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Q.: I have a spayed female of 11 years, she has been alone for almost 4 years. 2 weeks ago we got a new cat, an adult male and unneutered.
The old female has now almost completely retired to the cellar where she sleeps and eats. When she is in the living room, she keeps a very watchful eye on the new cat. If she sees him, she growls and hisses immediately. I haven’t seen that the male has done her anything, but once in a while he reacts to her behavior. It should be said that I do not let them alone together.
I would also like to add that the old cat is being spoiled more than usual these days - favorite dishes and extra attention from the whole family.
And another question:
Can I see how old my new cat is? I haven’t been told his age, as he is a stray who has chosen us. Apparently nobody misses him.
A.: First of all I think you should let time work. It takes time for cats to get to know each other, especially two adult cats. In that respect 2 weeks is no time at all.
I don’t really think things sound so alarming from your description. Your female’s behavior is very normal in such a situation - and I think it sounds like your new cat is handling the situation in an unusually calm manner.
So I don’t think you need be nervous.
What you could do - on top of what you have already done, namely giving the female extra attention - is get the new cat neutered. Even though he doesn’t seem to be "bothering" the female by being a fertile male, his smell alone will make her react. You will also feel the smell in due time.
That’s why I think neutering might remove some of the "tenseness" of the situation.
Also, the vet can give you a qualified estimate of his age on the same occasion.
It can be quite difficult for us "lay folk" to guess the age of a strange cat, unless it is very clearly aged with grey hairs for example.
You are welcome to write back if you don’t find that the situation has improved within the next few weeks.
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