- Joined
- Nov 3, 2016
- Messages
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- Purraise
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hello everyone! I just adopted 3 kittens who are not littermates. I had a few questions and concerns and would love a second or third or fourth opinion so please feel free to leave any advice!! All answers are greatly appreciated
Background on the kittens:
Tigger: 4 month old male, very talkative and very hyper
Piglet: 3 month old female, shy but very very cuddly
Roo: 4 month old male, needs to be sitting on your lap or directly next you at all times but also likes to explore when comfortable
So I brought my 3 fur babies home yesterday and things went south pretty fast. I had set up everything in the living room and blocked off that section of my place so that the kittens weren't overstimulated and could get familiar with their new home more smoothly. However as soon as I let them out of their carriers Roo and Tigger went at it, I'm talking hissing growling, swatting..and poor piglet who's already a scaredy cat started hissing out of fear and retreated under a table! My boyfriend and I didn't know what to do, so we let them do their thing for about an hour to see if maybe it was just first day jitters and everyone was nervous. Piglet eventually came out but Roo and Tigger kept fighting. Roo would mind his own business and Tigger being the rambunctious kitten he is would try to play with Roo but Roo wasn't having it and Tigger doesn't know when to quit. We tried to separate Tigger and just have Roo and Piglet feel each other out but Roo was already annoyed and started growling at Piglet. We thought it'd be best to move Tigger and Piglet up to the bedroom so that Roo could cool off. When we were in the bedroom with Piglet and Tigger there was some hissing at first and some batting but they got on a lot better with each other than with Roo. And when we spent time with Roo in the living room he was purring and cuddling and playing, his personality completely changed! We decided that Tigger and Piglet in the bedroom and Roo downstairs would be the sleeping arrangement for last night. Around midday today I had Roo on one side of the door and Piglet and Tigger on the other. I put treats out so they could associate each other's scents with something positive however as soon as Roo smelled Tigger he started hissing so I took him back downstairs. I have been alternating between cuddling with Piglet and Tigger upstairs and Roo downstairs all day today so that they can smell each others scents. At one point today Roo escaped from the living room and came up to the bedroom and as I was leaving he ran in. I was about to grab him when I noticed that no one was really bothering with each other, Tigger and Roo actually touched noses for a second. But the peace lasted all of 5 minutes because Tigger wanted to play and Roo, again, wasn't having any of it and started growling. Piglet tried to go up to Roo to sniff him but after his encounter with Tigger he growled and hissed at her again. I separated them again after that. I'm planning on feeding them their dinner on opposite sides of the door tonight and for the next few nights and I'm also getting a baby gate so they can see each other eventually. I guess my main concern is am I going to have to give one back if this doesn't work? And is there anything else I can do? I want all of them to get along but right now it feels like it's impossible.
Side note: Roo might have a UTI, could this effect his mood with the other kittens?
Background on the kittens:
Tigger: 4 month old male, very talkative and very hyper
Piglet: 3 month old female, shy but very very cuddly
Roo: 4 month old male, needs to be sitting on your lap or directly next you at all times but also likes to explore when comfortable
So I brought my 3 fur babies home yesterday and things went south pretty fast. I had set up everything in the living room and blocked off that section of my place so that the kittens weren't overstimulated and could get familiar with their new home more smoothly. However as soon as I let them out of their carriers Roo and Tigger went at it, I'm talking hissing growling, swatting..and poor piglet who's already a scaredy cat started hissing out of fear and retreated under a table! My boyfriend and I didn't know what to do, so we let them do their thing for about an hour to see if maybe it was just first day jitters and everyone was nervous. Piglet eventually came out but Roo and Tigger kept fighting. Roo would mind his own business and Tigger being the rambunctious kitten he is would try to play with Roo but Roo wasn't having it and Tigger doesn't know when to quit. We tried to separate Tigger and just have Roo and Piglet feel each other out but Roo was already annoyed and started growling at Piglet. We thought it'd be best to move Tigger and Piglet up to the bedroom so that Roo could cool off. When we were in the bedroom with Piglet and Tigger there was some hissing at first and some batting but they got on a lot better with each other than with Roo. And when we spent time with Roo in the living room he was purring and cuddling and playing, his personality completely changed! We decided that Tigger and Piglet in the bedroom and Roo downstairs would be the sleeping arrangement for last night. Around midday today I had Roo on one side of the door and Piglet and Tigger on the other. I put treats out so they could associate each other's scents with something positive however as soon as Roo smelled Tigger he started hissing so I took him back downstairs. I have been alternating between cuddling with Piglet and Tigger upstairs and Roo downstairs all day today so that they can smell each others scents. At one point today Roo escaped from the living room and came up to the bedroom and as I was leaving he ran in. I was about to grab him when I noticed that no one was really bothering with each other, Tigger and Roo actually touched noses for a second. But the peace lasted all of 5 minutes because Tigger wanted to play and Roo, again, wasn't having any of it and started growling. Piglet tried to go up to Roo to sniff him but after his encounter with Tigger he growled and hissed at her again. I separated them again after that. I'm planning on feeding them their dinner on opposite sides of the door tonight and for the next few nights and I'm also getting a baby gate so they can see each other eventually. I guess my main concern is am I going to have to give one back if this doesn't work? And is there anything else I can do? I want all of them to get along but right now it feels like it's impossible.
Side note: Roo might have a UTI, could this effect his mood with the other kittens?
I hope it's just because he's uncomfortable due to the UTI
