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help with new cat and kittens

post #1 of 10
6/15/09 at 3:47pm
Thread Starter 
Hello everyone! Its been awhile since I posted.I am in desperate need of advice . A neighbor of mine up and moved and left her cat behind and the cat was put outside. She was so afraid of the outdoors. I tried for days to find her and finally did a couple of days ago and she led me to a litter of 4 kittens. I scooped them up and her and brought her in my house.I have her staying in a big pet carrier i have. I let her out to use the litter box and eat, but the problem is I have 3 cats if anybody remembers me I have Yucky,Heather,and Cocoa they are 12,11,and 10 yrs old. Ive got to the point already that i let this new cat out and let her roam freely because she constantly whines wanting out of the cage.so far my cats ony hiss at her and she hisses back.I dont know if they would attack her or not but I cant keep her isolated in that cage. any advice would be greatly appreciated.Thanks!
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post #2 of 10
6/15/09 at 5:16pm
Do you have one room you can keep her and the kittens in? Maybe a basement where the other cats can't go right now? Introducing them all should be a slow process and you don't have time for that, so for now, a room by herself with the kittens would be best.

Bless you for helping her.
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post #3 of 10
6/15/09 at 9:51pm
I agree with Ondine.

Her being a mom with a litter to protect makes her also a lot more touchy then otherwise.
So there are all reasons for them to be in an own room till the kittens are at least half-grown, if at all possible.


But it seems not so bad. If they only hiss at each other, it is not so bad at all.
The residents could attack the new cat. Moms have been known to viciously beat up the residents (or even their own pal)...

I suspect when the day come for the formal introduction, it will go rather smoothly.


Thanks for helping her and the kittens!


Good luck!
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post #4 of 10
6/16/09 at 6:35pm
Thread Starter 
I dont have another room to put her in I have a small house and no basement.Last night I let mommy out to stretch and she was laying on the couch with me and jumped down and accidently on my cats head. oh boy not good they growled loudly but thankfully no big fight. She has been wanting to move her kittens into my sons room under his bed but I wont let her because of my cats. Im in a real dilemma here.I wish I could trust them all but I know I cant and I feel bad making her keep her kittens in the crate but its for their own safety. On the lighter side of things the kittens have their eyes open now their so cute. She has 3 boys and a girl! Their so sweet.Oh I forgot to mention that the new mom is a very young cat.I dont think shes even a year old yet cause when my neighbor got her she was just a kitten and that wasnt to long ago. I suspect she is about 8 or 9 months old.Shes very small and a calico.Just thought I would add that. Beautiful cat.Thanks for the advice and any more advice would be greatly appreciated.Thanks again and I will check back.
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post #5 of 10
6/17/09 at 12:34am
You dont have an extra permanent room for them... But you apparently do have a couple of different rooms.
You can give them instead space in time. Ie, have your residents in one room a couple of hours, and let her out stretch legs in the other room while they are away...


Keeping the little family in the bathroom is another option. Many rescuers use the bathroom as the quarantene room.

Another proposal is.
As they arent openly hostile to each other, you can perhaps manage to have them as it is, even letting strech her legs together with them..
But in that case, use a Feliway diffuser. It will calm and downstress them down.
Normally it shouldnt be necessary with good separating possibilities, but here it could be very useful asset.


So you do have at least three different options to improve the situation and improve the safety - even in a small house.


good luck!
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post #6 of 10
8/14/09 at 9:11pm
Thread Starter 
About a week after i posted momma cat got very sick suddenly. I had to seperate her kittens from her cause she quit feeding them and was getting aggressive with them. I took her to the vet and they did every test possible and the result was feline leukemia.They said what made her sick that fast was the kittens.She gave those babies all she had and it drained her of everything.It was so horrible to see her like that.She was put to sleep.I stayed with her the whole time.It was so heartbreaking.I had to bottle feed the babies.It wasnt easy feeding 4 little ones but i got through it.3 of them got homes and were vet checked and luckily dont have what their mom had.I kept one.He is all black and we named him Rochester.I had to keep one in her memory.He is doing great except my 3 senior cats dont like him at all.Ok yucky is my oldest and she isnt to bad with him but my other two, oh boy! My siamese Cocoa gets really curious and watches him play as long as he dont get to close but my other cat Heather doesnt like him at all.I dont understand why Rochester my kitten chases my cats knowing that their gonna growl and hiss and even swat at him so now i need some new advice. It would be greatly appreciated.Sorry so long but thanks for all the advice its always appreciated!
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post #7 of 10
8/14/09 at 9:33pm
I am so sorry about momma cat, that is heartbreaking to even read.

The kitten is just being... well, a kitten. He sees your other cats as playmates and does not understand why they don't want to play! Good news is that he will calm down when he turns into an adult, bad news is it will be a while before he is an adult.

Just do your best to keep them all happy, get him some crinkle balls, feather toys, paper bags (handles removed), paper balls, and wand toys. That should keep him out of you other cat's face part of the time. In time he will learn that seinor cats are not appropriate toys!

I am glad that the others got a clean bill of health & good homes,
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post #8 of 10
8/15/09 at 1:36am
I agree 100% with Katkisses...

And I mention once again the Feliway diffuser: It may help these oldies to accept the situation, and thus - accept the little one better.
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post #9 of 10
8/15/09 at 5:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by KatKisses View Post
I am so sorry about momma cat, that is heartbreaking to even read.
One thing I have learned over a lot of years is that if you love cats, there will be stuff come along that will break your heart. If anything, being older has not hardened me to it but made it worse. I have learned thing don't always work out the way we would like them in these situations.

This is sure one of those things, I am sorry that happened.

I think you did your best in an unfortunate situation and given the situation, you provided the best outcome possible by taking them in. The calico had good care and I can well imagine the fate of the kittens if they were not taken in.

It is excellent the kittens all were given homes.

As for your introduction precess, I went through that with Taz, taken in at 12 weeks of age, it took a while because the two "old girls" we had at the time were not sure about him; that setteld down in a few months.

My rescue torti, "Kasey" came here 1 1/2 years ago. She was older, used to fending for herself and has "tortitude", it took 6 months but the "crew" settled down.

So there is hope with getting them pacified, it is just takes time and the process can seem a bit trying, for a while.
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post #10 of 10
8/15/09 at 2:17pm
I'm so sorry you lost the momma cat, but she knew she was loved and cared for, and that her kittens were safe, thanks to you and your good heart. Bless you!
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