brought home a semi-feral cat........

Question
The new cat is 9 mo. old & neutered, he has been in my office with the door open for 1 month now.   We have a male, 10 yrs. & a female 5 yrs., both neutered...the female is very nervous around the new cat & the couple of times he has wandered out of his room, the female has chased him back in, so he really doesn't want to go out of there.  We have carried the female in the office and put her on our lap & she won't look at him or even eat a treat with him in the same room!!  What can we do?  Thanks!

Answer
Hi Cheryl.  Thanks for taking in this unfortunate soul!

Some cats are resistant to open up to intruders.  It can take a couple months, or even longer in some cases.  However, I think it's time to start desensitizing your female to the new cat by force, if necessary.  You have already begun doing this by bringing her into the office with the new kitty.  I would keep going with this.  Try to get her in there for at least 15 minutes, several times a day, under close supervision, of course.

Continue with the treats, as well.  You might want to try a bit of chicken or tuna and see if she'll take that.  

Also, see about interactive toys, like a wand with a ribbon attached.  My cats' favorite interactive toy is Da Bird, which is sold by Drs. Foster & Smith (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=11643&Ntt=bird&Ntk...).  Even if you can only get the kitten to play for now, at least your female can watch and might be tempted to jump in after a while.

And, see how the cats react if you shut the female in the office for a while every day.  This way, the new cat can explore the rest of the house without feeling threatened, and your female can take the time to snoop and sniff around the office, thus getting familiar with the new cat's scent without fearing a confrontation.

Other than that, you just need to allow them more time.  99% of cats will end up getting along when allowed enough time and patience.