New kitten

tweets_4611

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Hey! ^_^ This is actually my first post over here. I'm sure there is a thread about this somewhere, but I'm pretty much forum illiterate, so it takes me a while to find things


Anyways, my mom brought my a kitten over the summer. The mom was a wild cat from around my mom's house. She brought the kitten at about 7 weeks old, and he hasn't had any other interaction with other animals since then. He is incredibly shy of anyone other than me or my boyfriend (he actually hid in the bathtub last time someone came over). I'm not home as much as I would like to be, and I wanted to get him someone to play with and keep him company. Lil Bit is about 5 months old now.

I picked up a kitten yesterday from a girl at work (again from just a wild mom). He is about 10 weeks old. She has people come over fairly often, and the new baby is fairly bold. When I brought the new baby home (I haven't picked out a name for him yet) my Lil Bit freaked. I let them sniff noses through the carrier, and from the get go, Lil Bit has been puffed up and hissing/growling/etc. I put the new baby in the bathroom last night (it wasn't long after I brought him home) and today while I was in class, so there wasn't any fighting. The baby for the most part ignores my boy, and when the baby is in the bathroom, Lil Bit is perfectly fine. He doesn't go anywhere near the bathroom door, though.

I let the baby out when I'm home, and earlier today the two were "playing". It was still pretty rough, but nothing got out of hand. There wasn't any growling or anything either. It started up again after a while.

I guess my question is, is there a better way to let these two get used to each other? I hate to see my boy all stressed out, and the new baby is having a hard time looking around, b/c he always has a slightly larger, growling shadow.
 

hwc

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There are some long threads full of good advice about keeping the kittens apart for weeks.

Frankly, it sounds like your introduction is going OK. I'd probably just continue what you are doing.

I got a kitty, then introduced a second kitty a couple of weeks later. We went thru much the same thing you are describing. Then, I noticed one day that the chased kitty was starting to do some of the chasing.

It really is a lot of play and curiosity with kittens.
 
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tweets_4611

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I did find several of the threads on it after I posted last night. I posted b/c I didn't think I would have much time to look, and ended up putzing online for a lot longer than I thought I was able to :p

I'm alternating who is in the bathroom while I'm gone, so Lil Bit will get more used to having the baby's sent in the house.

The baby doesn't really seem to have a problem with the transition....he does sometimes chase Lil Bit and tries to play with him. I just have to get Lil Bit used to the idea of having an annoying little brother ^_^
 

mrblanche

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It sounds like you're doing great. The younger the kitten, the better they adapt. It should help with your first cat's behavior, but it may make both of them a little less cuddly toward you.

So...how is Eskimo Joe's, these days?
 
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tweets_4611

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Both kittens are starting to get along. There is much less really rough play and more just play. They sound like a herd of elephants running around my little apartment :p I know that my Lil Bit may end up being a bit less cuddly, but I'd rather have that then have him home, bored, alone every day. I love my little devil kitten ^_^

And I don't know about Eskimo Joe's...it's still there and doing well. But I work over at the Hideaway and with it being football season....talk about busy!!
 
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