# Cats



## mrsjones (Dec 17, 2012)

Hi everyone,
I live in RAK and we have a cat that lives at the bottom of our block. She has been sterilised by the local welfare centre and she is very tame. Our watchman feeds her twice a day so she is very dependant on humans. Basically we are all teachers that live in the block so we have all grown quite attached to the cat. There was once a larger group of cats that had been sterilised, etc. that lived outside the building and now those cats have disappeared or died off...leaving 1. 
My dilemma is I want to take the cat in but I already have 2 rescue cats. I have grown attached to her so I would be sad in anything would happen to her. But, would she cope with moving indoors and with 2 cats already there? 

Thanks for any advice that you can give.


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## GumbaGumba (Oct 16, 2012)

Hiya

We had two cats, one of them passed away in 2011 and we rescued another one, Theo was 18 months and our other cat was 10.5 years at the time. The first few weeks were difficult and it took about 3 weeks for them to get on but now they are friends and get on very well. Theo did not like our dog either, he attacked him several times and it took a few months but now he rubs himself again the dog and gives him a few kisses..... So I think they will fight to start with but with time they will get on. Good luck


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Unless you try, you won't know. You will need to segregate the outdoor cat in one room to begin with and the animals will smell each other through the door and get used to the various scents. Introduce them gradually, under supervision, for short periods of time. We have 'acclimatised' various dogs and cats together, of varying ages and backgrounds, some have become playmates and some have just learned to adjust and respect each others' personal spaces. It just takes a little time and patience. You can also use treats to reward for good behavior and time outs  for bad. There's loads of advice to be found on the Internet on this kind of thing, it's very easy to google. Good luck - let us know how you get on and kudos to you for caring so much.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Give it a try. Please do not expect immediate success as you will be dealing with two personalities with different backgrounds. Be patient with both of them. 
Two litterboxes are a must have.
We went to adopt a young Bengal and came home with her and a street cat which had spent 90 days in a cage. There were days I doubted our decision but I am glad we did it.
Good luck!


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## mrsjones (Dec 17, 2012)

Thanks everyone for your advice. 
I have 2 cats already and I did the suggested introduction where I kept the new cat in her own room for a couple of weeks. That worked really well and the 2 get on well. 
The thing I am worried about is that if I put the new cat in the spare room she will go nuts as she has been living outside for at least a year...like you say, unless I try I will never know!

Thanks again and Happy Christmas to you all.


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