My black cats (2 males) are the sweetest things;
they love everything including other cats & big dorky dogs.

Maybe some of the Maine Coon experts here can advise you on the little female; she sounds like a darling.

Lots of thoughts. ;-)

First, you need to decide what you really want. If it's important to you that the two cats have a friendly or even cuddly relationship with each other, then adopt two cats who already have that relationship. If you just want two cats to be able to tolerate each other and live in reasonable peace together, then you can take a chance on the black male and the maine coon female.

Consult with the staff at both shelters. Explain what you want to do, and ask them for their candid opinions about how each of these cats is likely to respond to the situation.

Has the male ever been housed or put into an exercise area with another cat? If so, how did he behave toward the other cat, and was the other cat male or female? How long has the male been neutered? How long has he been at the shelter?

How does the female respond to cats she doesn't know? If another cat approaches her, does she hiss, show mutual interest, or just walk away?

These are the sorts of questions you should ask the shelter staffs before making your decision.

I'll offer some generalities here, but they may or may not apply to the cats in whom you are interested: 1) A middle-aged, neutered male is generally fairly quiet and tolerant, esp. of female cats, 2) If the male was neutered after 1 yr of age, he may retain "tomcat" behaviors including some degree of cat-aggression, 3) An adult female can be very intolerant of other cats, male or female, and may be hissy and temperamental until she feels comfortable in her new family. Even then, the girlies can be pushy little beasts.

There are, of course, countless exceptions to those generalities, which is why it's important to get as much information as possible about the cats from the shelters. You can even see if you can bring the cats home for a trial period to see how they will react to each other in your own home. Do keep in mind, though, that it can take a month or more for a cat to overcome the stress of the shelter experience and a move into a new home before they'll start behaving "normally", whatever "normal" may be for the individual cats.

Good luck with your decision!

Laurie

I too think that the male would be fairly tolerant of the little girl, and An adult female can be very intolerant of other cats, male or female, and may be hissy and temperamental until she feels comfortable in her new family. Even then, the girlies can be pushy little beasts made me think of what's going on in our house at present - one moment Nikita is washing Jas's face and the next she's slapping him n running away LOL

Just that they're of different sexes should ease the introduction somewhat (not sure), I'd think even if he were neutered after 1yr of age, he most probably wouldn't be aggressive toward a female. Well, you just never know.

Talking to the shelter staff might give you a better understanding of the cats' personalities. If the shelter staff don't prove to be much help, is there any way you could bring the two kitties together to see their reaction?

Thank you for the input. The Maine Coon girl was not perturbed by the other cats but did not interact with them either. She made the rounds and gently rebuffed any moves in her direction. She kept gravitating toward a ledge next to the fountain (yes, this place has a fountain!), where she would jump up and sit.

I just want any cats we adopt to be happy, not miserable because they have to share the house with another cat. If neither is inclined to cuddle together, that's okay. Peaceful coexistence is fine.

It sounds like the girl will adapt easily to a multicat household. Now you just need to see how much info you can get from the shelter staff about the male.

I agree with LaurieF. I'll hope for the best.

The biggest mistake folks make is thinking everything will be fine in a few days or a week. If you are patient, and plan for six months of transition, you will not be disappointed. But if they are thrown in together and not carefully transitioned over time, they will be unhappy and you will be unhappy. So often I see posts here where folks adopt a second kitty and end up returning it because their first cat 'couldn't' accept it. They don't ensure the cats have their own space initially and they don't allow enough time for the cats to get used to each other. The majority of cats will settle in and live well together, but they are not DOGS and it takes more time. Be patient and everything should work out. Thank you for adopting adult cats! That's all I've every adopted and they have all done well together over time.

I was thinking also that if both arrive together there won't be so much of a territorial issue. They will both be "new kids." But even so, would you suggest having litter boxes and food in separate rooms for a while?

We successfully brought in a second cat when the first had been the only cat in that house for several years. We kept second cat in a separate room with litter box and food for a few days. When we let him out, there was a bit of hissing, growling, and spatting, but over time, they started to get along pretty well. Second cat was very laid back, as well as much older, and knew how to handle himself. They even slept on the bed together, if not cuddled up. We had three litter boxes and never had any problems with that "end" of it.

Cynthia is quite correct that it could take a significant period of time for the cats to settle in and get comfortable with your home, your family, and each other. Most cats resist and resent change. Patience and understanding are the keys to successful cat integration. It's altogether possible that the cats may appear to get along just fine together initially, only to start spatting later when they feel confident enough to establish a social hierarchy. Eventually, though, things will resolve into peaceful cohabitation unless for some reason the cats decide that they truly detest each other. That's uncommon, but it does happen.

Harriet, I think your instincts are correct about the territorial issue. If you adopt and bring the cats home on the same day, they will be meeting on neutral turf with no territorial or jealousy issues to complicate matters. Unless the cats are openly aggressive toward each other, you may find that you won't need to restrict them to separate rooms at all. Of course you must be very careful not to allow even the slightest aggressive behavior, or they may ruin their chances of developing a peaceful relationship.

It's a very good idea to have three litterboxes in different parts of the house, along with water bowls in several different locations. It's also important to feed the cats in separate rooms until and unless they become closely enough bonded to eat together without competition.

I expect that the black boy and coon girl will do just fine, given whatever time they need to make the adjustment.

Laurie

I would expect that two adult cats brought in the exact same time would work out since no one is the boss. But their personalities must jive. It's like a prearranged marriage with someone you don't know. You'll be spending all your time with this person.(cat)..I have adopted adult cats as well as kittens ,but never two at a time except the mother/daughter duo that are bound at the hip. I find that kittens introduced to adult cats work out since they don't consider them a threat.I did that a year ago and boy were the rest surprised when this tiny thing grew to 16 pound bundle of muscle...But he's sweet..He DOES like to tease the little tortie tho..

Cynthia said:
"If you are patient, and plan for six months of transition, you will not be disappointed."

I respectfully disagree.I read that it can take up to a year for some cats to be friends,while others may NEVER accept each other completely.
The biggest problem is how territoral cats are.But...one could assume since both of these cats will be new to the home,and neither has staked out their property yet,that they will get along quicker.

It really does all depend on the individual feline personalities involved and, to a lesser degree, on how they are introduced to each other.

Back in 1996, we knocked down our old house and rebuilt on the same site. During the rebuild, we lived for a month in a friend's parents' house (the parents had recently both passed away) and took care of their resident animals while our friend figured out what to do with them on a permanent basis. We also had our own 6 cats with us in that house during the rebuild. Five of our cats were year-old littermates who had never been outside of the old house. The sixth cat was our Queen of the Domain, Pea, who had ruled our farm, both inside and outside, for 18 yrs.

When we were ready to move into the new house a month later, our friend begged us to take at least one of her parents' cats with us. We ended up taking two. So, we had old Pea who owned every inch of our farm property, the five youngsters who had no territorial ownership since the old house had been knocked down, and the two new adoptees who had never been on our farm at all.

I brought Pea back to the new house the night before we moved in so that she could spend a night by herself becoming acquainted with the new house and leaving her scent to establish first rights to the territory. The next day after we moved in all of the furniture, we brought over the other seven cats and just let everybody loose. There weren't enough rooms to separate everybody, anyway, and since no one but Pea had the opportunity to claim any territorial rights, I figured the others would be too busy adjusting to the new living space to fuss too much with each other.

And that's pretty much how it worked out. The two new adoptees spent the first 4-6 weeks hiding out in the basement or in closets before they got up the nerve to integrate themselves into the rest of the family., the youngsters kept themselves busy checking out the new digs, and Pea set down the law with any cat who dared get too close. Eventually they all learned to coexist reasonably peacefully ... all except Pea and Bitsy, that is. For some reason, those two established an immediate, permanent, and violent hatred of each other that survived as long as Pea lived.

It's definitely a whole different dynamic when you bring a new cat into an existing cat's territory, though. The resident cat's "property rights" must be respected. Fortunately, you're not going to have to deal with that issue if you bring the cats in together.

Laurie

There is a very good book out called "Cat vs Cat (keeping peace when you have more than one cat)" written by Pam Johnson-Bennett. Lots of great tips.

Well, we have been approved for both cats! We will try to pick them both up on Friday and let bring them into the house at the same time. Then we will have the long weekend to supervise. Do you think we should keep them in separate rooms at first or let them check each other out before they start staking territory? They have both been in their respective shelters for about a month. DH thought the male has been understimulated -- they don't let the cats roam around at that shelter like they do at the other one.

I'm excited!

Congratulations, Harriet! I am excited for you!

Here's what I'd do if I were you. Go to a pet store and buy two cat harnesses (NOT collars) and two light leashes. When you get the cats home, put the harnesses and leashes on them. Then have your DH sit with one cat at one end of the room while you sit with the other cat at the other end of the room. If the cats want to move around and explore, let them. Don't try to direct their movements, but do keep hold of the leashes and follow their leads. Try to maintain slack in the leashes since the cats may become frightened by the restriction of the leashes. If, however, either cat should display any aggression toward the other, you can immediately separate them with the leashes. Otherwise, let them do their thing.

If all goes well, and the cats tolerate or at least ignore each other, drop the leashes and allow them to drag them around the house under close supervision. This is just a precaution to make it easier to catch them if trouble does arise. You must keep a close eye on them while they are dragging leashes, though, to make sure they don't get hung up on anything.

If everything continues to go peacefully, remove the leashes and keep supervising their activities. Whenever you aren't able to directly supervise them, or after you are satisfied that they are not interested in doing battle, remove the harnesses. This whole process may take hours or may take a week (or more). Never leave harnesses on cats unattended. They are such flexible beasts that they can get all tangled up in harnesses and end up choking themselves.

I've used harnesses and leashes to help integrate most of my strays, semi-ferals, and ferals into my existing four-legged family. There was only one boy who was so terrified of the harness/leash that I had to bite the bullet and let him integrate on his own. Luckily, he was a completely non-aggressive cat, so he caused no problems.

Until you are convinced that the cats are completely comfortable with each other, I do suggest that you put them in separate rooms anytime no one is available to supervise their interactions. All it takes is one really nasty exchange to do long-term or permanent damage to their relationship, so this introductory phase has to be handled carefully. Take your time.

You may find that the cats get along seemingly well at first, only to become more combative once they start to feel territorial about your home. Keep an eye out for that and nip it in the bud (go back to the leashes) if it does occur.

If either or both cats were desexed while at the shelters, you may be dealing with some hormonal issues for a while, too. It takes about 6 weeks post-spay or neuter for residual hormones to dissipate from a cat's system.

Have fun, Harriet, and post LOTS of pics when you get those kitty kids home!

Laurie

In just reading about your adoptions, I think I'm as excited as you are...To adopt 2 adults is indeed a blessing....And just think 2 times the love....
I'm sure you'll find, all cats are different and there's really no way to predict what they'll do, but with alot of love and patience, you'll have a happy household....
Please post pictures.....

I, too, am very happy for you! It is so nice to see people adopt adult cats. Bless you, and do post pictures!

When I introduced two one year old rescue siblings to my very old girl (she was 15 at the time), the old one took months, even years, to warm up to the twins. Eventually, though, we all achieved a peaceful household. I really think Elaine even found a new spark of life in the rambunctious twins -- she lived until 20. As many have said, you can't predict what will occur. Just be very patient!

I don't know about cats but congratulations. I have a friend with 19 cats, (all rescued) I feel sure they'll work it out.

Harriet,

If you have time today or tonight, I'm sure there are lots of us who are VERY eager to hear about the homecoming!

Laurie

Wonderful news! Yes, please let us know how it's going, and pictures would be great ~

Both cats are getting comfortable. We initially put the male in the laundry room and the female in the adjoining rec room; there is a vent in the wall between them, so they could see each other. They went up to the vent and checked each other out a few times. Neither cat hissed or acted upset, just mildly curious. I think it's because they've both been in shelters so they are used to seeing other cats.

The male cat hid at first, but came out right away when we coaxed him. He was afraid of the furnace noise, so we moved him to an upstairs bedroom and he calmed down right away, ate, drank, used the litter box. He loves sitting in our laps, and talks with a little chirpy meow. We let him out of his room for a little while and let him explore the upstairs because he was crying to get out.

The female is hyper! She won't sit still. I wonder if she's younger than they said she was; she is very kittenish and likes to play, and she purrs constantly. She is so excited that she will take a mouthful of food and then trot off to explore, dropping bits of kibble as she goes. She finally used her litter box sometime during the night.

This is Max:

This is Jeannie (I think this is her name). It was hard to get a picture of her because she wouldn't stop moving.

I think we'll try letting her explore a little later today.

Congrats! He is a big boy! The female reminds me of my Lyla. She was a Maine Coon.

I am so happy for you and Max and Jeannie! You all must be a little crazy right now with all the changes, but what a fun adventure you're embarking on.

Max looks a lot like my Phantom (who just jumped up on my desk and is now making it terribly difficult to type).000000000000000000 (thanks, Phantom). Jeannie looks like a real beauty, but I want to reach through my monitor and pull that little mat off of her chest. LOL!

It's a very good sign that neither cat hissed when they checked each other out through the vent. It's also fortunate that the hyper, younger cat is the female. Hyper females usually aren't overtly aggressive, but hyper young males often are. I suspect that Max will be able to deal with Jeannie just fine after they settle in and get comfortable. I do suggest, though, that you swap their rooms today. That will give them the opportunity to become better acquainted with each other's scent, to place their own scent, and to get to know their new household territory. In fact, I'd recommend moving them into different rooms as much as possible so that they aren't inclined to claim one particular room as their own.

I can't wait to hear how their first face-to-face encounter goes. This is just so exciting!

Thanks for the update and pics. Keep 'em coming!

Laurie

Great pictures. They are lucky cats to get a nice home. Good luck with them and thanks for taking in an older cat. Kittens are kittens such a short time and you really don't know their personality till they mature.

Yesterday, we moved Max to the basement and brought Jeannie upstairs, where we let her explore. We put her into the second bedroom for the night because I was afraid she might get into something she shouldn't, and unfortunately she cried to get out on and off for several hours but finally settled down.

We tried bringing the cats together this morning. Max was fine but she was hissy and growly. I think she was afraid. Max retreated to the basement.

Other than that, though, they are behaving beautifully and are very affectionate toward us.

It sounds like Max is a real gentleman, and Jeannie is a typical female. I'm sure your instincts about Jeannie are correct; her nastiness toward Max is most likely fear-based. Once she realizes that he poses no threat, her unpleasant behavior should subside. In the meantime, however, be extra careful NOT to allow her to get physical with him. You also should not allow her to approach him aggressively. This is where the harness and leash come in really handy. They will allow you to restrict Jeannie's mobility if she tries to go after Max.

If she does go after Max, it could create a permanent rift between them that Max may never forgive. I've seen that happen in my own household. But it sounds like you've got things under control and that the cats are becoming acquainted with their new family.

Have fun!

Laurie

As long as one of us is in the room with them, Jeannie is easily controlled just by speaking to her or touching her. She seems to have a pretty short attention span and it's not hard to distract her! In these first few days, the cats have progressed to being able to sit a few feet apart and ignore each other, which I think is good.

Sunday night, we let Jeannie have the run of the main floor, and she spent most of the night sleeping on the bed with us and the last few hours wandering around.

Last night was Max's turn; he was on the bed the entire night. We put Jeannie in the basement, and she cried a little but then settled down and seemed happy enough this morning.

Today is the first day we have left them alone in the house (separated and in areas they are comfortable with). We'll see how they are when we get home.

We had some people over last night, and Jeannie put on quite a "bad girl" show, nibbling on plants, licking the butter, hissing at a guest, trying to run out the door. Then they all left and she was a little angel again. :)

Sounds like Max and Jeannie are settling in very well. It's great that they are able to ignore each other so soon. It won't be long before you can give them both free run of the house and have them sharing your bed together.

Jeannie must be a youngun to pull those shenanigans with the guests. You're going to have your hands full with that girl.

Laurie