Hey guys!
So, a few weeks ago, we brought home little Simon, a three month old kitten, who I brought home for our 4yo Hobbes (and I guess Hobbes' sister, Sunny). Hobbes and Sunny are both 4yrs old, both have gotten a clean bill of health. Sunny's matured to the point where Hobbes' incessant need to play kittenish with her has really started to frustrate them both: her because she just wants her time alone, and him because he wants someone to play with!
So, we brought home Simon on the 2nd of this month, and a week later discovered an abscess on his chin. We took him to the vet, the vet lanced and drained the abscess, and he's just finished his antibiotics for the whole process today. Simon's all healthy and his former abscess site looks like just another spot on his body (aside from the now-growing-back-in shaved fur, hehe).
On the 15th, once I saw that he was healing very nicely from his ordeal, I took Simon outside his room here (which doubles as my office), and took him downstairs (where the other two frequent), and held him in my arms on the couch, and let them get a bit familiar with him. Hobbes came over, sniffed noses very intently with him, Sunny (as expected, as she's the Top Cat of the house) hissed and went to her favorite hiding spot in the closet in our bedroom. That was pretty much exactly how I expected things to go.
Next night, same process, but with Sunny getting more interested, realizing she should at least sniff him a bit, but of course then hissed and left (not running, just left the room at a normal pace). I took this as a good sign...so...
The third night, I brought him down in my arms, Hobbes came onto the couch where I was sitting with him, they sniffed, and I saw good indicators that it was time that Simon could leave the couch on his own, and go make friends. So, he jumped down, and ran over to Hobbes, they sniffed quickly, and the first game between them ensued. They played for a good couple hours, no hissing, no problems at all. Sunny got a bit irked with him, so I wound up closing her in our room, which she was MORE than content with, since I had made the mistake of closing our bedroom door, so she had nowhere to run, and got VERY upset. Completely my mistake...
Anywho, the next night, I let Simon come down on his own, as opposed to carrying him down, and he and Hobbes started playing right away. (Now, I should put here that Hobbes was into playing, too. It wasn't a situation of kitten-taking-over-the-place as you would think. Hobbes is still VERY MUCH a kitten at heart, and they ran to each other to play.
) So, they started playing, wrestling (which was okay, because Simon is used to wrestling with much larger kitties), and having a great time. But, at one point, and I'm not sure what exactly happened, but one of them hissed and then growled. Sunny, who was on my lap at the time, got down immediately and started to run over to defend her brother (they're VERY close, these two), and they kinda ganged up on poor little Simon. Hobbes started hissing and growling at him, too, so we at first decided to let them try to work their differences out a bit, but wound up taking Simon back upstairs.
Next night, and this is Saturday night by this point, I tried letting Simon out to walk on downstairs on his own, and things started okay...but within five minutes Hobbes was again hissing and growling at him. (Sunny was, too, but again, with her position in the household, I expect it.) I wound up feeling discouraged, and took him upstairs after trying to let them work things out for about ten minutes.
Last night, we didn't do any introduction sessions at all...and I have to admit, I feel rather discouraged in the process at this point. Hobbes seemed so happy to have a playmate...they played right away, and had a GREAT time...tails expressing the fun of it all. They literally played for a couple/few HOURS that first night!
Can you guys help me? It's been so long since I've done this, I find that I'm second-guessing myself a LOT, and just want to feel like I'm doing the right thing here. I was going to, either today or tomorrow, just open his door for the DAY and let them all work out their differences (which isn't horrible, since everyone's claws are trimmed), and let him figure out the social structure we have here...but I think I just need some encouragement at this point. I'm actually quite surprised at Hobbes' change in behaviour toward Simon...and am kinda perplexed...
Any ideas you guys can lend me?
Thanks so much...hugs to you and yours!
Rosie*
So, a few weeks ago, we brought home little Simon, a three month old kitten, who I brought home for our 4yo Hobbes (and I guess Hobbes' sister, Sunny). Hobbes and Sunny are both 4yrs old, both have gotten a clean bill of health. Sunny's matured to the point where Hobbes' incessant need to play kittenish with her has really started to frustrate them both: her because she just wants her time alone, and him because he wants someone to play with!
So, we brought home Simon on the 2nd of this month, and a week later discovered an abscess on his chin. We took him to the vet, the vet lanced and drained the abscess, and he's just finished his antibiotics for the whole process today. Simon's all healthy and his former abscess site looks like just another spot on his body (aside from the now-growing-back-in shaved fur, hehe).
On the 15th, once I saw that he was healing very nicely from his ordeal, I took Simon outside his room here (which doubles as my office), and took him downstairs (where the other two frequent), and held him in my arms on the couch, and let them get a bit familiar with him. Hobbes came over, sniffed noses very intently with him, Sunny (as expected, as she's the Top Cat of the house) hissed and went to her favorite hiding spot in the closet in our bedroom. That was pretty much exactly how I expected things to go.
Next night, same process, but with Sunny getting more interested, realizing she should at least sniff him a bit, but of course then hissed and left (not running, just left the room at a normal pace). I took this as a good sign...so...
The third night, I brought him down in my arms, Hobbes came onto the couch where I was sitting with him, they sniffed, and I saw good indicators that it was time that Simon could leave the couch on his own, and go make friends. So, he jumped down, and ran over to Hobbes, they sniffed quickly, and the first game between them ensued. They played for a good couple hours, no hissing, no problems at all. Sunny got a bit irked with him, so I wound up closing her in our room, which she was MORE than content with, since I had made the mistake of closing our bedroom door, so she had nowhere to run, and got VERY upset. Completely my mistake...
Anywho, the next night, I let Simon come down on his own, as opposed to carrying him down, and he and Hobbes started playing right away. (Now, I should put here that Hobbes was into playing, too. It wasn't a situation of kitten-taking-over-the-place as you would think. Hobbes is still VERY MUCH a kitten at heart, and they ran to each other to play.
Next night, and this is Saturday night by this point, I tried letting Simon out to walk on downstairs on his own, and things started okay...but within five minutes Hobbes was again hissing and growling at him. (Sunny was, too, but again, with her position in the household, I expect it.) I wound up feeling discouraged, and took him upstairs after trying to let them work things out for about ten minutes.
Last night, we didn't do any introduction sessions at all...and I have to admit, I feel rather discouraged in the process at this point. Hobbes seemed so happy to have a playmate...they played right away, and had a GREAT time...tails expressing the fun of it all. They literally played for a couple/few HOURS that first night!
Can you guys help me? It's been so long since I've done this, I find that I'm second-guessing myself a LOT, and just want to feel like I'm doing the right thing here. I was going to, either today or tomorrow, just open his door for the DAY and let them all work out their differences (which isn't horrible, since everyone's claws are trimmed), and let him figure out the social structure we have here...but I think I just need some encouragement at this point. I'm actually quite surprised at Hobbes' change in behaviour toward Simon...and am kinda perplexed...
Any ideas you guys can lend me?
Thanks so much...hugs to you and yours!
Rosie*
