over 2 yrs.
@@caries4970 any update?
@@friedCN nope . We still play musical cats...swapping rooms.
@@caries4970 This is literally me. I have two cats and 1 year has passed but they don't get along! Im swapping rooms/attention time.
Im also having trouble with reintroducing 2 cats with my alpha cat again. They used to be fine with each other, but now the alpha is just chasing them when we turn our backs for one second. We tried eating together in the kitchen(but in different corners) and we have a divider board just in case of the staredown. But during this holiday season, I think this is my chance to focus on getting them back together, even if it means sacrificing my own free time for them.
whenever a situation goes wrong my boyfriend says, "is it time for galaxy?" and Yes, yes it is.
I want to share my story of my two cats to give you all some more hope. For reference, Miko: 5 years old, we have had her for a year, shelter said she hated other cats so much that they had to speed her adoption process up to put her in a room without any visual access to other cats. Tenshi: 4 month old kitten, loves other cats.
When we started introducing them, although the door was fully closed and there was no gap under the door, miko stayed awake the whole night sitting by the door of a room that she rarely ever went in before, because she knew something or someone was in there. There was so much hissing and so so so much growling from miko throughout the whole introduction process and we couldn’t even do it right because miko refused to eat anywhere within a 10 foot radius of the door although we were giving her her favourite food. Miko’s temperament/personality had completely changed, she was very isolated and very angry all the time. i cried so many times because i thought they were never going to get along and it was so stressful having to leave miko alone because if i wasn’t with tenshi, she would meow until i came back. once we had finally removed the barrier between them (4ish weeks after beginning the introduction), there was so much fighting and growling. miko would attack tenshi if she was in a 10 foot radius and tenshi shows stalker behaviours. tenshi was scared but curious and miko was very angry. however, slowly by slowly, her boundaries shrunk and she let tenshi go closer to her. now (2 months after beginning the introduction), they spend most of their time together, they clean each other, they play and play fight, they sleep near each other and they search for each other. you guys got this !! be patient with your cats and pay close attention to their body language.
Honestly my cat was just fighting my kitten and I started panicking but reading this calmed me down a bit thank youu 💗💗
Wow I'm so glad , that gave me hope but I got a 4 years old female cat and a 9 month old male cat😅 the female is so scared from him that the sight, scent or voice will make her all alert. Even tho the male is not so offensive but the dew fight they had has just worsen it
So you didn't have them separated since the introduction? We just finished a year of separation and exercises. Tried reintroduction last month and still my 17 year old resident wants to kill the kitten - even though kitten is now twice her size!
Thank you for sharing your story. I just introduced a kitten and it's not going well with my 4-year-old female Blookie. I was surprised because she shared this space with another cat we had but sadly lost. Were two days in and my Blookie won't let the baby near her 2 feet or less without hissing or growling. The growling has subsided some. They both eat from the same area at different times. Blookie seems to be getting a little more comfortable but she still has boundaries. I think she doesn't want to share me and feels jealousy. I thought she'd love the baby since the cat we lost Blookie would lick him, and snuggle him? Anyway thanks again for sharing give me hope.
@@galaxigirl1 Going on 8 months here too. We have two 8-year old females and got a another female kitten when she was 2 months old. Our older Siamese cat just wants to kill the new kitty, and we've literally done EVERYTHING, with the homebase, the door, separated parts of our apartment, pheromones, hiding spots, feeding times, gated doorway, you name it - we've done it. Our other older cat is okay being in the same room after many months, but our Siamese hasn't simmered down a bit. We've been sleeping in separate rooms since this all started so nobody feels left out at bedtime. It's extremely frustrating trying to find help too, every damn thing we find starts off at the "Intro" phase or says start over from the beginning - which doesn't work because they already know each other lives here. We can start over with the door completely shut and blocked off, but then they both go to the door and mess with each other, so we block off the door but they still hear each other. I swear if I hear "Introduction" phase one more time...
I got 2 cats within 2 months of eachother. Getting them integrated was the biggest stressor and it took 4-5 weeks to get to equilibrium. They are now friends... and I'm so happy!
I'm trying to get mine back together for 16 months. Still no success. They've lived happily for 3 years before it all started
I am doing now
@@InGreed666 any luck
I have also used a closed in pourch at someone’s home…not mine. I have found if I introduce my Original cat w a new cat in a confined area which is unknown to both of them, the introduction has been smooth.
My cats merely tolerated each other after they were properly introduced (it took a month), and while they're still not buddy-buddy 8 months on, they've grown to be completely comfortable in each others presence and personal bubbles. They even play on occasion - and their relationship is still making noticeable improvements!
But while it was totally worth it, I honestly don't think I could do it again. xD I remember VIVIDLY how stressed I was during the introduction process.
I have no roommates, so splitting my time between two cats that had to be kept apart stressed me out so much - especially since the little one (7 months at the time) would often cry if I left the room. I felt bad for her because all she wanted was company, felt bad for my resident cat because I couldn't spend enough time with her, and was constantly worried that my neighbors would hear the meowing and complain.
We got through it - though after these two, any future cats I have will either be adopted in pairs, or I'll be a single cat household.
So you are not alone! And I was at the end of my rope after only a month, I can only imagine how tough it's been for those of you on month 4, 5, 6 and so on.
Keep at it folks, you're doing better than you think you are.
This described my experience exactly, except without the happy ending. I’ve been on this process for seven months. 😞
Thank you. This is helping alot. I am 2 months into the introduction. Went very slowly and also started again, because the first round was to fast.
They now coexist. They spend time in a room together but not close. It's fine i guess. The only thing is that she (new cat) hits and hisses at him (resident Cat) when he gets to close.
But I am stressed too. I live with my bf but he's not that much help. I kinda feel alone as well. I also wouldn't do it again.
Thank you. This is helping alot. I am 2 months into the introduction. Went very slowly and also started again, because the first round was to fast.
They now coexist. They spend time in a room together but not close. It's fine i guess. The only thing is that she (new cat) hits and hisses at him (resident Cat) when he gets to close.
But I am stressed too. I live with my bf but he's not that much help. I kinda feel alone as well. I also wouldn't do it again.
Thank you. This is helping alot. I am 2 months into the introduction. Went very slowly and also started again, because the first round was to fast.
They now coexist. They spend time in a room together but not close. It's fine i guess. The only thing is that she (new cat) hits and hisses at him (resident Cat) when he gets to close.
But I am stressed too. I live with my bf but he's not that much help. I kinda feel alone as well. I also wouldn't do it again.
I got another kitty 3 days ago and I wanna give up already😔
Its taken two years for my too to just tolerate each other...they still have moments, but we are FINALLY seeing improvements!!! Boy and girl boy is old and grumpy girl is younger and playful
Amazing persistence! And clearly much love😻
Wish you had a video showing actual footage of the very first part of this process. Scent introduction, and the different behaviors outside of the Basecamp door. Like that's the hardest part for people going through the process for the first time themselves. So emotions come out easily and we know we don't want to do that. Please show more of each steps with actual footage. Every video on TH-cam is the same situations and either do b-roll clips of random cats or they use two cats that are already comfortable with each other and reanact the situations. I've rewatched your videos so many times and literally I think the biggest struggles we have is the very start of the process. Some of us never seen this side of our cats before so we just want to know how to handle our emotions better when they do flip out at the doors or gates.
Hissing, vocalizing, swatting, and even sometimes charging at the door or cat if see. I plan to try and record some of my current situation and send it over to Jaxon so we have something. Most people want to rush the process, we are guilty at making a couple newbie mistakes but managed to prevent things from getting to a certain point. They are currently separated, but have seen each other already. Fredds NOT thrilled atm. Doing our best to keep our personal emotions out of it but it's very hard when there's nothing on the internet showing anything remotely related to this situation. 😅
This totally resonates with me, seeing that new side from our old cat has been daunting. She is out for blood, hissing, growling, she wants to claw him out from under the closed door. Help us Jackson, more in depth introductions please, she won’t eat anywhere where our new cat is, she just stares at the closed door and meows and hisses aggressively.
I wish there were examples of doing the very first steps in tiny houses too. I have a two bedroom apartment where we can't put higher shelves anywhere but my bedroom and I work home office, so for eight hours I can just pray one of my three cats will go sit with my mom while one is outside and letting the other roam when the others are busy or sleeping. 😢 It's the most stressful part of the process and the one that doesn't get any footage
I have a house full of 6 cats. This video really helped me understand why not all if them get along and how I/they can help fix that.
Cool - cat haven.
We used your methods to introduce a very feral new cat to our two resident cats and they are now all buddies. Thank you!
Now that’s what I love to hear. Good job!!
I brought home a second cat on Nov 11, took the intro phase slowly, and tonight my furry first resident climbed into the basket the newcomer was sleeping in, and began grooming him! I am so stoked to see them bonding--keep with it, the method really does work. I did notice something JG didn't mention about the play in this video. At one point, she waved a toy in-between the cats, and I think it was the little guy who lunged for it--directly at the other cat! That probably didn't end well. I find it challenging to play with both at once, but have managed to do so with two wand toys, keeping the cats on opposite sides of a large piece of furniture, like a sofa.
I did all the steps outlined at 7:37 minus reading the book with my two cats for about 3-4 days, then I opened the door by an inch during feeding times for the next 2-3 days, then I opened the door just during feeding times without allowing any interaction, and now they get along just fine with the door permanently open. It definitely works.
“Your cat daddy here”. Beautiful words
Giggity
Grateful for this video! Our new kitty (8months) has been with us for almost 3 months. He's so confident and has so much energy, he always wants to attack my resident cat (4yrs). We space swap multiple times a day so little kitty can run around... But they always have to be 100% supervised when together with the distraction of treats
All in all, we need to be more consistent with their short visits together
Thanks Jackson, reintroducing my two kitties and this video is gold. I recently took one of my cats to the vet, and when we got back, my other kitty wanted nothing to do with her.
They fought, and now they can't be in the same room without both attacking each other .
I've been really sad these couple of days because I've had to separate them amd they both cry when I'm not in the area wirh them. This video gives me hope ❤
I’m going through the same! My cats were best buddies and it’s been taking me forever to get them to get along again after the vet.
It breaks my heart that they don’t seem to have the same bond but it’s getting better.
Im in the same boat, thats what brought me to this video. My cats were best friends and they hate eachother now after the vet. Have you guys been able to make progress? Hoping theres some hope i can cling to
@@deniseu2573 eventually they got along but I had to site swap, and scent swap.
Also started feeding them together first with a door as a barrier then without until they finally seemed comfortable.
As soon as I saw them sleeping together and grooming each other I knew they were buddies again.
We've been working on this for months. I needed this encouragement of this video. we just gotta keep trucking...
Same here, it's been a year with a lot of 2 steps forward 3 steps back etc. I'm with ya & good luck to us both
Same here... it’s been 3 weeks trying to introduce our new kitten and our 10 months old cat... such a frustrating process, but we have to keep trying...
Same! I’ve been trying to get my cats to tolerate each other since June. I have already hired a cat behavior specialist, which helped, but now we’re stuck again. They’ll tolerate each other fine from a distance, but the older cat clearly doesn’t trust the new cat, and won’t let him come closer (and he desperately wants to play with her).
We've had our cats for 7 years, got them a month apart, and they still aren't BFF's. But looking back they have come a long way. It definitely takes a lot of patience. Getting a really big cat tree helped for a while but we are realizing now two would be better.
My cat has been separate from my roommate's cats for the entire 2+ years we've lived together. Working up the courage to introduce them by rewatching these introduction vids.
How.. I just got a second cat TODAY! This is timing, if I've ever seen it
Congrats! 😻👏🎊
I got one a week ago , rescued, I'm trying to get them to like each other but it isn't happening
@@Lamees.alghamdii keep at it! My boys didn’t like each other for a few months. Now they snuggle every night (and sometimes during the day) and they play all the time! Just give it time and patience. It’s hard when they’re not a fan of each other at first
@@JacksonGalaxy Hey Cat Daddy! I really need your help. I have a 5 year old neutered male cat, named Lil Bit, along with 5 younger cats that are all fixed. Well Lil Bit keeps acting like he's going thru some kind of feline male menopause! He'll even stand up and make crazy growling sounds at the door when he wants to go outside on the porch. I've already tried homeo pet feline anxiety drops and cat nip but nothing has helped. I love all 6 of my kitty babies and I do the very best I can on a fixed income because I'm disabled. I really want to see Lil Bit happy again! 😺
💗😽😽😽😽😽😽💗
Just today got a 2 month old kitten to be a new friend to 6 month old kitten... hissing and growling, but taking it slow
My boyfriend and I adopted a 4yr old named Tink and after a year of having her, we decided to get a kitten. Tink is so high energy that she gets along swimmingly with Sushi (the kitten). However, instead of playing with the toys like she use to, she prefers to watch Sushi play without joining. They play with each other often, but it’s like Tink took on a motherly role once we got Sushi. ANYWAY, the introducing cat video really helped, along with every single one of your videos!! Thank you so much Jackson, cuz I couldn’t be a “cat expert” without you 😁
I’m getting ready to introduce my kitten to my family’s dog, this video really gave me some insight.
Awesome!! Hope everything goes well.
Happy new year!
I introduce my little tou tou Yorkshire to my Oscar and chacha little by little first every time i introduce them i give them friandise
SMELL, and patience!! Especially with a dog, 90% of their world is odors.
Yup, you just don't give up on family, no matter how much of a hard time they give. 💖
I gave up on mine 😂. My little boy and girl (cats) I adore much much more
Even the cat therapist says there is no chance and the fighting is really ugly?
I said it under another video previously, but after almost three weeks of introductions, we put a bit butter on each kitten and it worked like a charm! They were too busy licking it off themselves and it helped them get used to being in the same room etc.
Thank you, I am going to try this but with pumpkin puree!
Oh this is a wonderful idea! Thank you for sharing :)
This is so cute 😹
oh wow we JUST adopted a second cat as a companion for our first and they've been fighting a lot. great timing for the video!!!
Hi, I just wanted to say to anyone trying to reintroduce cats: keep the faith. My two girls were littermates and very close as kittens. One day, due to a stranger cat coming into our garden, one of my cats just started chasing the other one , which led to fights and I had to separate them. It’s been extremely upsetting for all of us, including the cats as they are usually very sociable and did not like being kept away from us. I thought at one time that things would be like that forever. I watched the videos about cat introductions multiple times and even though it has taken 4 months I am so happy to say that we can now all be in a room together in harmony and without the cats hissing or growling. I am still cautious and do separate them if I’m going out, but we are a million miles away from where we started. Like JG says, “stay on the horse” and be patient. Good luck to anyone that’s going through this it’s not nice.
I’m going through the exact same thing right now. For two years they got along great and all of a sudden, they saw a strange cat through the window and started attacking one another. I don’t know what to do.
@@fernandamoura6178 It's really upsetting because to us it just doesn't make sense, but don't give up on them. My two might not be snuggling up together like they used to, but they greet each other with a sniff every morning now and are friends again.
Hey, perfect timing! we adopted second black homeless little Panther, and now our first one is very irritated from sideswopping, very interesting story starts and she REALY needs that new door between.THANK YOU, CAT Daddy! Its now more than one year that we took our first one home, after learning from your videos , its sooo good and helpful !!!!!! Grace and Marleon will hopefully be sweet happy family with us.
After rescuing a neglected and abandoned kitty (Bodhi) four months ago it feels like I’ve become a full-time cat detective and have watched so.many. Jackson galaxy videos! Our older resident cat (Simba)was not happy about it because the new cat is young and SO full of energy and wants to play all the time (acts like a dog honestly). I followed the steps in your introductory video and had NO idea how much work it would be. I was so stressed about the possibility of it not working out, cried a few times because there was talk of needing to rehome him and felt like such a failure. Bodhi had already been given up by two homes and I did not want to put him through that again. Since I’m still out of a job due to COVID and my partner works full time I took on the responsibility of playtime,feeding,etc. Because of how stressed I was trying to split my time between the two cats it began causing tension in my relationship. My partner was understandably concerned for the well being of Simba and felt it wasn’t fair that he was potentially ‘living in fear’ as he put it. When he brought up possibly needing to rehome Bodhi I told him if Bodhi leaves I leave with him ( honestly couldn’t believe I said that either , but i felt so strongly that this would work and he was giving up too soon). Turns out my gut feeling was right! We both committed to the work and I’m so happy to say that after three months we don’t need a gate, the cats eat together and sleep on the couch/ bed near to each other and don’t need constant supervision. Bodhi does still jumps on Simba to play who then sees this as a threat. Bodhi isn’t phased by his hissing but I am worried that Simba might hurt him because hes so fearful he’s being attacked. This video came at the perfect time and I’m excited to work with them through some play therapy! Your videos have helped us so much in understanding the awesome individual kittys they are!
Thank you for this channel, this summer some young community cats with notched ears spent most of the summer in our back yard. One was a little timid. And not as athletic. We let it in the house and it had a great time with the stamps in my craft room so his name is Stamper. A large aggressive cat tried to get the best ofStamper and he is now our cat living inside. Our vet could not believe what a nice, handsome cat he is. Thanks again.
I’ll be watching all of these vids!! I’m feeling a bit desperate. I have a nervous cat, Monty. It’s taken me a few years to get him to ‘sort of accept’ a new cat Luna. They are not best buddies but tolerate each other. Now I have rescued a reverted feral. We have made great strides with him and after 3 months we can stroke him! He has a catio in the conservatory, so the other two cats are familiar with him, but are both not interested and quite nervous… a couple of introductions have gone well, the last one not. So I’m here, watching vids for some encouragement.
My cat made friends with another cat the first day we moved house. He met the other cat when we were watching the movers bring our stuff in the house and they meowed at each other from the window. It was really cute to watch 😊
@crystal kirlia Awww. Like the two human kids getting to know each other. My question is, did you get to know (or be friends with) the other kitty’s “staff”?
It took a few weeks for mine. Faster then usual, they now often snuggle together. Younger cats introduce better. Mine were about a year and half and 9 months. I think she thinks of him as more like a son and sometime grooms him.
Introducing cats is actually easy in theory but very laborious in practice. But if done correctly it will work. It must be done right since the beginning. 😻❤️😽
I have a 21/2 yo cat not very socialized and a new 1 yo cat from shelter. The older intimidated the younger one at first but now is accepting. But the new cat is on guard whenever the separation gate is open. Im exhausted by my rollercoaster human expectations.I've made so many mistakes in the introduction process. Your reassuring words and videos are giving me hope my kitties can become friends.
I've started fostering cats last year and really got passionate about socializing. Your advices have been so helpful, so thanks so much :3
These comments are the best place. I’m trying to spend equal time with them but my resident cat cries and paws at the door whenever I’m in the room with my newbie. It’s emotionally exhausting for me right now. I tried to see if they would be okay in the same room, and the new girl was not having it. Resident boy is very ready to meet, but the girl is still so so hissy and growly. I’m on Day 3. I took a couple days off work to help facilitate this in hopes it would go quickly
Hi Jackson! You have taught me so much about cats and about the animals in shelters that need our help. Soon I'm going to start volunteering at my local shelter because of you. Me and the my animal family thank you for everything you do!😻
Hello Bella how are you doing today
No questions from me Jackson. I just bought your book. Also, I have been using your Peacemaker and Stress Stopper drops, they always work like a charm! Thank you!
So we're like 8 months in after taking in a stray cat. Have two resident cats already.
It's been stressful. And a learning experience. But it's getting there.
SLOWLY. 😩😆
Thank you thank you
Thanks to Jackson.
It might actually work. 🤞
Thank you!!!! Saving cats!! How wonderful!! Good points below. All things that are a little complicated take time. It will happen. God bless you and your cats. You have a very big heart, All things are possible!
Not gonna lie, I adopted a 4 month old kitty in October of 21. She is PERFECT!!!! never hissed, always loving and playful, sleeps with us- she is literally the queen of the house. I got a wild hair up my butt that she needed a friend, EHHHH wrong! So I adopted, on Monday (its currently Thursday) an 11 week old kitty and we had no clue what we were doing. Our current Kitty ( Dana Scully) was PISSED! She started hissing at the kitten (Wanda Maximof) and growling at her, she attacked my husband and my daughter, tried to take my face off. I was horrified. Texted my vet, she said "separate them and introduce them slowly". Done. I moved Wanda into the dining room, made her comfortable and let her get used to her new surroundings ( she was very skittish to begin with). Scully would sit outside the door watching us (its got glass french doors) but able to smell the kitten and see what all the fuss was about. On Tuesday evening, we opened up the doors and let Wanda decide if she wanted to come out (she had been pressing against the doors peering out) she went ZOOMIE! all over the house. Rippin and runnin right past Scully not giving a crap what was going on. Let her do this for about an hour and then put her back in her room for the night. Yesterday, let her out and left her out all day with Scully. No more extreme aggression from Scully, Wanda still hisses at her because she's scared of this giant cat that was mean to her, but they tolerate each other and were mutually engaged in playing with a toy. This morning, let Wanda out and instantly Scully ran up to her and touched noses to smell her, Wanda hissed and then it was them chasing each other as Wanda found all of Scully's favorite places in the house, ie: my bedroom/bathroom. Scully would wait for her to jump off something and then swat at her, back and forth this went. I got a message from my husband just a few hours ago and he walked in the house, they were both on the floor asleep about 12" apart from each other. An hour later, they were laying on the couch together no more than a foot apart. Patience is key. Showing your kitties that its "ok" is key. Showing them both lots of love and affection and not yelling is HUGE! I was ready to give the kitten back after Monday night, not wanting to make my Scully feel vulnerable in HER space, and now I feel stupid for wanting to give up so easily.
I needed this I just bought home a new kitten Montana (6 months) for my resident kitten aspen (also 6 months) I’ve been so stressed out about introducing them but this video and comments have given me alot of comfort that we can make it work
Jackson always knows what we need. I think he’s psychic.
This video has been so helpful as my gf and i have been making the same mistakes when introducing our cats! Will be working on this immediately!!
:) i followed your advice to introduce my two cats. Katniss, female age 13, and hugo, male age 2 or 4 idk, he's the new cat. It took me 2 weeks to introduce them, but it went relatively smoothly. Katniss wasn't very aggressive toward him, she eventually accepted him, occasional swats and hisses. Now they can be in the same room together, even on my bed. They dont cuddle like i want them too, but they tolerate each other and play sometimes. :) I'm so happy to have 2 cats now.
Huge age gap. Try always to get a second cat in the same (or similar) life-stage as the first. 13 years is a definite senior, 2 years is like a teenager, or at least a 20-something. You just know that human seniors really don't like the company of such youngsters. Cats really are not that much different.
i had two almost identical cats. thr senior girl was extremely classy but would attack the younger photocopy of her - a guy. one g
day i had enough: i grabbed both, and sat all three of us in front of a mirror. in a while they dropped the struggling and looked at the mirror: one is the human yes and the other one is the enemy but there are two! which is which ‽
i pointed out you are this one that one is this one... they caught on and stopped the fighting..
i still have Buster he is over 22 yrs old... the classy girl...
I had to go through this process when I brought one of my cats home from a dental cleaning and my other cat didn't recognize him. Took three days but my boys are back to being bros. Trust the process! (and brush them with the same brush)
I have two cats and they are both so well behaved and nice because I learned how to give them a good life from this man. I wouldn’t say they are besties but they tolerate and respect each other.
One of them is elderly and the other is about 2 years old, so I guess is just that they are on different stages of life but they are both respectful of each other.
My cat Lila was exactly like Tosha, in hunting mode all the time. What made the difference was a clear piece of hard plastic to separate them (when eating or relaxing) so that Lila could get used to the new cat without getting defensive and aggressive. Thanks Jackson for the advice :)
Our best progress yet has been for our resident cat to observe the new kitten from behind the screen door of our balcony. our resident cat loves chasing bugs on our balcony at night. So we closed the screen door for a bit to let our new kitten explore the rest of our apartment. My husband was out on the balcony with our resident cat to monitor her mood. He said she seemed relaxed and happy (tail up). We were hoping it would give our resident cat a chance to observe the kitten to become more relaxed in its presence. Our resident cat is not comfortable playing in the same room with the new kitten. But, it's only been a week, so we will just need more repetition of certain steps of the introduction?
@@jenniferbullard3636 Hey Jennifer it’s been a year now, and my cats are “introduced” but still not buddies. I thought they would be pals by now. The screen door, a pet gate that you can cover, separate living spaces, separate beds, etc. and then swapping blankets with their scent helped them at least get used to each other. Scent is really important, but I think sight is too. I don’t have the answers, would suggest a cat behaviouralist if you can’t find the info you need online. Hope it doesn’t take your resident cat too long though! It helps that he’s older, mine were both kittens (3 months!).
Thanks so much for making these videos. I have a 12 yo cat who I just found out last week had lived with his brothers but was too rough and was separated, I've had him 4 years and didn't know that so I adopted a 3 yo cat in feb (I was fostering guinea pigs who he got attached to, and kept going into their room and crying after they left so I thought he wanted a new friend... maybe not). It was rough. But I was careful, followed your process, and got to know my cats. It took 8 months to allow them in the same space without separating but they're finally getting along and as she gets braver he relents control a little more . They even boop noses! Thank you for all your help, my family SO appreciates it!
I needed this right now! One of my resident cats, Morag, is having a hard time adjusting to the new cat, Georgie. I introduced them slowly and things are improving, but there was some regression yesterday. I’ll reestablish their base camps and focus on playing with each individually so they feel safer.
morag bal? if so nice
Hello Rebecca how are you doing today
I'm so glad my kitten was well accepted by my resident older cat (6 years old). They are both tortoiseshell. Kiri, the kitten was pretty fierce and hissed at the older, while Chloe was always super calm, accepted her into her territory and gave her space.
We separated them, I set up a base camp for Kiri in our bedroom while Chloe had the liviing room and bathrooms for her, made them meet while eating and playing while Chloe was up on her tower.
I don't know if the meetup was too sudden or if they were very fast but they took 1 week to be comfortable and start playing.
Two weeks in, they are playing together, not one fight, they sleep on different stories of their cat tower and they eat together comfortably. I'm so lucky!
Your videos have really been helping me to be a better cat parent. I have 3 cats, one of whom is a newly integrated kitten. Your tips about slowly introducing the kitten to our other two cats have been a godsend. My new kitten is now getting along so well with the other two cats, and is actually now a great buddy with the younger cat! They even groom each other and sleep in the same cat bed.
OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO! This is what I've been looking for! I got another cat about 2 months ago, and I'm having lots of trouble introducing her to my resident cat since he's more interested in hunting the newcomer than his food or any treat I give him. There's been some aggression from both their parts and the new cat is very dominant. I'm hoping to start the introduction process all over again, following your advice from this video, will do the trick.
I hope it helps! Don’t forget I have other videos on introductions also and an entire chapter in my new book, Total Cat Mojo!
Did they finally get along? We have literally the exact same situation.
I realise, as I’ve been binge watching your videos, that I’ve fallen into some bad habits with my resident cat and I must correct those as I slowly introduce and acclimatise her to our new cat. Jackson you have saved my family I know it, as long as I follow your guidance everything will go well I know it. Thank you for saving us indirectly. Especially me who has fallen into some non helpful owner habits and then wondered why my resident cat behaviour had changed. I needed re training and refreshing on my cat relationship and behaviour knowledge and I feel empowered to improve my behaviour with my cats. Your a cat and human hero.
do you mind sharing what those bad habits were?
Thanks
People with cats: wow my cats never like strangers. I'm surprised they like you. What's your secret?
Me:Ancient chinese secret
My ancient chinese secret = Jackson Galaxy
Jackson Galaxy really IS the cat whisperer. 😻😼😸
My resident cat is the scaredy cat who sounds aggressive and the new one is shy but when my cat runs and hide the new kitty chases her and hisses and taunts her but there’s never any physical fighting. My resident cat when scared enough will pee as I’ve learned recently. They’re also not food driven but rather kind of water driven. I’ve never had issues like this with introducing cats but it’s definitely an interesting process. Thank you for your videos! And to those who left your comments describing your processes, thank you too, for helping me trust the process.
Jackson's advice definately works, it worked for me, introducing my second cat to my first, both had very different lives before becoming part of my family. (one had lived as a stray, the other was one of 10, I think she had only everlived as an indoor cat). All of Jackson's advice worked :)
So hang in there :)
They both snuggle up to each other, snooze together, look out for each other, teach each other and play together. I also played some 'relax my cat music' to, - from youtube.
Jackson's advice & process is spot on. (I did struggle to site swop, as neither were keen on being picked up, we just had super extra playtime)
Always leave introduction on a positive, and what gets rewarded gets repeated :)
The joy they both bring me has been beyond awesome,
I totally thank Jackson for this :)
Hello Caroline how are you doing today
Hello Amy how are you doing today
Thank you very much. I benefited from the information and I am still watching more clips from you. I do not speak English and do not understand it very much, but the translator did it well.
So glad I found this video. Fairly similar to the issues we're having! We've followed the introduction guide to the letter (other than site swapping, as our resident cat bawls when he's shut in a room - but we have found a way to ensure both cats have good amounts of space) - and when we do the gated introductions the new cat just wants to be friends while our resident cat is more interested in hissing at him! Looks like we might have to find a way to do some site swapping in order to get them back on track!
I introduced last year my 13-year-old resident female to a 1-year-old male. I did everything by the books and then some to introduce these two. Both cats had a history of being socialized with other felines. The two cats just would not get along. They could not be kept in the same room. I spoke to the experts and vets. I did everything they suggested with the exception of sedating my female. After one year I had to rehome the male. It broke my heart. My vet and the animal shelter I adopted him said at this stage it was the only option.
Ty. I'm so stressed with introducing my new rescue Bengal to my other cats. He dives on them without any warning. I'm going to try some of the suggestions. Oh, he loves Jackson Bulky spray. My Bengal will actually put a paw on the bottle to ask me to spray some. It comforts him.
A new kitty video a day keeps the sadness & gloom away. Thanx, JG...your videos spread lots of happiness to all your subscribers like me🐈🌻
Thanks for these videos! I introduced a kitten to my two adult cats last week and your videos were invaluable! So far they are getting along with a few hisses to teach the kitten boundaries when she pops up out of nowhere. She’s a rescue who wasn’t socialized so she’s learning to love humans but seems to love her cat siblings. I’ll save this video just in case.
Jackson galaxy is the reason I know so much about cats and why I love cats so much! Thank you jackson! You are why everyone calls me when they have a cat problem! Although I'm still a kid I know so much! I wanna be just like you when I grow up! You are my favorite TH-camr!
Thank you so much for saying that!! I’m honored to know that a kid like you will someday be a teacher also and show everyone how cool cats are. Much Mojo to you for the new year!
Jackson videos helped me so much, I was having a stressful time and just kept doing what he said. Good luck and stay strong!
I've had my cat smokey for about 7 months before I adopted two younger kittens. He was probably around a year old and the kittens are about 5 or 6 months. Maybe 7. I cannot for the life of me get Smokey to be cordial with the others. Ive been keeping them separated and I'm going crazy trying to make sure everyone has their human time since they all love cuddles. Praying your tips help me, I know I introduced them wrong, but I'm hoping everyone can get along someday soon! I love the three of them.
I would love to send you a video of our two cats as I followed your introduction protocol pretty much to a tee. Almost three weeks. We experienced everything that you said would happen but at the end of the introduction time we have two cats that are Best friends and thick as thieves! Thank you Jackson! We are huge fans! Also. Awareness, be aware, pay attention, as nobody knows your animals like you do. That's my tip of the comment section!
Hello Kurt how are you doing today
I am so grateful, my own cat is use to other animals and animal scents off other family regularly coming in to the house so when we brought home the kitten it feels a lot like he took on a sort of dominate but protective role with the kitten. They play together(Yes I know it is play the kitten is always going back for more lol!) and they eat and nap together without issue. He is often bathing the kitten and letting the kitten sneak his own leftover food without any fighting. I hope people who do have these problems are able to overcome them because nothing is cuter then seeing your cat babies play and get along.
my two cats DO get along but we totally have to do the two separate playtimes. they’re the same age but style is different. one cat is “fast” and the other one is a “slow” hunter. so the “fast one” used to “hog” the toys but we decided to take a different approach ☺️
FYI, I have introduced my additional cat in my car. I have placed them in their own carrier and the back seat of my car. Then then get a chance to get use to the smell of the other cat. I have also introducedanother cat to my Original cat was in a store room where they ran around and then they stoped! I picked them up and put them in their separate carriers and drove about one hour home. Then I took them into my AP apartment and they went their separate ways. The next thing I knew they were in the same room resting. I then fed them in separate bowls . They just bonded w each other. I was most grateful! Rosemarie
Also don't give the new cat more attention and don't let the old cat see you giving more attention to the new cat. It makes the old cat VERY jealous. You need to talk to the old cat saying things like the "Marusia is Tosha's new friend" . Instead of calling the cat Marusia, call her "Tosha's buddy" so Tosha will hear you constantly saying his/her name. Anitra Frazier in her book THE NATURAL CAT gives a great description of how to introduce cats so they are begging to be together - as long as you do the steps right.
My cat learned the kitten's name before the kitten knew it, and she gets mad jealous if she hears me say it.
This was very helpful! I have a 3 y.o. rescue who is almost totally blind and mostly deaf. He chases after and then pounces on and bites the neck of my 14 y.o. very sweet female cat and, after two years, still has never just washed her or slept nicely next to her. I will try playing with him more and go through the introduction phases, but it's been a challenge to find ways to stimulate him (crumpled paper and a tunnel are good for him) given his blindness and him not being able to hear most toys/birds/etc.. His behavior appears to be all dominance related. He'll attack her just to sit where she was, will go after her even with his favorite food right in front of him, etc.. He came from a hoarding situation in NYC. Initially, he would swipe and bite me, but we've gotten through that stage and now he's very cuddly and sweet with me. Just still attacking his sister . . .Any suggestions are very welcome!
After reading a number of comments - please people, stop introducing kittens to two-year-olds to senior cats! You might want a kitten, but the senior does not. At best, the senior will tolerate or bond with a 'middle-aged' cat, one who has slowed down a bit. I am a senior human, and could think of nothing worse that forced to room with a teenager, it would be like living hell. By the time a solo cat has got to senior, in the same household, it is unlikely they will accept a newcomer. They are (like older humans) settled into their ways and routines. Just wait until your senior passes, and then adopt a pair or trio together, of similar ages. Don't make your senior's last years miserable.
You can adopt/introduce other seniors to your existing senior. No guarantee they will bond like besties, but they probably won't hate each other either. Some weird place in between.
It is like the last failed adoption of my now fur baby. She was just over six, but had a trauma background, and was clearly a solo cat. So was the other cat a solo (about 10-13) they tried introducing her to. Even the scent of each other without seeing, was enough to stress out BOTH cats. I saw my (about to be new cat) after that failed adoption, she was stressed to the max. So was the other cat apparently. Trauma baby needed time to be on her own, get her mojo back, before the stress of another cat and new home. The senior cat, was probably just happy being the centre of attention, and it was his turf.
It is four months now, and my new baby is doing well. Much slower hitting the mojo (turf ownership etc) milestones that a non-trauma cat, but is getting there. She actually got a little too over confident the other day (outside turf expansion). Will she always be a solo cat? Probably. But if I did decide to get her a companion, it would be in a similar age group, and with a personality assessment of both. I would NOT get a kitten or very young cat.
Also, you do not need to get a kitten or young cat in order for them to bond to you. A loving and caring home for a senior, and they know and appreciate it. It is very rewarding adopting seniors. Yes sure, my new baby is a youngster in my book (I was looking for an 8-10+), but she chose me, so I had little choice.
So yeah, stop trying to introduce kittens to seniors and expect it to work out well. So many seniors still need a home too. Hopefully you can integrate a senior household.
Thumbs up. People need to use common sense in this!
I know you won't see this jackson, but I've watched all your media now, every appearance i could find. I've learned alot, and my cat sara, 5 year old rescue adoption cat and I both thank you. You're advice has allowed me to understand her, and now we have a much better setup. Cat super highway, cat tree, two litter boxes, rewarding training and we play efficiently now, almost 1.5 hrs of play a day. She has no bad behaviors now, she won't attack my hands st and she has learned to sit, jump hoop and to retrieve certain toys. We are gonna work on roll over and a few other tricks, she is really enjoying training and the extra, better quality playtime. My cat is my lifeline and my best friend. You've really helped us both. Thank you. I'll try to find a way to repay you. Even if it means giving your book away as a gift to all my cat owner friends. Thanks. And best wishes jackson.
Thank you Jackson, honestly. I adopted a bonded pair who were also litter mates from a shelter, they previously came from a hoarder's home. One had to stay at the shelter for an extra 2 months while they received treatment for an illness. Now that I finally have them both, the original cat, Finlay, doesn't seem to recognise his brother Angus! They are approximately 2 years old. This makes me so sad. Finlay hisses and growls at Angus. I have your book, Total Cat Mojo, and am currently working through the steps. Some days are better or worse than others. Sometimes Finlay smells his scent somewhere after sure swapping and growls :( there's some redirected aggression too towards me and my partner, we have light cuts all up our arms now. He doesn't attack Angus outright, which is fantastic, so I know there's hope. I'm sure Angus recognises Finlay because he tries to approach him and does not react AT ALL to his posturing, he just sits there calmly. What a sweetie lol. We are on day 3 or 4 of the reintroduction process now, so wish us luck! 😺
Hello Amy how are you doing today
Absolutely, I spent a week JUST site swapping so that both can get used to the smell of each other. Introduces them with the door CLOSED not some death portal. People are to inpatient. Allow a MONTH not a few days! Each should have the own base camp / room until THEY agree otherwise which can actually take years. One of my cats STILL prefers his original room as his safest place.
I’m sure the cat introduction method totally works but I’ve never had a roommate with the patience to do it for more than a few days. Never had cats get along.
Hello from Winnipeg MB Canada! 🇨🇦 I have a 4 month old kitten named Whiskey. Very feisty but we love her! 🖤
I am so glad I found your channel, Jackson! We recently adopted a 7 month old male kitten and completely botched the introduction process to our 6 year old anxious and fearful female cat. He is energetic and wants to play but she is afraid of everything and does not want to play. Most of the time she hides under the bed. If he sees her he will run or pounce at her but not aggressively. She will hiss and growl. We had a home visit from an animal behaviorist vet who gave us good info, but your videos are also providing some great advice as well!
Your situation sounds very similar to mine. I have a 9yr old male and a 4 month old fm. The kitten chases and bites the older cat constantly and we ended up at the vets with an abscess on the older cats neck as a result. How are you getting on now, I’d be interested in what advice you were given?
Hello Katie how are you doing today
we just introduced our new kitten to our 1,5 y/o cat. Without any information from the internet we just brought in the kitten in the livng room. Kees (the 1,5 y/o) came in in the afternoon after being outside all day like he always does. It was a lott of yelling. Now, 2 weeks later ish they are fine. I think we are just really lucky! They play with eachother, Kees is clear in setting boundaries for the little one but all is fine. But for sure i will folow up this advice from this channel for the next cat we ever get haha
Thank you so much!! I really needed this video for my two babies 😭
I adopted two cats because the shelter said they were best buds and should be adopted together. When we got home, it was like they were total strangers. One decided she wanted nothing to do with the other and hid and ran from both of us. Maybe it was the accumulated scent from decades of my previous cats. But after a couple of months, they grew close again, grooming each other and play-wrestling. They often walk pressed up against each other, the formerly standoffish one sometimes pressed against her companion so hard that she just about pushes her into a wall. So they can work it out.
I am so grateful for these introduction videos, Jackson.. My resident cats have already seen/played/interacted/eaten with the kittens but one does not play nice afterward.. So do you just keep starting over even tho they have seen each other? I mean, go to square one with no eye contact even tho they know the other is there? My family has always introduced a new cat by keeping them in a large cage (my mom built it 4x6x3 wood and chickenwire its beautiful!) with supervised playtime outside the cage... It didnt work with these guys so I keep watching you and reading... Anyway, so when it doesn't go well, start over, no eye contact? Thank you for doing what you do!! 🐱❤🐱
Just introducing a 10 wk old kitten (Fergus) to a 2 year old (Brodie) and it’s so hard to not get discouraged. Your videos really help! I just hope my big boofus of a Brodie will stop stalking and running after Fergus’ tiny body soon.
I submitted a slightly different question with a lot of the same problems. I can't do regular site swaps because the new cat, Valerie, is a very timid wallflower who isn't comfortable exploring the apartment without access to my room. So, I let her explore while Eliza's sleeping, which doesn't always work. They've never fought, but if Eliza spots or hears her, she eventually chases her back into my room.
We were probably not following the guidelines closely enough -- particularly the sight swapping, we weren't anywhere near 50/50 between new cat and current cats. Now new cat has become a Napoleon of the guest bedroom. This video cleared that up for us, so now we'll try to break that down
It’s hopeless 6 months and still step 1 we almost lost an eye
Happy New Year everybody !!! Be safe and stay healthy. Marusenka and Tosha get along and make your mom happy.
I love you and your love of cats and all things cats! Sadly I am down to only 2 indoor cats (from 6). So I will soon be on the hunt for new cats and find your videos so helpful. I have never had issues introducing new cats but there is a first time for everything and I want all the knowledge you share. So thanks for the great videos Jackson! You're an amazing person! PS I miss you on My Cat from Hell😢
Thank u so much for the kindness. And good luck in your hunt - I know they will find you 😻
@@JacksonGalaxy Oh you got that right! Lol I am in the process of spaying and neutering 22 cats! I do some rescue work & do my best with TNR in my area. Although there are plenty to pick from here in Lamont Alberta Canada, I don't want to stress out my old guy. You would love him! He oozes cat mojo!🤗 Happy New Year!
Hello Jennifer how are you doing today
My mother just adopted 2 adult cats in a pinch. It was either she took them to the pound or bring them home. Ill try everything to make it work ❤️ these videos are helpful and hopefully it'll just turn into a bigger family 😁
My grumpy old rescue feline doesn't get along with our two 10 year olds, who have been playing together since kittens. She loves my daughter, tolerates me, and seems happy. Our home is very catified and I believe there's no need to do anything more. No one knows for sure how old Elizabeth is, my guess is about 12 or 13, so she seems happy sitting around and watching.
Thank you Jackson, for your wisdom, guidance, and humor. You are a blessing and a joy!
Hello Julia how are you doing today
Can we see follow up stories? . . to give us hope and confidence so we don't give up. my husband and I may have rushed through the introduction steps and are realizing we have to spend more time at the site swapping stage. Our resident cat is too distracted/uncomfortable to play when the new kitten is in the same room.
You should have several million subscribers! We'll get you there.
What a timing!!! We were having the same problem.
I rescued a Russian Blue and my husband and I were just talking about possibly getting him a lil kitty companion. Still not sure but I always appreciate all the wisdom and help!!
I did first-time cat introductions yesterday and it DID go sideways, despite our best efforts. This timing is uncanny
Use the feed across a door method, if it goes well crack it. Keep the first cat in a bedroom and let the new one wonder about for about an hour or until they go back into their room then let the first cat out to smell all the places the new cat has been, does it hiss or not. Be patient and pay attention to their reaction.
I was over cautious introducing my two cats and the stray who I'd adopted got so stressed that she got a urinary tract infection. I let them sort it out and now they're best of friends.
my significant other and I brought our cats together (he moved to my house)
his cat knows me since I started visiting him on weekends, she knows my scent (on his shirt, sweater etc) and she never disliked me, always came up to cuddle and even did so the same way when he wasn't around
now she's here, everything went perfectly well, she's loving her new home, her new little brother (she grooms him like a mama cat) she's loving all the extra cuddles she's getting from 2 ppl now and all in all feels pretty good in the house
only until like a couple of days ago she started disliking specifically me for absolutely no reason
She keeps staring at me from wherever she's at, doesn't interact with me, runs whenever I stand up and walk around (no matter if I'm on the other side of the room) and hisses at me as if I have terrorized her to trauma
I have never done anything bad to that cat, always given her snacks, filled her food bowl, gave her attention whenever she wanted it and never initiated contact by myself meaning I did all I could to give the already shy cat the peace and quiet she needs
She ran from everything even before me and my s/o got to know each other but even he said that she was never this scared before (doesn't crave our affection only when I'm gone then shes cuddling with her owner, barely moves except if I'm not in the room then she's absolutely fine, doesn't accept food from me)
He often left her alone, for weeks even when he was at school (she didn't have a kitty companion, hence, she was alone for up to 6 weeks straight, only the neighbor came around and fed her)
Now I'd really like to know if she is traumatized by whatever I didn't do or if she just developed anxiety throughout the years and just.. Acts like this for her time being
It's a grand stress for me and the cat because I seriously just don't know what I did wrong and she obviously just doesn't get along with me walking around in my home and just doing my thing ignoring her
My s/o doesn't want to give her away but we also can't afford a vet just yet
All I know is that I'm simply done with my nerves and whenever I see her run again I get stomach pains
I'd love to hear anybodys opinion on what to do..
“Left her alone for up to 6 weeks straight”
Uh, that? That’s fucked up. Imagine being without interaction for two months, just being fed. You’d go crazy too. Maybe already have.
@@DplusCProductions I know it's really irresponsible and I already told him that, he also never cleaned her toilet, just replaced the whole thing every week
I don't know if he understands that he laid the foundation for her behavior with leaving her on her own for almost her entire life since she was a kitten
I just know that he thinks it's probably me who's at fault for her current, even more extreme behavior and it's making me incredibly sad
My two were adopted together from the same rescue, 4 years ago. One is quite laid back and the other is a little jealous girl. She will immediately show up and try to take over when we give the other any attention. They get into tiffs a few times a week. I feel for both girls as we want to make sure they are both getting what they need.
We also would like to get a kitten but we don’t think our jelly bean girl will find this to be a good idea.