New cat and old cat hiss. Should I separate them for introduction?

Question

I just got a new cat, Jayne, and I own another cat, Cassie, as well. Jayne is super shy and when I tried introducing them underneath the door or in front of each other they both hissed and growled at each other. I tried rubbing each cat's pheromones on a towel and letting each cat sniff the towel. Didn't work. Should I separate the cats, putting the new cat in our bedroom and letting the existing cat have free reign of the house for a week or until Jayne is comfortable? Pet's info: Cat | Russian Blue | Female | spayed | 8 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Yes, this would definitely be best. When introducing a new cat to the household, I always recommend setting the newcomer up in his/her own room - something like a spare bedroom or office works very well. Put her litter box, food and water bowls, toys and a cat tree or scratching post, etc. in her room so that she has everything she needs to be comfortable. The cats will sniff each other under the door and gradually get used to one another, but this can take a few weeks in some cases before they're ready for any face-to-face contact. Once they are no longer reacting to each other at all through the door, you can start leaving Jayne's door open a crack so that she can come out if she wants to - just make sure that she can always run back to her room if she gets anxious or worried. Over time, she will start spending more time out of her room as she gets more comfortable. Just let her go at her own pace, and don't rush the process :)

New cat and old cat hiss. Should I separate them for introduction?

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