Got a new kitten tonight!

[Ticks]

New Kitten

So, I have an older male cat (about 3 years old) that I have to introduce to this new kitten. Any tips? The older cat has not been around many animals, and whenever he has been he has hissed and arched his back. Just wondering how I should go about it. Any help is appreciated.

I read on some sites to have the new cat in a pen or carrier and let the cats meet that way. I've started to do that but the older cat hasn't come closer than maybe 2-3 feet from it. No hissing yet though!

 

[SurgicalShark]

omg

[Puts man card down] Cuteness overload :heart: [/picks up man card]

 

[BlueWeasel]

Cute kitten. :thumbsup:

We are going through the same thing -- we introduced a new kitten to a 10-month old Siamese mix this week and the older cat didn't like it at all. What we did that seemed to work well is we kept them separated for several days, and swapped out their beds so each cat could smell the other one. Let the kitten get comfortable with the surroundings and slowly work up exposure to the other cat.

Gabby (the older cat) began to get curious and would approach the kitten with much hissing. We increased their exposure every day, and the amount of hissing was less each day. After 5 days, they started playing today.

 

[KarenMarie]

this works....

keep the cats in separate rooms for the first 24 hours or so, or at least over night.

take two towels... rub down each cat with a towel.

put the towels with the other cat... the new cat gets the old ones towel and the old one gets the new ones towel.

let them sniff it. get adjusted to the smell of one another.

make sure you are in the room with them when you introduce them. just put the little one down and see how the old one reacts. let him hiss and arch his back for a while. only get involved if he goes to hurt the new one.

don't leave them alone in the same room until you are confident that no one will get hurt.

your old cat might sulk for a while. he will get over it.

edit: I dont know how i feel about putting the new one in a cage or carrier. Imagine being the new cat and the very first thing that happens to you in your new home is to be locked up when you cannot run to safety while another animals threatens you.

 

[JM Aggie08]

cute kitten. i want one.

 

[BlueWeasel]

Originally posted by: KarenMarie
this works....

keep the cats in separate rooms for the first 24 hours or so, or at least over night.

take two towels... rub down each cat with a towel.

put the towels with the other cat... the new cat gets the old ones towel and the old one gets the new ones towel.

let them sniff it. get adjusted to the smell of one another.

make sure you are in the room with them when you introduce them. just put the little one down and see how the old one reacts. let him hiss and arch his back for a while. only get involved if he goes to hurt the new one.

don't leave them alone in the same room until you are confident that no one will get hurt.

your old cat might sulk for a while. he will get over it.

That's exactly what happen with us. Gabby seemed pissed at us for bringing in a new vistor.

 

[Randum]

hmm thats interesting, my one cat is really mean, im afraid he will attack my other cat, that is staying at a relatives house for the time being. anyone have this happen??

 

[KarenMarie]

Originally posted by: Randum
hmm thats interesting, my one cat is really mean, im afraid he will attack my other cat, that is staying at a relatives house for the time being. anyone have this happen??

I have had about 35-40 cats thru out my life.

i have seen that happen a lot. and all i can say is that if that type of behaviour is left unchecked, it will continue. when we got two kittens, the rest started to pick on them. i had my trusty watergun handy at all times. now that they are grown, they like to terrorize one cat that is 15yrs old. she puts up a hell of a fight, but she should not have to live looking over her shoulder, waiting to be attacked. i have smacked asses and squirted water to get them to stop. now the older one comes in the room and they run away.

 

[SurgicalShark]

Originally posted by: KarenMarie

Originally posted by: Randum
hmm thats interesting, my one cat is really mean, im afraid he will attack my other cat, that is staying at a relatives house for the time being. anyone have this happen??

she puts up a hell of a fight, but she should not have to live looking over her shoulder, waiting to be attacked. i have smacked asses and squirted water to get them to stop. now the older one comes in the room and they run away.

It sounds funny when you say it, it's almost like you are describing kids.

 

[aleckz]

its so cute i want to punt it D:

im allergic :\

 

[KarenMarie]

Originally posted by: SurgicalShark

Originally posted by: KarenMarie

Originally posted by: Randum
hmm thats interesting, my one cat is really mean, im afraid he will attack my other cat, that is staying at a relatives house for the time being. anyone have this happen??

she puts up a hell of a fight, but she should not have to live looking over her shoulder, waiting to be attacked. i have smacked asses and squirted water to get them to stop. now the older one comes in the room and they run away.

It sounds funny when you say it, it's almost like you are describing kids.

They are like kids.

they all look different. they all have their own personalities. they all like different food at different times of the day in different parts of the kitchen. They all like to be loved differently. rough scratch, soft pet, under the chin, behind the ear. they throw temper tantrums, they sulk, they get moody and the fight.

they are just like kids... but they don't live as long and i dont have to put them thru college.

 

[montanafan]

That is one cute kitty! :heart:

Edit: Oh, and I can't add anything about the older cat, KarenMarie pretty well covered it all. It just takes time and vigilance on your part, but they eventually get used to one another.

 

[daveymark]

Originally posted by: KarenMarie
i have smacked asses and squirted water

excellent.

 

[RallyMaster]

does it hunt for mice?

 

[saymyname]

I'm struggling with this as well. I haven't gotten the second cat since my current cat is very alpha. Every few days I pretty much have to display dominance over him or he'll get crazy. Even with girlfriends he's a pain and he's wet my bed just to prove his point. He wants to be boss.

What I used to do was keep the new cat in the bathroom for a week or so, slowly introducing it to other rooms and the other cats through a screen door. In time they got used to each other. That was in a house though. In an apt I'm much more hesistant. I also used to get my cats in pairs which is by far the best way to get kittens.

You have to recognize that all cats are different and some simply won't like others. It's the risk you take.

 

[Xyclone]

OMG TEH CUTENESSS!!!11oneoneo /brain explodes

 

[MoPHo]

i have 5 cats, a giant german shepherd and 2 birds. just let the animals be and they'll work it out...you really can't force a cat to be nice to another...just gotta let em be and they'll eventually be nice(r) to the other

 

[n7]

I love kittens :heart:

 

[Shadowknight]

It's not a kitten case, but when I got my cats last year (both 9 months old) Ziggy hissed and was mean to Katrina. What helped him get over it was a bonding activity of sorts. I got one of those things where the cat hits a ball and it spins around in a circle. Both of them were fascinated by it, and would just watch non-stop when I knocked the ball around. Same thing if one of them did it themselves. Ziggy sort of got used to her without realizing it. Maybe see if there's something interesting enough that he doesn't really register the kitten's presence while they're in close proximity.

 

[Shadowknight]

Originally posted by: aleckz
its so cute i want to punt it D:

im allergic :\

So am I. I got a prescription for flonase from the doctor and take a generic version of Claritin everyday. I have zero problems unless I stop taking it for 3-4 days. It also helps that after awhile you build up an immunity to those particular pets you live with. When I visit my parents house my allergies start working on their dogs because I never see them.

 

[Pocahontas]

Pretty kitty : ) They best thing you can do is separate.. make sure new kitty has been to the vet and has NO kitty illness' that can really hurt an older cat. Then I would suggest with a very alpha or territorial older cat that when you do eventually let them "live together" you use two litter boxes for a few days.. sometimes older cat will do businees around the box in protest even it all seems to be going well.

 

[Vegitto]

Meh, just put them together. Make sure to watch 'em, though .

 

[LookingGlass]

Awwww, so cute, so fuzzy. :heart:

 

[Anonemous]

hehe use a dog as a mediator

 

[Geekbabe]

get cans of tuna, strain the juice into a separate bowl, dip your hands in the bowl and rub it all over each cat. Then both cats will smell the same to each other... cats are social receiprocally grooming animals, in a short while they'll be grooming each other. Repeat this process a couple times if need be.

You shouldn't need to do this more than once, the new cat being a kitten will probably naturally submit to the older cat's dominance in the household.