Getting my cat to come out of seclusion

Question
I have a 10 year old cat that has lived indoors her entire life.  About four years, my husband and I decided to adopt a stray cat that we'd been feeding for nearly a year. We decided to bring the stray cat indoors.  Previously, my 10 year cat was very outgoing and roamed freely around the house. However, the stray cat was very aggressive towards her and claimed the basement and middle floor as her territory.  Although we tried to get them to live together peacefully, it didn't work. My 10 year old cat was banished to the upstairs for the next four years. Two months ago, our stray cat died of mammary cancer. Since then, we've been trying to get the 10 year cat to come downstairs and enjoy the freedom to roam the entire house like in the years before we brought our stray cat inside. However, it's not working -- she won't even come down the stairs. We tried to pick her up and carry her downstairs but she gets extremely panicked so we stop. I tried to coax her downstairs with treats but she won't even get off the bottom step.  What can I do to help my remaining cat realize that the other cat is no longer here and is no longer a threat?  I'd really like for her to come out of her upstairs seclusion and enjoy the whole house once again.  Thank you for any help you can give me!

Answer
Kyrianna,

I think that you may have to speak with your vet about anti anxiety medications and possibly the referral to an animal behaviorist. It sounds like the stray kitty has caused a somewhat phobic reaction with your older cat by being overly territorial. I am not sure if you introduced them the way that most professionals recommend which is to have the new cat isolated for 2-3 weeks, exchange bedding and toys between the resident cat and the new one and you can even feed the kitties on opposite sides of the door so that they can get used to each other's scents and sounds. If you just brought the stray cat inside and allowed free reign of the house immediately you may have somewhat traumatized your resident cat. I can suggest a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy to see if it is effective, but my guess is that your kitty will need a bit more intervention to come out of her traumatized and anxious state. Rescue Remedy is a blend of flower essences that you can usually find in health food/natural health stores. Rescue Remedy is useful to help alleviate anxiety, I would recommend that you try an initial dosage of 10 drops of Rescue Remedy in fresh water each morning. You will also want to be calm and assertive when handling your kitty so that she doesn't sense any trepidation, fear, anxiety or worry on your part. If your kitty senses any negative feelings from you she may be inclined to absorb them and then her fears become bigger, if you are worried she will be terrified. I would recommend that you start by either holding your kitty in your arms firmly but gently or just to make sure that nobody gets scratched or bitten towel wrapping your kitty is also a safe and humane alternative. Once you have done that you will want to gently stroke your kitty and slowly bring her past her comfort zone. Sit on the floor with her, talk about the weather or how pretty and wonderful your kitty is and you can pat and reassure her. Don't offer too much attention if she is overly fearful, you don't want to reinforce the behaviors that are due to her phobic reaction. Stay relaxed with your kitty, start initially with 2 minutes just past the bottom step, as your kitty gets more confident you can slowly increase the time that you ask her to spend in the area that she was uncomfortable in. You can use rewards like pureed chicken, lamb, beef or even use about a tablespoon of tuna to reward relaxed behavior. I haven't met too many cats that won't come for a taste of tuna. You can also just try placing a small amount of tuna in a saucer and put it just outside of your kitty's comfort zone. She will likely eventually work up the courage to go and eat it, when she does feel more comfortable you can gradually move the tuna further away until eventually she is comfortable in most or all of the house again. This is not an overnight project. You may need the support of your veterinarian and you may possibly need the help of an animal behaviorist. I have given you a general idea of how to start working with your kitty, it will take time, patience, perseverance and some bribery. I am willing to try and offer help and advice over a period of time. I would certainly like to hear how your kitty is doing. I hope that you find the information I have given you helpful. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me again. Good luck.