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Cat help
So I know this is poor board etiquette...and I promise I will be back to properly introduce myself. But for now, I'm in a bind and know that from my experience on the knot, that you ladies are a helpful bunch 
Here's the situation - I live in a 2 bedroom condo with MH and a cat, Lenny. At the beginning of July, I had to bring my 17-year old cat (Sassy) up from my parent's house in NJ because they moved to VA and couldn't bring him with them 
For Sassy's whole life, he's been the only animal at our house and was an indoor/outdoor cat, although recently he's been spending less and less time outside. We have been trying to introduce Sassy and Lenny to each other for the past month and a half and it just isn't getting better. Trust me, I have tried every trick in the book. They can tolerate each other through a baby gate all day long, but as soon as the gate comes down, it ends with Sassy hissing at Lenny. My thinking is that he is being defensive and protective of himself and the room he's been in since he's used to being an only animal. The other kicker is that the room that he has taken up residence in will be a nursery in a few months (I'm 18 weeks pregnant!). I'm concerned about what would happen when that change happens.
I am doing everything I possibly can to not have to bring him to a shelter. It's breaking my heart to think about him sitting at the shelter waiting for someone to adopt it and I know it's going to take a special person to want at 17-year old cat. If there was any possible way of us keeping him, I would in a heartbeat. I just don't think we can He is a healthy cat for being 17 and he's up to date on all of his shots. He's litter box trained, doesn't claw furniture, and will only lay on a bed if there is a towel there for him to lay on. He's really a good cat. Are any of you possibly interested in him or know someone who might want him? I can't even tell you how grateful and appreciative I would be if someone could take him. I would provide the food he likes along with his litter box and carrier. Please let me know! Thanks for reading!! And I will be back for a proper introduction
- Katie
Re: Cat help
I don't really know. If you don't get many answers here, think about re-posting this on Pets.
Sounds like you are trying hard, good luck.
Sorry you're having trouble with them getting along. We've always been a "one cat" family, so I don't have any personal advice, but I have had family and friends integrate new pets with minimal issues, but it does take time. They'll go at each other for a little while and then they tend to just get used to each other, eventually (and sometimes even become friends!)
Good luck!
I don't have two cats so I'm not sure if this will work but, if you have two levels, maybe you can try to have each cat on their on separate level (with their own litter box, dishes etc).
We do have one cat though, and she was recently peeing on everything. We bought some feliway (diffusers for the wall, but also comes in a spray) and we haven't had a peeing issue since. Might be something else to try. Feliway is supposed to be a pheromone and helps to calm them down.
We have two cats, and for about the first two weeks from introducing the newer of the two to the other, things were a bit "tense". Suzette would hiss and growl at Willow every time he was in the same room as her. She never hurt him, but it took some time for them to be good in the same room.
It's been almost a year now, and they're great friends. They horse around and play/fight, but they've never hurt each other. Suzette will still hiss at WIll if he ticks her off (she's done it to the dog, too) but I think she's just a bit stuck up sometimes.
I would say give it time, and take the gate down. Let them have that interaction so they can get used to each other, but also so Sassy can maybe pick another room hang out in that won't be the baby's. I think it you wait it out they'll get on just fine. Good luck!!
I think there are ways for you to keep him. A month and a half isn't very long.
Is it just hissing or actual fighting?
Do you need to take the baby gate down each day or can you leave it up to give Sassy some sense of his own space?
Consider that these critters are still very new to each other. I lived with family for a while during my divorce and their dog was never tolerant of other animals, would try to bite them, etc. but after a while, he and my Maltese pup became best friends. It was tense at first but they worked things out. We kept them separated when no one was home, supervised when running free together, and eventually they started playing.
The Pets board is very good at exhausting every alternative before considering re-homing. I think if you re-post there you will get a lot of good suggestions, but re-homing will be considered a last resort.
Good luck!