new

Hi guys,
I am a newbie. I have 4 beautiful cats. Mother cat (now neutered) a black/grey tabby. Her two sons Oliver (male neutered black tabby, 2 years old) Vincent ( male tuxedo cat neutered, 2 yrs old, brother to Oliver) and nameless at the moment ( a possible male blue russian look alike, 10 wks old). Vincent and Oliver are a little bit upset at the moment. any suggestions as to the smooth arrival of nameless. also any suggestions as to a name for number 4.
Catch ya
Wendy from oz

wendy the witch. i've heard that name befor. is that from a story book or cartoon? now it's bugging me. where have i heard that? and welcome!

Welcome to the site! There are people with tons of experience with cats here who can answer almost any questions you may have. And just really nice people to hang out with in The Cat Lounge!

For introductions, check out this thread:
Bringing in a new cat with an old cat already there

BadHabit, our resident vet tech , posted a great program to follow to make introductions go as smoothly as possible, and others posted suggestions as well.

Hope this helps and enjoy the site!!

Following the program suggested. looks like a long process. My two, two year old neutered males are still talking to me at least. In fact one is sitting at my feet whilst I am typing this. New baby is locked in another room quite indignant. Think new baby is a boy, but still not sure. Really appreciate the advice. Hope I can train the new one not to hunt snakes like the other two do!!!!!!!
Catch ya
Wendy from Oz

Usually if you want a quick introduction you will end up with the resident cats in a uproar, fights, and cat bites. The easiest way to make the transistion if you want it quicker, is to confine Nameless into one room. At feeding time, place your resident cat's bowls near the door, and feed the other kitty near the door at the same time (with the door closed) They will sniff each other underneath the door. Also give Nameless a blanket to hopefully sleep on for a few days, and take it away (don't wash it) and give it to your other cats while giving Nameless resident kitty blankets so they can switch scents. Once their scents mingle, switch the blankets back and that helps get them ready for each other. Good luck!

Hi guys,
all is reasonable in this war zone. The diplomatic process is going ok. Resident cats are having breakfast in the room where new kitty sleeps (New kitty banned from room during this time) Resident cats are having a obligatory sniff when they enter the room, then ignore it and have breakfast. They then have a two hour run of the house, where normal behaviours seem to apply. They have stopped snarling at me when they smell the new cat on me, and cuddle as per normal. I will swap blankets tomorrow night. A couple of accidental sightings have been a bit hiss and spit!!!! all advice is apreciated. Am trying to co ordinate breakfast between doors. Dinner is a bit difficult, as resident cats have their own house outside for nighttime and dinner. (cat curfew is dark time here)
What do I call a pretend russian blue, with a penchant for climbing. Resident cats - mother - Rob, boys - Vincent and Oliver.
catch ya
wendy from oz

here are some suggestions: Able.....Hassan.....Boris......Yuri.......

Wendy, If new kitty is a girl, how about Natasha? Call her Tasha for short. Snakes? I've watched the Crocodile Hunter often enough to know that some of the world's most venemous snakes are in Australia! Welcome to the site!

Vincent the bi - color cat is the snake hunter. He has given me snake warnings 3 times this year, once last year and has caught and killed a few. The snakes in question have been Eastern brown snakes, in the top 5 deadliest snakes in the world. One (which got away) was at least 6 foot and was lying across two doorways. I walked within 2 feet of it, and if not for Vincent would have had the snake between me and the house. Although truly grateful, still wish he wouldn't do it, as the odds are against him, and it is difficult to save a cat from snake bite. Nameless is a boy (I think) I like the name Yuri, it suits him. Thanks Hissy.
Catch ya
Wendy from oz

Possible names for your russian blue, Aloysha or Dimitri.

Good luck w/your kitties.

-safron

I heard about the brown snake and its propensity to go onto people's property, and was afraid it might be one of those. I do hope that Vincent stays safe. How fortunate for you that he sensed it was there before you got hurt--or killed! Do you keep anti-venom handy?

We keep snake bite kits all over the place. It's a simple elastic bandage in a waterproof container. Kit can also fit on a belt. The idea being that on farms you can carry it with you. We have two sorts of snakes around here. Tigers and Eastern browns. Both pretty nasty. They are responsible for a lot of cat deaths in Oz. You only have a few minutes without snake bite kit. If you can get the bandage on, it gives you a few hours to get medical aid. Thankfully they are about to go to bed for 6 months, and I get to keep Vincent for another year.
Wendy

Wendy, Would a human being have only a few minutes to apply the kit also, or does that apply only to animals? Isn't it dangerous to live in your area? How many people get bitten yearly by those two venomous snakes, and what percentage live?

Hi Jeannie,
A human being is the one that only takes minutes. A cat takes much longer, dies a terrible death, and is really hard to fix. Something to do with a cats nervous system being more calmer than a humans. We live in a rural area that has irrigation ( so we are green all summer) We have a lot of snakes. We don't have many snake bites (compared to traffic accidents) In fact we probably only see a small percentage of what is here. Snakes generally prefer to avoid humans. Cats cop it a bit, because their inquisitive nature tends to get them into trouble. We have had four snakes this summer, last year we had two. It is actually illegal to kill them ( so they get killed by accident). I must add that they are not endangered. I guess you just learn to avoid snakes territory, ie bushy covered gardens ( I mulch mine for summer, and do not weed till winter) logs of wood laying around, bird cages etc. My aunt once had one come in to her kitchen cupboard through the plumbing ( probably chasing a mouse) I must tell you though, Summer means a worry to me, particularly about Vincent ( my favourite cat). Vincent is an outdoor baby, so I can not keep him inside all the time.
What a lot of waffle, I have gone on with
Catch ya
Wendy from Oz

Wendy, Thank you for that very interesting explanation. I don't understand why it would be illegal to kill a snake that could kill you! I value wild life, but I can't imagine how I would feel encountering one of the world's most venomous snake several times a year! I hope you and Vincent stay safe>