I adopted two cats within two months of each otherthe female smudge is a domestic long hair and mankoon mix and the other is a perssion who is 5 years old and smudge is 6 years old. i need some advice, how long will it take her to get used to him. she is still hissing at him, but he backs down from her, what can i do.

thank you deborah

DEBORAH,

I APPRECIATE YOUR SITUATION. I TOO AM A CAT RESCUER. I HAVE SEVERAL CATS THAT WERE BROUGHT INTO OUR HOUSEHOLD. I HAVE TWO THAT WERE BROUGHT INTO THE HOUSE A FEW YEARS AGO THAT ARE STILL HAVING TROUBLE WITH THOSE THAT ALREADY RESIDED HERE. THEY OCCASIONALLY "TERRORIZE" EACH OTHER, BUT BASICALLY THEY LIVE A PEACEFUL CO-EXISTANCE. AS LONG AS THE CATS ARE NOT TEARING EACH OTHER APART I SEE NO REASON FOR CONCERN. CATS WILL LIVE ON A "DOMINANCE" STRUCTURE AND THERE WILL ALWAYS BE ONE THAT HAS TO DEMONSTRATE IT'S "TOUGHNESS" TO THE OTHERS. I KNOW THAT IN TIME THEY WILL LEARN TO GET ALONG AS MINE I SEEN CUDDLE ONE ANOTHER ONE MINUTE AND THE NEXT MINUTE BE GROWLING AT EACH OTHER. SO THEY WILL FIND THEIR PLACE IN THE FAMILY STRUCTURE ON THIER OWN. I HAVE 12 CATS, SOME OF GROWN KITTENS FROM RESCUED CATS AND (HAVE HAD KITTENS OF THEIR OWN) OTHERS ARE INTRODUCED TO THE HOUSEHOLD AFTER. SO I KNOW THAT THEIR WILL BE ATTITUDES THROWN AROUND A BIT BUT ALL IN ALL THEY ALL GET ALONG.

SINCERELY,
LAURA