Second kitten (success stories you can share?)

gearpunk

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jul 29, 2016
Messages
9
Purraise
1
Hey!

So I just brought home a new rescue kitten, she's only 3 months old.
I currently have a 7 month old kitten who absolutely hates her. She growls and hisses at the door that Ellie is currently residing in.

I know the proper way of introducing cats is to keep them separated with like smelling items so they can get acquainted better, but we had a bit of a slip and they came face to face, I had to grab Oakley and get her out before she could go after Ellie (3 month old).

Did this slip mess everything up? Is my little asshole going to eventually warm up to little Ellie? Success stories anyone??

A little back story, the upstairs cat was a bully to Oakley so I have a feeling that had a bad influence on her so now she's an asshole too. Also Oakley is fixed.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #2

gearpunk

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jul 29, 2016
Messages
9
Purraise
1
Edit because it won't let me edit it; I've read every article and even watched Galaxy's 'super market question' guide. Just want success stories for encouragement.
 

Anne

Site Owner
Staff Member
Admin
Joined
Oct 23, 2000
Messages
40,207
Purraise
6,095
Location
On TCS
I think success is measured by your expectations. 

Will they become best friends? Maybe. And maybe not. Some cats are just better off as being single pets and queens of their household. That doesn't mean you can't have them living with another cat but they may never warm up to the newcomer to the point of sleeping hugged together etc. 

In my experience, kittens usually do fairly well with meeting other kittens. In your case, they're both still kittens so the odds are very good. I wouldn't worry too much about the slip-up. These things happen and since they never got into a fight, they should move on fairly quickly. Just carry on with the introductions as planned, don't rush it and above all, stay calm. Never shout, raise your voice, make sudden movements, stare at them or at any way add stress to their encounters. Just stay relaxed, work according to your plan and have faith in them. They will eventually get along.

As for personal success stories, I had a "solitary empress" type of cat and she was quite aggressive too. We adopted another kitten when she was about the same age as your cat, to keep her company. Roughly the same ages you have there. They never became close friends (although he did try) but they co-existed very peacefully for almost twenty years.

I know you said you read a lot but just in case, this guide covers pretty much everything (if you follow the links in it) -
[article="32680"]How To Successfully Introduce Cats The Ultimate Guide  [/article]
 

keirarizu

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jun 17, 2016
Messages
22
Purraise
4
Location
Oshawa, ON
When I first brought Bennie home, we were living in a house where there were two other cats-Sirus, a shy, grey tabby shorthair, and Ziggy, the giant 'man of the house' Maine Coon mix. Sirus was afraid but curious, while Ziggy hissed his tail off.

Every time Ziggy got a whiff of Bennie, he would hiss and hiss through the screen door divider we had set up.

I did all I could- I used the sock method, left his scent where I could- and in about a week and a halfs time, Bennie broke out of the basement and we ran upstairs when we found out- saw the two of them sitting on the couch. No hissing- all good lol.

Oakly just might be a bit territorial- just give them more time- I hear kittens are more adaptable so keep trying :)

I also introduced the two cats face to face at first and it messed nothing up [emoji]9786[/emoji]️ I really hope the two kitties get along soon- its a completely stressful situation- especially if your like me and it was your first time experiencing this~

Ps- extra success motivator?

Bennie's the fluffy one and the giant guys Ziggy [emoji]128522[/emoji]
 

di and bob

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
16,577
Purraise
22,949
Location
Nebraska, USA
Since they are both so young, I would predict that they will be fine but it WILL take a while. It will take several weeks if not months for this to happen, months is usually with older cats. Since they are both females you will have a little issue of both being divas and wanting to rule over the household, there may be a small issue here. make sure either one has a high place to get away to when they are finally with each other, my Chrissy was on top of the fridge for months. Females usually do a LOT of hissing, yowling and growling, but little else. That too will subside after they become more interested in each other as a playmate and companion instead of an interloper. Cats HATE CHANGE, and you have introduced it into your household. It seems like it will never happen, but they WILL warm to each other in time. Feed them closer and closer to each other to bring on warm feelings. let them see each other without a chance of getting together to let them get used to the idea of another cat in the house. I have went through this MANY times with probably twenty cats and have only had one that absolutely would not accept another cat around, and she was older and had kittens and had had to defend herself outside fro a long time before I helped her. Although your little girl is acting like an 'A' hole she will come around, don't yell or scare her, that will just make her dig in. You can firmly tell her 'NO' when she growls if trying to calm her with treats and strokes doesn't work. Be careful of redirected aggression, they may turn on you if you touch and startle them. She is acting perfectly normal, time is on your side, don't try to rush it.  Please keep us posted!
 

clmgordon

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 14, 2015
Messages
147
Purraise
71
Location
mountains and beaches of North Carolina
They may never be best friends, but they will learn to live together eventually.

Here's a very recent success story:

I just got a rescue kitten recently, too. She is incredibly affectionate but everytime my spoiled chubby 1 year old male saw her, he pinned her down by the throat. I thought the relationship was doomed to fail, but I came home to this last night:


They still have a long way to go, but they are learning how to interact with each other.
It may take a long time and a lot of patience, but your kittens will learn to accept each other.

Good luck!
 

Kieka

Snowshoe Servant
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Messages
11,394
Purraise
19,962
Location
Southern California
I have three (well two mine and one my Moms, Nightfury the oldest, Link the middle and Rocket the baby) all a year apart. I've think the younger the kitten the easier older cats have accepting them and kittens are very much go with the flow creatures.

Nightfury didn't like Rocket at first and it took him a good three months to warm up to her (he was 2 years and she was 4 months) whereas Link (who was 1 year old) adapted to having a little sister he could play with much better. Rocket likes Nightfury for cuddles and grooming but she annoys him sometimes so he sometimes bats her away. Rocket likes Link for playtime and hides with him when scared and Link loves and protect her. Link and Nightfury aren't particularly close; not that they dislike each other but they don't groom, cuddle or seek each other out they also don't avoid each other. 

The first photo was at about three months after we got Rocket and Nightfury's first time not hissing at Rocket. The second photo is them cuddled together after a year of Rocket being here. 


 

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,708
Purraise
64,891
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
Each cat is an individual, just as each person is, so IDK what the outcome will be in your personal situation, but I've intro'd new cats to my multicat family many times over the years, and I've never had a failure.  Cats, like people, adjust to new situations/make friends at different rates, so patience and caring are always key.  When I adopt, I adopt FOR LIFE, so I'm always determined that it will work out.  It's taken as little as a week, or as long as a year, for this to happen, but it does always happen.  Trust your cats.  
 

Alicia88

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 25, 2016
Messages
3,917
Purraise
10,616
Location
Kirksville, MO
I've mentioned my cat, Storm, who disappeared and was found by an older lady who I let keep her.  I was staying with my mom when I found Storm.  There weren't any other cats there at that point.  She settled in quite nicely.  Someone my mom worked with had some kittens to give away.  So, Pumpkin became part of the family.  Pumpkin hid for the first 2 days.  She would come out to eat but as soon as she saw a human, she would scram.  I finally got sick of this so I sat down with Storm and said, "Baby girl, Pumpkin has been hiding way too long.  Why don't you go back there and talk to her and tell her that people are nice and we won't hurt her and she'll get lots of cuddles?"  Believe it or not, but this is a completely true story.  Anyway, Storm hopped down and went behind the washing room where Pumpkin was hiding.  A few minutes later, they both came out and Pumpkin jumped up onto my lap and from that moment on, she demanded constant attention.  She's still doing that with my mom and sister.  Anyway, about a month later, my mom was on her way home from work.  She works at a nursing home and can't leave until all her charting is done and there is another LPN to replace.  She NEVER gets off when she's supposed to because she isn't lazy about her job and always helps the nurses' aids with their work.  Well, that night mom was getting home a little after 1 am.  A couple of blocks from her place, she found this teeny tiny half starved kitten.  She looked just as skinny as Anubis in his first pics.  Fortunately, she wasn't sick.  Anyway, mom brought her home and named her Sunshine.  Storm and Pumpkin were good friends by this point.  They cuddled together, groomed each other, etc.  When they saw Sunshine, they both hissed and growled at her.  For 2 days, they wouldn't have anything to do with her.  Then, the third evening, I walked into one of the bedrooms and all three of them were on the bed - Storm and Pumpkin giving little Sunshine a proper kitty bath.  As soon as they saw me, they both jumped up and ran out of the room, but it was too late.  I'd already caught them being nice to the baby and they mothered her from that point on.  Pumpkin and Sunshine are still as close as thieves.
 

kristara

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Messages
11
Purraise
4
Location
Florida
I have an 18mo old and was given a tiny kitten 6 weeks ago,I honestly never separated them or did the scent thing, partially because I had no clue partially because that's a lot of stress in a one bedroom house.
It took about 2 weeks for my older cat to get use to the kitten being here (in the beginning the older one hissed growled and boot scooted out the cat door).
By week 3 they were playing, which actually involved a lot of biting and swatting but my kitten was taken from her mom and litter wayyy too early so my 18mo old was teaching her biting hurts etc the normal things they learn from their litter mates which was awesome because the kitten prior was constantly biting and she doesn't do that anymore. They're totally fine together now though
 

elkie

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 26, 2016
Messages
60
Purraise
11
I wouldn't worry about the slip up. My kitty Mogget is about 2 months and Seven is 6 months, just brought the little one home last week. I also messed up the introduction. They were separated just a few days. Seven hissed and attacked him for a day or two but now they spend all of their time playing and sleeping each other. It's definitely possible for them to get along :) just make sure the new kitten gets seen by the vet before they're introduced.
 
Last edited:

mwilder91

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Sep 8, 2016
Messages
3
Purraise
7
When we introduced our 3 month old DMH Kaiju to our 6 month old Siamese Ripley, we were afraid they might NEVER get along. The new kitten was curious about her but she wanted nothing to do with him. We did the whole procedure of putting the new cat in his isolation room, let them smell each other's blankets, and after two days allowed them to see each other by putting a wedge in the door. The next day, we supervised them in the same room and the Siamese would hiss and growl and try to fight him. We would carefully supervise for short visits at a time but she was still upset. After a week of this they must have just called a truce because they just suddenly clicked and started to play together. All cats are different, some take more time than others, but ultimately I believe most will learn to at minimum respect each other's space, and if you're lucky, they'll become friends.


 

catmom marcia

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Aug 11, 2016
Messages
181
Purraise
99
Location
Virginia Beach, VA, USA
I'm sure the hate is temporary!  99 times out of 100, given enough time the babies learn to coexist and even be friends within 2 weeks!  Play and yummy food are the best equalizers.
 

rescueruthie

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Sep 8, 2016
Messages
2
Purraise
3
I have learned over many years of experience a basic routine. I usually maintain 4 or 5 household pet cats, plus I rescue whoever comes along for adopting out. 1) The maintained pets must be absolutely secure that they are loved, and each one should feel they are your "favorite." If they are well-fed and cared for, they cope better with introductions. 2) Routines should never change, except I feed and pet my "forever cats" right before the intro. 3) The new animal must have all their scent washed off, and preferably have some kind of "covering" aroma, such as chamomile, clover, citrus, catnip, or our own household towels or clothing. 4) Distance and protection should be maintained for all. I usually put the new cat in a closed cat carrier, and place them in a spare room with the room door open. This is less of an invasion of territory. The forever cats can come and go, investigate, return to their own food and beds, and still feel secure. The foster cat feels safe. We are fighting powerful instincts here! 5) I feed and groom the forever cats and intro cat several times while the others are watching at this safe distance. My behavior sets an example for them. 6) I proactively play the role of Alpha Cat, and do not allow any disagreements. Disagreeable behavior is not punished, but gets a time out with the room door closed for a little while. If the threat does not pass, I continue the interactions enforcing peace. I never leave the intro cat alone with the regular cats until I am reassured. Reassurance occurs when they start to groom each other and share extra food. 7) The newby has to have its very own food dish and location, and bed and location. This is less of a threat. They will all share when they all feel secure. This usually works for me so well that the forever cats grieve when the rescue cats leave.
 

camillel

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Sep 10, 2015
Messages
174
Purraise
60
Location
Mahopac, NY
Last year I brought home Salem at 6 weeks old. I already have Sam Adams 8yrs old and Tigger 14 years old. I tried putting Salem in a separate room the first night. It did not work She clawed the door for 15min straight and was yeowling. I let her out and watched all three cats. There was some growling and  a whole lot of sniffing. I threw a few extra toys on the floor everyone was playing with different ones but of course Salem being the kitten had to try everyone elses. To make a long story short all three have been getting along since. They have their brother and sister arguments once in a while but they do get along Just be patient and give it some time. The picture you see is day 2 of having Salem
 

rescueruthie

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Sep 8, 2016
Messages
2
Purraise
3
This is all good and I'm glad. I was just suggesting a preventative approach where I don't dump the new cat directly into the living room where the other cats hang out. I don't close the door to the other room, and I of course let them out if it seems OK. I just go with the cats communication and I try to cause the least stress to all of them. The only time I had a problem with compatibility was when I did not wash the scent off first. But I do find older cats and mother cats often want kittens around. With some cats it is instant love, and some take an hour or two, and some take a whole day. So many cats are homeless, it is worth it to help the intros along any way we can.
 

whatsonemore

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Aug 15, 2016
Messages
115
Purraise
35
Location
Midwest
Every cat truly is different as far as personalities go.  I have one older cat that never has a problem at all with the new cats coming, which have been five since he came.  The 2nd cat I took in likes his space and may growl or walk off in a huff if one of the kittens (now 1 yr old) gets in it, but he ultimately accepts everyone .  The third cat I took in is a tortoiseshell and they seem to have a reputation.  She's been the slowest of all of my cats to warm up to the other cats.  She actually has and does do better when she's outside with everyone, especially the kittens.  She seems to kind of go through phases with her like and dislike for them.  One minute she doesn't want them to be near her and the next she's bringing in a mouse or something and letting them have it.  Most of the time when they are all indoors, she basically keeps her distance from everyone and prefers to eat in the room alone and kind of be her own independent woman cat. The three young cats had no problems with any of the other cats or dogs and still seem confused as to why the other two cats don't love being close to them.  They just give the older cats space usually and we have peace.  Every cat is different in their accepting of new cats, but ultimately, I have found, they all work it out in due time.  

Just remember to give equal love and attention to both cats, not just the new one.  Good luck.
 

kristara

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Messages
11
Purraise
4
Location
Florida
My Siamese are indoor outdoor, the kitten can't reach the cat door quite yet thankfully so my 18mo old, Felicia, has an escape when Felicity gets on her nerves. I honestly for a while thought Felicia wasn't too fond of the kitten but I've noticed her agging on the kitten just as much and I've even caught them cuddling on the cat tower when I enter the room in a rush, then my older one growls, swats and gets down like bih please i hate that lil thing lol. Not sure if it's a cat thing or a Siamese as I'm new to cats altogether but they brighten each others lives even with the occasional fight I think they'd both be devastated to lose the other. I've noticed a drastic change in my 18mo old stuck up loner, she's truly found her youth playing with the 12wk old.
Gotta cut my fur family off at 2 Siamese and a pitbull though, wish I could have a bunch of kitties lol
 

kristara

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Messages
11
Purraise
4
Location
Florida
Ohhhh
Has anyone had a kitten that tried to bury/ cover up food, treats etc?
I have tile floor and my kitten tries to bury extra treats and her food bowl.
She was dumped on me at like 5wks old with a few medical issues and I figured she did it because she was hungry prior but after 8wks in my home she still does it, don't get me wrong it's hilarious, wish I could post a video but I'm worried that it may be becoming an unhealthy obsession, now she even tries to bury her litter box after I clean it, from outside the litter box, on the tile, for 5++ minutes. She has unlimited food, gets treats on a daily basis and I clean her box regularly. Not sure why she still tries to hide the things she covets.
Anyone ever experience this?
 

Alicia88

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 25, 2016
Messages
3,917
Purraise
10,616
Location
Kirksville, MO
I've heard of cats doing that.  Kind of an instinctual thing to hide food from other animals.
 
Top