Just got a kitten neutered, now the other cats...

Hello,
I just brought one of my kittens home from being neutered and now the 3 other cats are acting like they don't recognize him. It this normal? They are all kind of hissing at him and such... Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks in advance. david

Dear David:

That's an easy one -- your other cats are hissing because he has hospital smell and OCS (Other Cat Scent) all over him! One way to try to help them and him is to take an old cloth or tshirt or paper towel, rub it on the other cats' fur a few times, and then rub it on your new little man. It may take a few times, or it may take a few days until they accept him again; worry not! Soon, they'll have forgotten all about the "strange cat" in their midst and be a family once again!

Thanks Tarasgirl06, I thought it might have something to do with the that. Thanks for confirming. BTW, still hissing as of this morning. Will the spray type (waterless) shampoo work to remove the other scents? Anyone have a thought? I wanted to give him a day to re-adjust so I may try that tonight.

Its normal. The kitten has the "hospital" smell. You can sprinkle cornstarch baby powder on everyone and rub it in so they smell the same.

That, I dunno. I do have some waterless cat bath that was bought a long time ago for a reason that now evades me; but I never feel the need to bathe my cats. They do such a good job of it themselves!

Just don't use dog bath! Cat products are designed so as to be nontoxic if it licks itself...

A bit of vanilla on the cat's rears also helps make them smell the same to each other.

If all else fails, the other cat smell should wear off...