Switching the new guy to Wellness

lawguy

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When I take home Ally's new friend tomorrow, he'll be used to eating Purina dry food. I want to switch him to Wellness brand the same way I switched Ally from Science Diet - which is to say a gradual transition.

If I buy him his own feeder, how do I keep Ally and him from not eating each other's food? I don't want Ally eating Purina, and I don't think it would be easy on his stomach to just start eating Ally's Wellness right away without it being mixed with Purina in transitioning amounts.
 

sharky

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new cat should be in a separate room for proper intro ... his food should be in there
 
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lawguy

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separate room, or just separated? I was planning to use a large crate with comforters over it to give him his own space inside of the room Ally and I are in. Also, I was going to spray the crate with Quiet Moments feline pheremone spray to keep him calm (although he was very calm and docile from what I could see at the humane society even though he'd only been there for 4 days).
 

sharky

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I use a separate room and then a crate ( my intros are 1-4 weeks) ...
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by sharky

I use a separate room and then a crate ( my intros are 1-4 weeks) ...
if possible, that's best - but i know your situation doesn't allow for this... neither does mine, since the only rooms in my house w/doors are the bathroom & laundry room.
i intro much faster than many on this site, & mine do ok w/each other.
 
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lawguy

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but i know your situation doesn't allow for this... neither does mine,
Well, theoretically it is possible, but the problem is that then he wouldn't be under my supervision and I'm not sure that I could trust my family to NOT open the crate to play with the new kitten. My family isn't very good with kittens as we all by now know. I really think it would be better to at least have him in my room where I can monitor him and lock the door when I leave so nobody can get in and disobey my instructions like before.

There is one other room however in the house that only I have the key to. It's the room that I store the gun safe in and everything related to my collection. It's very clean and safe because everything is locked away, BUT it is kept very cold in there.

If I bought a space heater though, it would be possible, but I worry that it would be a fire hazard and I wouldn't want the new kitten to either overheat or get burned.

I will come up with a solution today. No worries. I could build a temporary door to the closet in my room so that it would be a virtual separate room. The closet is empty as of this weekend (we steam cleaned the carpets). That's probably the best option. I'd just need to get some lumber today and quickly build a frame and door. It doesn't need to look good, it would just need to be safe and functional. So, that's an option.
 
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lawguy

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Oh, and bear in mind that the 3 of us may move as early as the last week in April. Probably the latest by the first week in June.

I thought another nice thing about getting another cat is that Ally would have a friend to play with and keep her company on the drive to our new home.
 

carolina

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Originally Posted by LawGuy

Well, theoretically it is possible, but the problem is that then he wouldn't be under my supervision and I'm not sure that I could trust my family to NOT open the crate to play with the new kitten. My family isn't very good with kittens as we all by now know. I really think it would be better to at least have him in my room where I can monitor him and lock the door when I leave so nobody can get in and disobey my instructions like before.

There is one other room however in the house that only I have the key to. It's the room that I store the gun safe in and everything related to my collection. It's very clean and safe because everything is locked away, BUT it is kept very cold in there.

If I bought a space heater though, it would be possible, but I worry that it would be a fire hazard and I wouldn't want the new kitten to either overheat or get burned.

I will come up with a solution today. No worries. I could build a temporary door to the closet in my room so that it would be a virtual separate room. The closet is empty as of this weekend (we steam cleaned the carpets). That's probably the best option. I'd just need to get some lumber today and quickly build a frame and door. It doesn't need to look good, it would just need to be safe and functional. So, that's an option.
Hey, since you have a closet, buy a baby gate, and use it to close the closet with it. If the bars ar too far apart, you can superglue some screen on it - this way they can see each other, and get used to one another faster - you will also save your closet's door, and will be able to always look at him.
here are some ideas:
With this one you can actually create a nice little room for him in the corner, and it's made of screen!
This is one that will work, and keep him inside
Another one you can make a room with
another nice option
and another - this one is good as the holes are pretty small, safe for a little kitten
Hey - go to Babies "r" us on your way, and pick one of these up - I think they will work well!
 

laureen227

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i have 2 of that 1st type, altho i think i only paid about $10 each for mine [walmart]. i put 1 on top of the other, tied them together, then tied that to the hinges of the bathroom door. [this was when i brought in Firefox.] then, when she was still quite ill, i kept both doors closed [her inside] & kept her confined.

when she grew well enough to get curious about what was outside the door, i kept the gates there all the time, & only shut the door at night.

since the house used to have carpet & doesn't any longer, the gap under the door is fairly large, comparately speaking. eventually, she figured out how to escape - at that point, she got fully integrated into the clowder.

the gates are now in the garage, ready for the next time i need them!
 
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lawguy

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So, I'm a little confused.

It's ok for them to see each other then if they're separated initially? If so, I can either get a baby gate as mentioned, or use the big crate that I bought for Ally when she was injured (it's really big).

Or do they need to be 100% separated at first as in not seeing each other, smelling each other, etc.?

I'm not anticipating any problems, but I have no problem erring on the side of caution.
 

carolina

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Originally Posted by LawGuy

So, I'm a little confused.

It's ok for them to see each other then if they're separated initially? If so, I can either get a baby gate as mentioned, or use the big crate that I bought for Ally when she was injured (it's really big).

Or do they need to be 100% separated at first as in not seeing each other, smelling each other, etc.?

I'm not anticipating any problems, but I have no problem erring on the side of caution.
Oh no, they can definitely see each other! If it creates too much tension, you can separate them completely.
 
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lawguy

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Oh ok. So I just play it by ear. If they get along, let them see each other through a barrier at first, and over what would you say, the next day or two, integrate them?.... and if they don't get along at first, separate them entirely and do periodic meets and spread the whole thing out over a week or two?
 

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The baby gate will help get you through the food transition and give him room to play safely. If they are too upset at each others presence you could put a blanket over the baby gate so they can't see each other yet still hear and smell. Then keep moving the blanket off some for them to visit.

With them both being young it may go quickly. This will in the least solve the food transition part.
 

jack31

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Are you not concerned about the new kitty possibly giving Ally any type of illness? I would want to keep them separate for at least a week to make sure that the new kitty wasn't hiding any illness that could potentially affect Ally.

Leslie
 
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lawguy

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As for the new kitten giving Ally an illness, I am worried about that. Fortunately, Ally is fully vaccinated, but the chance of her getting a URI from the new kitten still is there.

I'm not sure whether there is anything I can do about that though. I will ask the vet when I pick the new kitten up in a little bit.
 

mrblanche

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It should have the vaccination against...feline distemper, I think it is, but someone else will chime in. The virus that causes cat colds is considered "ubiquitous," as is the human cold virus. And it also continually mutates. The feline herpes virus is everywhere, too. It's the rare cat who has not been exposed.
 
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lawguy

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Ok. I have him. He's doing well and is eating right now. I am keeping him in a separate room as I was advised by the humane society to keep them separated for 10 days so that any URI that he might have will clear up and not be transmitted to Ally.

He's on Lysine mixed in with his food to help get rid of any URI he might have and I have him scheduled for a vet visit tomorrow to check him out. He's also on Revolution for the ear mites.

I let Ally see him from a distance (I held her and they were about 10 feet away from each other), but that is all for the moment.

I have him eating Science Diet kitten wet food right now along with Purina One dry food and will transition him to Wellness over the next 10 days or maybe longer.
 
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