[Dailydrool] Introducing a new, timid cat to a basset household

[Laura Salmon]

> I recently took my mother-in-law's indoor/outdoor former feral cat to my
> house because my mother-in-law is moving and can't keep her.  After
> disappearing for a few days in the basement, she came out and is now living
> in my lower level guest room (she will be an indoor kitty; I live in a
> neighborhood with too many busy streets plus foxes from the park).  She's
> settling in nicely there, and is now eating regularly and using her litter
> box.  She is an absolute love who runs to see me when I go down to spend
> time with her.  When we're home I now keep the door to her room open with a
> baby gate at the bottom of the steps to keep the bassets away from her.  But
> I can't get her to come anywhere near the gate if she hears the bassets.
>
> Have any of you introduced a cat to a house where the bassets came first?
> My Dub-Dub was here before the bassets, and Lisa had already gotten him
> adjusted to dogs, so it was more the dogs adjusting than the cat.  How long
> did it take before the cat would look at the bassets through a baby gate, or
> think about sniffing them?  I don't want to force her -- my sense is she
> needs to do it in her own time.  But she is so affectionate, and I can only
> spend so much time with her in the guest room -- I would love to have her
> join the family.  Any advice you can give will be greatly appreciated.
> Please e-mail me off list.  Thanks.  Laura (Geoffrey, Molly, Henry, Kitty,
> Lisa (ATB), Dub-Dub (ATB))
>
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