By Samantha Mazzotta
King Features Syndicate
Dear Paw’s Corner: I have two cats. One we've had about three years, and the other is a stray we recently adopted that was emaciated and had an infected foot. "Carlo," our older cat, is neutered, and the new cat is a (probably unspayed) female. She is terrified of Carlo. Once they got into a fight, which made her even more terrified. We have kept her separated from Carlo until she is built up and her infected foot heals. We would like to reintroduce them to each other under our supervision, but don't know exactly how to do it. Any advice?
-- Mary F. via e-mai
Dear Helga: For the moment, allow the new cat to heal. Then, take her to the vet to find out if she is spayed, and if not, get that done. Having her spayed probably won't guarantee peace in the house, but it will protect her from pregnancy if she gets outside. Getting the pair to get along will be difficult. It's not impossible, but there's a good chance that the best relationship they'll have is a mutual respect of each other's territory.
Keep Carlo and the new cat separated when you're not home. When you are at home, have them interact in "neutral territory" (away from food dishes and cat boxes). Keep a shaker can of coins at hand. If their hissing rises in pitch or a paw swats out -- or all-out war begins -- shake the can hard near them.
Gradually increase the amount of time that the cats spend together in neutral territory. Keep your voice calm but firm during these interactions. While they get used to each other, keep their food and litter boxes apart. If they improve relations, you can try gradually moving their food dishes into one common area.