Oh my Goodness, ANOTHER kitten showed up at my house on Monday!

I took in a litter of 4 kittens from my shed this summer.  They were very feral at first and are pretty good now, at least when they're in 'their' room (sunroom).  When they come out in the main house, which is pretty new to them, they are (I assume) more on high alert or something, because then I can barely catch them ... hoping some day they act like they do in the sunroom in the whole house (will they?)

Anyway, now a kitten about 4 months of age showed up - right about the same age but a bit younger maybe?  I'm not sure since it's got a different type of fur.  On Monday it wouldn't get me get close but already by yesterday it was purring, running up to me, letting me pet it.  This little thing is so cute!  It's all alone ...

So I'm taking her in to get fixed (THINK it's a she) tonight and after she heals I was thinking of bringing her in.  How do you think a litter of kittens will accept another kitten about the same age?  Do you think being around the other kittens will make this new one less friendly to me? 

I'm wishing, after seeing this lone kitty be SO affectionate, that I would have separated the kittens I have inside.  They put up with us but don't CRAVE love like this new kitten does.

Here's a picture ...

She is too cute. I almost feel like the opposite may happen, if the other kittens see her being affectionate to you, they may come out of their shell a little more. Bring treats with you to give them too. Something they can only get when you are there, food always seems to work 

If this new little kitten is as friendly as you say, do you think she might have a home? You never know, she could have escaped from a loving home and her owners could be looking for her!

I'd take her in but see if you can try and find her family.

I live out of town and no really close neighbors.  The kitten wasn't friendly at first but warmed up fast - I don't know.  People around here drive me crazy because they allow their barn cats to breed like crazy and take no steps to get them spayed or neutered. 

I put the kitten into a pet crate and brought her into the house to see the other kittens - they all hissed at her.  The newbie didn't hiss at all.  We stayed in there for about 10 minutes and then I took her back out.  Do I just keep doing this until they interact through the crate and then, when they no longer hiss, try letting the kitten out? 

While you're waiting for people with more experience with strays and ferals, have a read through this on introducing cats: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats

Any introductions are going to be long and involved unless you're very lucky.. and it's best not to push things.  I would put her in a 'safe room' for the time being, if that is an option.

She's a gorgeous kitty..

She could have been someone's unwanted pet that got dumped near your house. She seems a little too friendly too quickly for a barn cat. As Emmilyy said, it wouldn't hurt to see if she has an owner.

Before you introduce her to your other kittens make sure you get her tested for FIV and FIL and get her first lot of vaccinations done too. It would be terrible if they passed anything on to each other.

I think seeing other cats having fun with people is a good way to get the more feral kittens socialised. Could you rig up a screen door, a baby gate, some netting, anything that the kittens could see you through over the door to their sun room and play with her just outside? The sight of a wand toy or the promise of some treats soon makes cats forget that they don't like people or each other. As they're still all so young you have a really good chance of getting them all socialised.

Thank you for doing so much for them.

Could be (that it was a pet) but I understand why if it were a pet, why the person hasn't gone around asking about the kitten.  My one neighbor I told about the kitten didn't know a thing about it.  I only have one other neighbor on my road and the other people are all pretty far away.  But again, if it were MY kitten missing, I'd make flyers and go around door to door in the entire area looking for it.  Nobody has done that.

This is my take on "dumped" cats. The owners don't deserve to ever get them back! If this kitten was being taken care of properly, it wouldn't have been outside wandering around, hungry, and craving affection and care from another person. I live on a block where people sometimes dump unwanted cats. I'm not sure why--perhaps it's because we have a small patch of woods surrounding us, or word has gotten out that there are lots of people on my block who will care for and even take in stray cats. All of the stray cats that have been taken in by my neighbors and I were hungry and in need of care, and none had collars or microchips, so even if someone were to show up and request their cat back, they wouldn't get it back, because they don't deserve to have pets.

It's wonderful that you have such a big heart and are taking care of this kitten! She definitely sounds like a stray and not a feral, so you will be able to socialize her to yourself, indoor living, and your other kittens pretty easily. She will want to fit in, because she will want to be loved and cared for by a human. Strays understand when they're being rescued, and they love the humans who help them. If you're not able to keep another cat, now is the time to find a friend, co-worker, family member, or responsible neighbor to adopt her. If you get her fixed and vaccinated first, then you won't have to worry about it not getting done, and it will make the cat more adoption friendly. So of course I advise you to take her inside now! Kittens love to play--purchase a wand toy and engage all of the kittens with it. They are not seriously going to hurt each other, though there will be some hissing and tail puffing.

I will be at a feline health conference all day today but will be back to offer some help/advice!

MsAimee, that is kind of my general attitude, too.  I'm just so tired of all the dogs that people around here don't even bother to tie up in their yard or keep an eye on.  I walk my dog daily and right now there are 2 houses that I'm 'on guard' when I walk by with aggressive dogs that aren't on leashes.  Last summer 2 dogs came running out across the highway and one got hit - it was very traumatic to witness and of course even worse for the dog.  There are several other houses that I've had issues with over the years.  I guess people think because they're not 'in town' that they don't have to tie up their dog if they're going to leave it out.  My dog isn't trained well to come when called or stay in the yard, and when I put him out to go potty (which is usually only 1 or maybe 2x per day because he does his duty on his walk), he gets up on a leash at the door and comes right back in.  I'd never just open the door and let him out because it's easier, because I know if there was something down by the highway that would interest him and he decided to run out there, he wouldn't listen to me calling him.  So yeah, I'm kind of 'annoyed' at my neighbors (most of them) from the get go. 

Kitty is at the clinic right now getting fixed.  When she comes home, she'll recover in the dog crate that the feral kittens were in for their first couple of weeks. 

I have another question about my other kitties but I'll start a new thread since it's off topic

Wow - kudos to you for acting so quickly. I don't think it will take long for all the kittens to get to know one another. Hoping the newbie teaches the residents how much love a human can give.

Actually at this young of an age, you could literally plop the new kitten in a room and let them get acquainted all on their own if you wanted to.

They still have kitten mentality unlike adults do, and will be fine.

A slower introduction is not a bad thing at all, and likely alot of others will say you should do this, but just wanted to mention that the hissing and puffy tails is no big deal at all, typical when they are 7 weeks and over, but it doesn't last for more than an hour.

You are correct, separating your kittens would have made a nice sized difference, but that's water under the bridge right?

It's not too late to do that either if you chose to, as they still infect one another with fear and distance.

Oh! Didn't want to forget to say props to you for fixing right away!!

I locked the new kitten up over night in the dog crate in the cat room, but other than that, he's been out and free in there with the other 4 kittens since yesterday morning.  This morning the feral kittens seem to STILL have a huge bug up their @%#%^ toward the new kitten.  I thought at first a bit of progress with the boldest one, but maybe not (she was sniffing but then later literally ran up to him while he was playing just to hiss and swipe).  These 4 ferals (not truly 'feral' anymore, but they're NEVER going to be kittens like the new guy who showed up, I don't think) are NOT laid back.  How long do you think it will be before they fully accept their new friend?  The new kitten I think is probably a couple of weeks younger, but they're all still kittens and about the same size.

** Newbie kitty is just playing away, having fun all by himself, he is the sweetest thing.  He's not afraid of the others, but all the others just sit around, not being their usual selves, just staring at him.

They may never be buddies but they will learn to co-exist.  Right now, I think the resident kitties' main problem is that this is a change and cats hate change.  The newbie gets that this is a good deal, so he's not complaining or challenging things.  But the residents see him as a threat, so they're going to fuss for a bit.  I wouldn't worry too much - let them figure it out.  Just watch to make sure they don't gang up on him.

Thanks - that is disappointing.  I was hoping since they were only 4-5 months old that they could accept him.  Well, I guess only time will tell.  They don't seem to be ganging up or being too agressive - could be worse, I guess.  They're just not being nice.  I don't even know how I'm ever going to take a couple of them to the vet if they turn back into feral kittens the second they see a strange face.  I thought by taking them in young and giving them lots of love, they'd 'snap out' of their feralness, but it seems like they might never ... the boy kitten (the ferals are 3 girls, 1 boy) seems to be the most laid back.  And like I might have said above, the one that was the big sweetie in the beginning (well, I wouldn't go THAT far, lol, but she seemed like the sweetest one) is now the biggest 'jerk' of the lot.  Don't get me wrong, I love them all ... I'm just using these words as descriptors.  I realize they're all doing the best they can.  I am very proud/happy with them for what, at least seems to be, absolutely perfect litter box usage. 

Remember, too, that their behavior may not be so much feral as being kittens.  They have a lot of energy, they have it good and they aren't about to risk loosing it.  Personalities among cats are as varied as personalities among people, so, as you said, time will tell.  It is wonderful that you've rescued them.

You've only had the new kitten for about a week, right? It's unrealistic to expect even very young cats to bond immediately. They have to work out issues of dominance and territory within your house, and this would be the case even if they had all been born domesticated. I suspect that within a month they will be co-existing relatively peacefully and that at least one of the older kittens will accept the newbie. Have you tried playing with all of them in the same room with a wand toy? Play therapy goes a long way in helping cats to bond with each other. Good luck and don't get too discouraged! 

Thanks for the advice. Good to know I'm expecting too much too fast - gives me hope

I think past 5 months too is where they begin to get out of the total kitten way of thinking, and start getting into the territorial thing.

You have 4 girls and 1 boy?

Oh my, you will surely have your hands full while the girls are all figuring out who is who in the home, it's like wrungs on a ladder, who's top, next, next, and so on.

The males are usually under the girls.