Uh Oh!! Not The Happy Reunion I Expected! HELP!

As you all know, I brought Salem's sister home today. Well, it's not the happy reunion I expected!!! i am just going nuts. I need some help and advice. I haven't had two kitties at the same time before so I do not know what is normal or not normal. I thought they would be fine together since they are littermates and had been together. Spook (the female) is hissing and growling at him and Salem is chasing her around and then they are fighting and I am freaking out!!! I don't know what to do! Do I ignore this or yell to scare them apart or what??? I thought this would be a joyous day but I am all upset inside. Maybe for no reason but I have no idea if this is normal or not. PLEASE HELP!!!

Aimee, I've moved your thread to the Behavior forum, where you should get some good help with you question.

Originally Posted by okeefecl

Aimee, I've moved your thread to the Behavior forum, where you should get some good help with you question.

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I am sorry about that. I didn't mean to put it in the wrong spot. Thank you so much for moving it!!

i don't know what to tell you to do i got my daughter a kitten a week and a half ago, and my sister-in-law got my kitties sister we thought we could get them together to play and her's hates mine, mine chases hers around and they fight the whole time...it must be a sister thing

Actually, they probably don't smell familiar to each other anymore. With one of my sets of fosters I took a kitten with a fever into our vet and left him there overnight for monitoring, when I brought him back they acted like he was a stranger at first.

You should probably keep them seperated and let them smell each other through the door for a while. As though they weren't siblings (there is a lot of posts about this on the board). Since you just got Spook, put her in her own room, make sure she has toys, food, water, etc. You may not even want to introduce them today, but when you do, do it slowly. Open the door a little, let them sniff, seperate them if they fight again. Etc.

And it's totally normal, so don't stress too much.

They don't remember each other and each cat now smells different. Separate them let them find their way with each other over time. Don't rush the intros and if you can put a screen door between them instead of a solid door, that will help speed along the process

you need to seperate them asap, and start with the introtuction course,
like everyone has said its because they dont smell the same anymore and they dont recognise each other, but if you start the introduction from the start then they will be okay in a few weeks

yes, it's the scent that has "grown" with them in their personal development. I recall when we got Freddie (RIP 11/9/03 ) from across the street, he was just 14 weeks. He came from a large litter, 1/2 of which stayed across the street. After he was socialized into our household for about 3 weeks, we let him out again and there were spats w/his sisters all over the place. He didn't remember them and they smelled different!

Well I really appreciate the comments and advice. I am just all upset inside. Like I said, I have never had two kitties before and this just makes me a nervous wreck. I put up a gate between the living room and the bedroom and are letting them look at each other. Salem keeps walking up to it and she is growling at him fiercely!
I should have been more prepared, I had this thought in my head that they would get along magically because of being siblings and only apart for a couple days.
I am sorry, I hope you guys aren't irritated with me.
This is why I have never had two kitties before because I was too afraid of them not getting along.

You need to separate them, especially since she has just been desexed. She needs some time to recover.

Exactly, thanks Sam!!! And get a Feliway in each room they are in. Talk to them softly, constantly. It will be ok - kittens are so incredibly resilient. And their brain cells are growing so fast in 1 week they won't remember a thing and hopefully be all lovey. You are doing great!!

Yea, adult cats are harder to introduce, same litter or not. When we have had to seperate older cats, we did try and have them to where they could still see and smell each other. They were safely apart, but the transition time was less than keeping them apart totally. We always used a large crate for about two days that was open all all sides, set in the side room, but had access to seeing everyone...then in a couple of days after the growling goes down, just open the door for short periods while we were home..it always worked well.

Went to get some Feliway, another litterbox and another food dish. When I got back home, I separated Salem and Spook with an open gate so they could see and smell each other. Spook jumped the gate. I put her back in. We went through this for a few minutes then I switched their places. Well then, here comes Spook. They tussled for a minute on the floor then Spook went and laid on the couch. Salem came and laid under the computer desk. Now look at where they are...... asleep but I am hoping that this is good progress for us all!!! I would have just kept separating them as you all suggested.
Check this out!

awwwwwww yay! Aimee its possible they just needed to be reaquanted with each other's scents. Especially if Spook went to the vet recently. She prolly has lots of other smells on her now too. Hope this picture means smooth sailing in your future.

awww theyll be ok spook probbaly smelled like the vet and salem didnt like that! when fin got fixed he smelled like the vet and shadow had a fit until he realized it was the same old finnegan hehe

Originally Posted by berylayn

awwwwwww yay!

Aimee its possible they just needed to be reaquanted with each other's scents. Especially if Spook went to the vet recently. She prolly has lots of other smells on her now too. Hope this picture means smooth sailing in your future.

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Man, I hope so!! They are stressin me out I tell ya! Just like what you are going through with Ebony and Lilly. And as I said before, I have very little patience because I just want them to get along right away so I am all upset because they aren't!
I sure hope they start being friends. They are going to give their meowmy a breakdown!! LOL

Originally Posted by RoyalEnchntrss

awww theyll be ok spook probbaly smelled like the vet and salem didnt like that! when fin got fixed he smelled like the vet and shadow had a fit until he realized it was the same old finnegan hehe

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Thank you!! I am such a worrier!! I didn't even think about the smells but that makes total sense. My mom was just over and while they were playin (which I thought was fighting) she laughed at me and said, "they are like little kids, they are playing just like my kitties at the barn!" So, I guess I am getting overly crazy! But I swear, they were not sounding like playing earlier!!!

Look at these pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just wanted to cry I was so happy. I hope this means that they will get along......

OH Ciera that is the best news!!!! FANTASTIC!

Thank you! I sure hope it stays that way little stinkers gettin their mommy all upset before.

OMG, I cannot believe how much energy these two have, it's unreal!! They are literally bouncing off the walls!!
Now just a little bit ago Spook was in the litter box and Salem went to see what was going on but he left her alone once he seen what she was doing. Glad for that! I have 2 litterboxes now so they each have a place to go and they are already going in each others'. There is still some hissing and rolling but I guess that's normal for kittens???
Man, no for momma tonight.