Brand new, Cat intro questions!

Unfortunately I haven't had time to lurk for a while and get to know some people. Either way, here I am and hello. =)

I've had my cat for 15 years. He's always been a bit aloof and sometimes grouchy, but he hasn't gotten senile and crotchety yet.

A friend of mine recently got a kitten. Right after she got her, she had to go out of town for a week, so the kitten (Isabelle) stayed with me. She was still tiny and really didn't wander off, and the handful of times my cat came into the room he pretty much ignored her.

Anyway, now she's asking if I want the kitten (she can't keep her because she really bothers her boyfriend's allergies). I really do, and I fell in love with her when I had her for a week. But, what are the chances that things would really work out between the cats? If I decided to take her, it would be on a trial basis and if things just didn't work my friend and I would find her a different home. Has anyone else introduced a solitary old man-cat to a young female kitten? He's neutered - I've heard neutered males really don't like to fight. Is that true?

Also, my cat's on a prescription food (for urinary tract infections). I would try to get the kitten to adjust to three (eventually two) meals a day and hopefully she would learn to eat it all then, like a dog, so my cat wouldn't get her food. But what can I do about his? He's on a free feeding schedule because he's so old.

Suggestions? Ideas?

Thanks much in advance!

Welcome to TCS

If your old cat has already met the kitten and there have been no fights, then hopefully all will be fine. Follow the introduction procedures mentioned on this board, and just make sure you take things slowly Also make sure you get Isabelle spayed when she's old enough, just to ensure things stay ok.

As for feeding, is there any reason that the kitten can't be free fed too? Having food down all day for one cat and not expecting the other to eat it will be extremely frustrating! You could feed them seperately, but that would mean scheduled feedings for both.

Good luck!

Hi and Welcome to TCS! I hope you'll be sticking around for a while and will introduce yourself and your kitties to us in the New Cats on the Block forum!

If your older cat has not shown any interest in the kitten, things should be ok! But I would certainly keep an eye on them until you are sure things are going to go well!

As Purity said, check out the instructions for Introducing Cats , these will help things move well and help both kitties to adjust!

It will be difficult to keep the kitten out of the food because as she's only a baby, she will eat almost constantly! Would it be possible to free feed them both? Are you home to keep an eye on the food?

I know that someone with more experience with this will be along soon to give you some better advice!

I'd also be concerned your older cat might find the kitten food tastes better if you free fed. Maybe when your gone you can put the kitten in a bedroom with her own food. Not the easiest solution but it might work.

Ok Id like to ask a question in this thread since its here.. Ive just read the link to the introductions thread and it says about keeping the cats seperate. Well, we're getting a new kitten in a few weeks, when they are ready to be rehomed. We currently have Sleeves, whos still just a baby himself really, at 6 months.
So, we live in a 2 bedroomed flat and Sleeves main room Id say (although he owns the whole flat) is our bedroom. Thats where we keep the litter and food. So I dont really know where we would keep another cat?? The best place would be the bedroom but Sleeves wouldnt understand why he wasnt allowed in, esp since he sleeps with us at night, or should I say, we sleep with him..

Originally Posted by Pombina

Ok Id like to ask a question in this thread since its here.. Ive just read the link to the introductions thread and it says about keeping the cats seperate. Well, we're getting a new kitten in a few weeks, when they are ready to be rehomed. We currently have Sleeves, whos still just a baby himself really, at 6 months.
So, we live in a 2 bedroomed flat and Sleeves main room Id say (although he owns the whole flat) is our bedroom. Thats where we keep the litter and food. So I dont really know where we would keep another cat?? The best place would be the bedroom but Sleeves wouldnt understand why he wasnt allowed in, esp since he sleeps with us at night, or should I say, we sleep with him..

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When we were in that situation I bought a dog cage, because they are quite big there was plenty of room for litter tray, food dishes, cushion etc. and kept it in our bedroom. During the day she had the run of the bedroom ( sit in there to do my cross-stitch) and at night we put her in the cage, so that our other cat could sleep on the bed as usual. Also because they could see and talk! to each other they became friends quite quickly.
Anne

Originally Posted by Anakat

When we were in that situation I bought a dog cage, because they are quite big there was plenty of room for litter tray, food dishes, cushion etc. and kept it in our bedroom. During the day she had the run of the bedroom ( sit in there to do my cross-stitch) and at night we put her in the cage, so that our other cat could sleep on the bed as usual. Also because they could see and talk! to each other they became friends quite quickly.
Anne

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aaah good idea! what did you do with cat number 1 while cat number 2 was roaming around the room? just shut him out? did this cause problems?

Hi, some of our cats would always 'finish' the cats meals if allowed, but we (first) feed them at regular times each day, and (second) stay around for the 5 mins. it takes them to eat to monitor the that the others only eat their own food, and put away all dishes when they're done. When (often) someone doesn't finish a meal, we stick the dish away for 10-20 mins., then bring it out again (with the right cat) to be finished, keeping the other cats at bay again, then put the dish away with the other ones til next feeding time. It ought to be faster and easier with only one other cat to deal with.

Originally Posted by Pombina

aaah good idea! what did you do with cat number 1 while cat number 2 was roaming around the room? just shut him out? did this cause problems?

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Yes,we shut him out, he was downstairs with my husband, he didn't mind, he prefers my husband to me anyway :bawling

I can't let the kitten free feed because my old cat cannot have -any- other food, treats, etc. due to his diet. I've tried letting him have some other things before, and it seemed to really throw off his system. So..if all goes well socially, that would be a major concern, still.

Thanks much for the prompt replies, any more ideas would be welcomed! =)

Could you feed the kitten canned food 2 or 3 times a day, separated in another room away from the older cat? Between meals the kitten may nibble on the old guy's food, but she should find canned stuff more appealing and eat that mostly. And a little of the prescription food won't hurt the kitten so long as she's getting the bulk of her calories from a proper kitten food.

That was more or less how I handled my kitten when he was a youngster and 6 older cats needed their senior diets. My kitten ended up eating quite a bit of senior food, especially after he was 9 mo. old or so, by then I stopped worrying about keeping him to his own food. That didn't seem to hurt him any, 6 years later, he's 14 pounds beautiful and healthy as a horse.

Good idea. I'll call a vet and verify that there aren't any health concerns with the kitten occasionally getting some of my cat's food.

Also, update! My friend's mom really wants the kitten out of the house -now- (she's apparently bothering everybody's allergies) so my friend asked me if I could at least kitten-sit while she finds her a new home. So, I told her I'd go ahead and try Isabelle on a trial basis (three weeks, maybe?) and in the meantime if things don't seem to be going well she can look for someone else to take her. So A: she's coming tomorrow morning! Yay! and B: Isabelle will continue being a pampered house kitty either way and definitely isn't going to be back to being a barn cat (how she started life). Yay!

Our youngest kitty, Xavier was a stray kitten we took him in. Our two other cats are older (14 & 15) and on special diets. The first couple weeks Xav wasn't so into set mealtimes and would get distracted and not finish his food because he was so fascinated by the other cats. We continued to keep him on schedule with the other cats and it didn't take too long to figure out that he could eat then, or he'd have to wait until the next mealtime.

We've had him almost a year and a half now....he's the speed-eater of the group! He has gotten into Herbert's prescription cat food on several occasions and it's done no harm