Help! My new cat and old cat are fighting. Will they ever get along?

I am so sorry to hear about your kitties! I would recommend getting some Feliway multicat diffusers https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-MultiCat-Diffuser which are a pheremone releasing product that can help these situations. A calming supplement such as Zylkene can also be helpful. Ensure the cats each have places they can hide/get away if needed as well as adequate numbers of litter boxes (one more than the number of cats in your household), water and food available where they can eat/drink without being disturbed by the other cat. If they are still fighting despite this, some training may be needed. You can read this article by a veterinary behaviorist for details on this: https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/feuding_felines/

The next step is to rotate rooms daily for at least 2-3 days. This allows the new cat explore the rest of the house while the resident cat spends some time in the new cat's room. This will give your resident cats a chance to smell the new cat and rub their own scent on objects. The cats should be fed in each area with wet food twice daily, and it is also good to play with the cats in each area at least twice daily. The practice of setting up a schedule of feeding treats of wet food, as well as a playtime routine, minimizes anxiety and makes the cats feel more secure. Keep the cats in separate areas for as long as it takes to allow them the chance to become desensitized to the smells and sounds of the cats in the other area. When they all seem particularly relaxed with this process, begin to expose them to the sight of each other. A good way to accomplish this visual introduction is to bring the new cat(s) in a carrier to meet your cats and sniff each other through the carrier wire door. Place the carrier on the floor and allow them to meet this way several times a day for about an hour. Continue these meetings for several days or until they remain calm in each other's presence. If and when the cats are able to stay calm in each other's presence during these meetings, it is time to let the new cat out into the rest of the house for a few minutes. The length of the visits can be increased gradually each day. Depending on the personalities of the cats involved, this process may take a few days or a few months. If it appears that any fighting maybe be close to occurring while you are supervising, put the newcomer back in his/her room and proceed more slowly. If those supervised play times go well, you can begin to allow them to cohabitate in your home. If any aggressive behavior occurs at any time, begin the introduction process again. It is very important to understand that this process can take as little as a few days, to sometimes much longer. It is all dependent on the cats involved. If things don’t go well right away... One of the most important steps to dealing aggressive behavior between cats is to recognize the different types of aggression and understand their underlying causes. A short list and description of some commonly seen aggressive behaviors include: chasing; ambushing; hissing; swatting; and/or biting. If you see these behaviors, seek help from your veterinarian. Most cats get along fine if the introductory process is done correctly. Please seek help from your veterinarian if you feel that things are not progressing well, or if you have other questions.

Moving can be very stressful on any species. Cats will sometimes display signs of mis-directed aggression when they are stressed. I would recommend getting Feliway pheromones started asap. These come as plug in diffusers or even collars if the cats will tolerate them. They release calming hormones into the air that people won't smell, but do help relax agitate pets. Give the cats a safe place to retreat to - a room or hideout where they can get away from each other, the dog and people. If possible try to have items from their last home there (a bed or toys). Try to feed the same food, switching it over gradually. I would recommend having several litter boxes in different areas of the house while they are acclimating. If the fights are serious enough you may need to separate the cats into separate areas of the house and gradually reintroduce them to each other. If the behaviours continue or worsen, I would recommend consulting with their veterinarian. There are medications that can help in conjunction with training to decrease behavior problems. The following website has some great information about cat behavior by one of best behavior veterinarians there ever was. You may want to search for articles on aggression and anxiety in cats for some more ideas. https://drsophiayin.com/resources/cat_behavior/

I'm sorry to hear that you're having so much trouble! Some cats, just like some people, may simply have incompatible personalities and may never make good housemates. It sounds like you have done everything right so far and given them plenty of time to adjust, so this is definitely a challenging case! Because of this, I would really recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist if you're committed to keeping both cats. He/she can evaluate both cats in person to help determine why they're having so much trouble getting along, and will put together a detailed plan for you to address the problem - this may include management recommendations to ensure that both cats are comfortable, training exercises you can do with them that may help, or even medication for one or both cats if necessary. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

I'm sorry for you loss of your other kitties! It may take some time for Tori Lee and your other cat to get along. I would give it more time. In the meantime I suggest getting a Feliway diffuser to help reduce stress in the household. It's also helpful to have plenty of cat towers to allow the cats to see each other but not directly interact. There should be at least two food and water bowls in separate locations. You also want to make sure you have a separate litter box for each cat and one additional litter box (so in your case, 3 boxes) placed in different locations. These steps can facilitate a happier household with cats who are more likely to get along. Finally, if they don't warm up to each other in a few more weeks, that may just be how it's going to be. Just like people, cats have preferences for who they do and do not like. As long as they are not fighting or injuring each other this is not an issue. I hope this helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best wishes to your kitties!

You may ned to just keep them separated. If it has been 2 years, there is a chance she will never get along with them. You could try some Feliway spray and see if that helps or talk to your vet about trying an anti-anxiety drug, like Prozac or Trazodone. http://www.feliway.com/us/#redirected

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your question. If you have not yet tried the Feliway products, I would recommend doing so. You can find Feliway online quite easily or at your local pet store. There is a spray and diffuser that I would recommend trying. I would also make sure that both cats have their own areas to get away from each other. The problem is, cats are very territorial and many times, having multiple cats does not work out. I hope the Feliway works for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.