In Dire Need Of Advise On My 3 Cats

[Torielmore]

The past 3 years I have just had my two kitties (male and female), they got along great, sometimes had scuffles but still would cuddle up to each other at the end of the day. So 2 months ago I found a kitten on the street. I brought her home and my female cat HATES her. She is constantly trying to chase her and attack her and finally today was the last straw, she scratched her in the eye (poor baby). My male cat loves the kitten they constantly play. And now that my resident female cat has been trying to chase and attack the new kitten he now has been sometimes chasing and trying to attack my female resident cat for attacking the kitten. Please I need advise I want this to work and for all of my cats to get along I love them all and I do not want to have to rehome the kitten.

 

[ArtNJ]

First time I've heard of an adult cat trying to hurt a kitten, (if you are clear these are real fights and not playing) but maybe you mean a six month or older cat. (One cat we rescued I thought was a kitten, but was just undernourished, was actually a three year old.)

Back on topic, did you do a proper introduction? If you are sure this is real I'm trying to hurt you fighting, best to immediately separate them and do a new introduction, the slow way. There is a guide on introductions in the Articles section here. If you aren't 100% sure, describe the behavior more.

 

[Torielmore]

First time I've heard of an adult cat trying to hurt a kitten, (if you are clear these are real fights and not playing) but maybe you mean a six month or older cat. (One cat we rescued I thought was a kitten, but was just undernourished, was actually a three year old.)

Back on topic, did you do a proper introduction? If you are sure this is real I'm trying to hurt you fighting, best to immediately separate them and do a new introduction, the slow way. There is a guide on introductions in the Articles section here. If you aren't 100% sure, describe the behavior more.

So my resident female is 3, resident male 6, Andre the kitten I found I brought her to the vet and they said she was so tiny (could hold with one hand) was so malnourished it stunted her growth and that’s she was about 4 months. And a few days after I started giving her regular food and nourished her back to health she lost all her baby teeth at once so I really do believe she is just a kitten. She has grown so much over he past 2 months of having her. But the introduction I probably should have done a better job of, I only gave t a few days. I will keep her in my bathroom and the other resident cats free and try to reintroduce them following the article. Do you think another reason could possibly be that the kitten may not be spayed yet? I asked the doctor to check and he said he didn’t think she was because she didn’t have a scar. I need to schedule the spaying appointment still as soon as I can make enough money to do it

 

[Torielmore]

So my resident female is 3, resident male 6, Andre the kitten I found I brought her to the vet and they said she was so tiny (could hold with one hand) was so malnourished it stunted her growth and that’s she was about 4 months. And a few days after I started giving her regular food and nourished her back to health she lost all her baby teeth at once so I really do believe she is just a kitten. She has grown so much over he past 2 months of having her. But the introduction I probably should have done a better job of, I only gave t a few days. I will keep her in my bathroom and the other resident cats free and try to reintroduce them following the article. Do you think another reason could possibly be that the kitten may not be spayed yet? I asked the doctor to check and he said he didn’t think she was because she didn’t have a scar. I need to schedule the spaying appointment still as soon as I can make enough money to do it

And the kitten I found* oops!

 

[ArtNJ]

As far as spaying, some states have low cost spay neuter programs. You have to look for it, only some vets do it. Here in NJ I drove about 40 minutes, but got it done for like $30.

So its definitely "I'm trying to hurt you" fighting?

 

[ArtNJ]

Just a little more info, the NJ program is for newly rescued feral/stray cats I think, but seeing as you adopted a malnourished kitten, if there is such a program, maybe your vet will help you qualify even if a little fudging is required. If your state has such a program.

 

[Torielmore]

Just a little more info, the NJ program is for newly rescued feral/stray cats I think, but seeing as you adopted a malnourished kitten, if there is such a program, maybe your vet will help you qualify even if a little fudging is required. If your state has such a program.

Hmmm I will have to call around then and see where I can get her spayed on the cheaper side! I went to a “cheap” place when my resident cat was a kitten and it was still over $100. ): hmm a program helping cost wise would definitely be helpful. I live in Tucson, Arizona. I haven’t really heard of any programs to help pet owners beside the humane society but you have to give your animal to them permanently. But I really don’t think it is play. Like when I first got the kitten my resident female would chase her under the bed and now the kitten pretty much just constantly hides under the bed unless I lock my resident female out of my bedroom. Then the kitten will stay out from under the bed. But the second she sees my resident female cat she runs under the bed and hisses at her. And my resident cat growls at her whenever she gets close enough to the kitten. My resident female will sit right on the outside of the bed and just wait for the kitten to try and come out so she can attack her. I got a spray bottle and the second my resident female hears it she runs, but it’s like 2 minutes later she just comes right back to wait for the kitten to come out from unde the bed.

 

[Torielmore]

It has only been a week I have kept my cats separated. But now my resident cat has been trying to sneak into the bathroom where the kitten is and tries to run up and literally attack her in a corner!!! I don’t know what to do, she just really tries to attack this kitten, it is not play, the kitten is terrified. The kitten and my resident male get along perfectly. Should I lock the resident female in the bathroom instead???

 

[ArtNJ]

If we are talking a tiny kitten and an adult cat, and if the adult really wants to hurt the kitten...that is a really serious situation and not one I've encountered. Very rare. I'm hoping you are are misinterpreting, but if you aren't, you might have to give one away since your reintroduction failed.