Two new kittens run under the bed when i enter the room :(

meshmesh

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I know cats are creatures of habit and I'm afraid they will always run under the bed and I will never get to play with them.

Also, their mother stayed in my room with them for a month. She hissed at and attacked the other cats when they met outside the room when she came out to go to the sand. How do I restore peace among them? Will they other cats accepts the two new kittens?
 

Sarthur2

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The mom cat is being protective of her kittens and the other cats are jealous and want your attention. Eventually there should be a truce of some sort, at the least.

There is an article on this site that explains how to introduce cats to each other. Just be sure to supervise at all times.
 

red top rescue

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Did this start somewhere else?  I feel like I have come into an already going conversation.  History please.  The mother was there with the kittens for a month.  Where is she now?  How old are the kittens?  Yes, it would be normal for her to hiss at the other cats if she had to actually come out of the room to use the sand box.  I would have suggested for her to have one sandbox inside the room just for her and the kittens.  She obviously considered the room her safe cave.  If there was no sandbox in it, where did the kittens learn to pee and poop? 

The other cats are probably scared the mother cat will attack them so they are scared of the kittens in your room.  the kittens are probably afraid of the cats outside your room because the mother cat taught them to be.  It sounds like the mother cat was a feral cat, and the kittens grew up as feral kittens, even if they were in the room.  If that is true, this question might be better answered in the Caring for Strays and Ferals Forum.

Can you give us a little more background?
 

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Did this start somewhere else?  I feel like I have come into an already going conversation.  History please.  The mother was there with the kittens for a month.  Where is she now?  How old are the kittens?  Yes, it would be normal for her to hiss at the other cats if she had to actually come out of the room to use the sand box.  I would have suggested for her to have one sandbox inside the room just for her and the kittens.  She obviously considered the room her safe cave.  If there was no sandbox in it, where did the kittens learn to pee and poop? 

The other cats are probably scared the mother cat will attack them so they are scared of the kittens in your room.  the kittens are probably afraid of the cats outside your room because the mother cat taught them to be.  It sounds like the mother cat was a feral cat, and the kittens grew up as feral kittens, even if they were in the room.   If that is true, this question might be better answered in the Caring for Strays and Ferals Forum.

Can you give us a little more background?
We can surely answer and give advice we too, as several of us  are active in the Caring for Strays and Ferales too. 

But yes, the whole will be easier if you give more background info.

I think telling the background and the actual situation will make your own thoughs clearer too -  I mean, it is very often so the poster whom asked, often comes herself on the best solutions.

Making up the question is often the best way to find the answer.   @Meshmesh
 
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meshmesh

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Ok, thanks a lot for the questions. The background: I got the mother with her brother as little kittens in September. They may have been a couple of weeks old and we bottle / syringe fed them till they were able to eat on their own, so I guess we can't really call them feral, but they aren't persian or siamese, just regular cats, like the ones we see on the street in Egypt all the time.

I already had two cats between whom there was a power struggle but not noisy or violent. A cat from the street entered the house one day and all hell broke loose. There was like a civil war between the four cats and the kitten who is now the mother was (still is) the smallest in size and she was petrified a number of times when the older male cat hissed at and attacked her. Maybe that's why she doesn't trust them with her kittens? Her brother is twice her size and he's pretty good natured, keeps good relations with the other cats and defended her subtly a number of times.

She had the kittens about a month ago in my wardrobe. I sat by her while she gave birth. She stayed with the kittens in the same wardrobe for a while, then moved them. She even meouwed at me to let me know where she moved them. 

The first wardrobe had gotten dirty, so I cleaned it and put fresh stuff for them to sleep on, then I carried the kittens in front of her back to the now clean wardrobe. Next thing I knew she had taken them under the bed, the space she had discovered when the older (only months older) male cat attacked her. She kept them there for some time (may 10 or more days). Now when I enter the room they run under the bed.

I doubt the kittens know other cats exist. Now the other cats are hissing at her because she hissed at them and even scared them away, even her brother (who may be the father).

I have another question: would he know there are his kids? 

Is there any way I can have peace with all of them sitting, eating and playing together?

Hope this is not too long to read.

Thanks very much for any advice.
 

Sarthur2

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The kittens will eventually want to come out and explore beyond the bedroom. They may use under the bed as their safe place for awhile.

It sounds as though the other cats are unhappy that your cat has taken up residence in your room and they are not allowed in. And no, the father of the kittens will not know those kittens are his.

You will need to find some way to begin introducing the cats and kittens to one another in small doses. They will never get along if they spend no time together, but the kittens may be too young right now to do this on their own. You may want to let the other cats come in and smell the scent of the kittens initially. But you must supervise. It could be awhile before they accept one another, and you'll have to figure out how and when to give them supervised periods of time together.
 

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The mom and the probable father are apparently not spayed / neutered.

Are the two other adult residents spayed / neutered?   If not, please do it.   It will not only make the things easier, but may probably be the key to the situation.

Being spayed everyone, they tend to be more friendly, and not so touchy about revire.

Anyways, its usually best to isolate the mom with her kittens - just because the mom is so protective.   At least as long the kittens are small.

The exception is of course if they are good pals everyone...
 

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It seems funny to me that adult cats are usually afraid of little kittens.  I have a mother, two kittens, and two older Toms that are now neutered.  When first allowing them all to be together one of the Toms ran away from the kittens (I think he's the father.)  Then he hissed and batted at them when they got too close while the mother watched closely.  They now are one big happy family, truly a joy to watch.  So yes, it is possible.  But it has to be done slowly and supervised very closely.  I began introductions when the kittens were about 8 weeks old.  A bigger worry you may have is the lack of human/kitten socialization.  You want them to be able to trust you, their caregiver.  Did you say how old your kittens are?
 
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meshmesh

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I was surprised that the older cats are hissing at and running away from the kittens. It is such a relief to learn that this is normal behavior. The kittens are now exactly two months old. I started opening the door of the room they stay in with their mom and they venture out every once in a while. 
 
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meshmesh

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The mother won't let anybody into the room. She chases them out :) She is ok with them outside the room, but no other cat is allowed in. I guess she is protecting the space of her kittens. 
 

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The mother won't let anybody into the room. She chases them out :) She is ok with them outside the room, but no other cat is allowed in. I guess she is protecting the space of her kittens. 
Yes.  That is also her core revire, so she defends it.

Good to hear its going well.
 
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meshmesh

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Actually, its good you're here: any idea if she can get pregnant now while she's breastfeeding? She seems to be in heat. Now, I neutered the males, but i can't help but worry in case anything had gone wrong with that operation. My apartment really can't accommodate more than six cats :) 
 

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Yes, she can get pregnant while nursing.  Do Not let her out.  Neutered  males can still impregnate a female within a couple of weeks of surgery. 
 

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You can have her spayed any time now. The kittens are old enough. I'd recommend that you set up a spay appointment as her heat cycle winds down. Had my mama cat spayed at the end of her first heat when her kittens were 8 weeks old. Those 4 kittens are 16 weeks old today, and they were spayed and neutered at 12 weeks themselves. :)
 
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meshmesh

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The male had his surgery over two months ago, so I guess, he can't impregnate her, right? Hopefully.
 
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meshmesh

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I am dreading taking her to the vet. Last time I took her because I suspected she was pregnant. She jumped up the walls and no one could catch her. The vet said she wasn't pregnant, lol. He said, of course, without having had the chance to examine her, that she was just a fat, and thus (according to him) a healthy cat, that's all. Three weeks later she gave birth to her two kittens. 
 
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meshmesh

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hardly on top of anything, really. Trying. Thanks, everyone, for your help.
 

Sarthur2

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I'd change vets.

And they will sedate her to handle her for the surgery.

And no, he should not be able to impregnate her at this point, though he may respond to her like a male since she is in heat, especially if he was neutered after he was older.
 
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