Two Adult Male Cats + New Kitten?

I have two almost two year old neutered male cats named Milo & Dexter. They are brothers from the same litter. They are about 15 lbs each. When they play with each other they can be quite aggressive. Jumping on the other ones back, pinning to the ground and wrestling. They aren't hurting each other just playing but it can get pretty rough.

I found a stray kitten under a building Tuesday night. She had her first vet appointment today and she is estimated to be 7 weeks old. I plan on keeping her.

Today after finding out from the vet that she is free of communicable diseases I let her out in the living room keeping a close eye on her.

The kitten seems to really like them but they are not into her. Dexter came over to smell her and she started following him around. He ran away from her and jumped up on a chair out of her reach. He just kind of watched her from a distance with his tail twitching.

Milo on the other hand does not like her at all and is making it known. He growls and hisses at her and watches her very closely. He got into her kitten carrier (it used to be his) when she got out, laid down in it and growled when she got close.

I gave the boys lots of treats when she was around and made sure to pat them and give them attention. I am not too worried about Dexter as he seems more annoyed by her then angry. Milo is very displeased. I was actually expecting it to be the other way around as Dexter is my sucky guy who gets jealous if I am not paying attention to him and Milo is very much an independent cat.

I am worried about them being aggressive with her. I don't plan on leaving them alone with her for quite awhile but I am worried that they will see her as small prey. My boys are indoor cats for the most part but they have escaped out the door a few times. The couple times Dexter has managed to spend the afternoon outdoors he has brought back a dead bird and a dead mouse. The kitten is under 2 lbs and might look a little mouse running around to him. I am worried that even if they do "accept" her that they will try to play with her the way they play with each other and that she will get hurt.

Are male cats problematic with kittens? I am worried that because they are brothers and so close that they might gang up on her being the new comer.

Should I keep trying out small introductions? or should I keep them isolated until she gets a bit bigger?

On an unrelated note I am trying to find a name for her. I am debating between Lola, Ivy & Amelia. What do you think? She is all black with big blue eyes

Thanks,
Tiffany & ...
Milo, Dexter & "kitten"

Thanks for your reply.

I did another supervised intro today with Dexter & the kitten (we decided on Lola). She followed him around and he didn't really seem to mind. No hissing or growling . She did pounce on him while he was laying down and he put his paw up to her without claws and got up and moved. I think it wont be long until he warms up to her.

Milo on the other hand is still not pleased. He was hissing at her a bit through the kennel that I have her set up in and did not come downstairs for the intro this afternoon.

I am hoping that if Dexter accepts her Milo will too.

Dexter seems to like her or at least tolerates her.

Milo still hasn't come around.

Attachment 14557
Dexter & Lola.

Attachment 14558
Dexter & Lola again.

Thanks Darlili. I have been following your advice.

Things seem to be going well with Dexter & the kitten. They play together and he seems to know that he needs to be gentle with her. They bat their paws back and forth and he doesn't pull out his claws. He lets her climb on him and play with his tail and overall he seems to enjoy her.

Milo is still hissing and growling. He likes to watch her from a distance but if she comes too close he gets vocal and tells her to back off.

I had all 3 of them in my room this morning. Dexter and Lola were playing and Milo watched from the safety of his cat tree. Later on Milo got down and him and Dexter got into a fight. It was really unusual. They do play rough but it seemed to me that they were mad at each other. They were making all kinds of noises and pinning each other to the ground. It scared Lola so much that she was shaking. I am worried now that bringing Lola home has ruined Milo & Dexter's relationship. I am not sure who started the scuffle or why but it was definitely aggressive. Milo & Dexter are brothers from the same litter and they have always gotten along. Anyone have any idea as to why they might suddenly start fighting?

Thanks Otto that is a great idea! Milo is very fond of food so this just might work! The only time he seems to not hate Lola is when he is eating. She was playing with his ears at dinner time and he was so busy enjoying his food that he forgot to growl.

We do have 4 litter boxes at the moment. Lola has her own kitten sized one but she seems to prefer one of the boys boxes that is low to the ground. I hope this wont cause any problems...

GoldenKitty45,

Thanks for the advice. I am trying not to interfere but I am watching very closely. When Milo growls and hisses should I tell him 'no'? When he starts growling I usually say his name and he will look up at me and stop until she gets too close again.

Thanks Nekochan! I think so too

She is being kept in a medium sized dog kennel with her bedding, litter, food/water & toys. I take her out when I am home and watch her closely when the boys are around. I usually bring her down to the living room with me and let her run around with the guys while I watch.

She adores them. She follows them around and tries to play with them. Dexter likes playing with her but Milo is not having any of it. I think he has made a little progress though. He is still growling and hissing but not as much. She pounced on him tonight and he batted her without claws. I don't think he wants to hurt her but he is annoyed and not liking the little intruder. I am going to keep trying

Thanks Strange_wings. She was given a dewormer when we were at the vets. I think it is called Milbemax? It was a pill. Do I still have to worry about worms? Her stool looks okay to me but I am no expert on cat feces... One thing I have noticed about her stool is that when hard it looks darker than the boys poop. It looks normal in color coming out but when dry it is almost black.... not sure if that is something to be alarmed about...

Thanks. I will ask at the vets, she is due for her next round of vaccinations soon anyways. I will drop off a stool sample as well just to be safe.

She is eating Max Cat kitten food (canned & dry) and Kitten Milk Replacement.

Things seem to be getting better with Milo. He no longer hisses or growls when she is near. He does get mad when she jumps on his head but I suppose that is understandable. He has been batting her around a little but it doesn't seem to be aggressive just a "I am annoyed with you, go away" sorta deal. I am still keeping a close eye on everybody and not leaving them alone unsupervised but things look promising!