Need Help With Easy Transition Of Introducing Kitten To 1 Yr Old Cat

[Columbine]

Amazon sell Feliway, as do many online pet stores. In the UK, vets generally stock it too (at least mine does ), so that's another place to try. Buying it online is generally cheaper, though.

If Lily seems really stressed out, she might benefit from a nutrition-based calmer (such as Composure or Zylkene), at least for a while. I had Asha on a calmer in the early days of introductions, and it did seem to help her a bit.

Asha took quite a while to go back into the kittens' room, and even now doesn't spend much time in there - she mostly goes in to use their litterboxes! (They use hers all the time, and 5 of the 6 boxes are now shared by all 3 cats).

Getting Lily and Jethro playing at opposite ends of the same room could help things along too, so that's worth a go. It backfired with my guys because the boys, especially Shenka, growl a LOT at their toys once they've caught them, and the growling freaked Asha out So long as Jethro isn't an enthusiastic play-growler, you should be fine

 

[sadiesdad]

Well, it seems things took a different turn yesterday. I walked into the bathroom to wash my hands and heard a rush go by the door. Seems Lily got tired of Jethro's stuff and chased him into the living room, growling and swatted at him once, then going back to the dining room. Then this morning, I had let Jethro out, and they were ok... then I went into the computer room for a bit, and didn't even know they were close. Next thing, I hear a rush again, and look up to see Lily swat and chase Jethro... Not sure what happened if, she came in here and he followed, or he came in here and she didn't like it. When I looked, they both had went to Jethro's room (our bedroom), and Lily was still growling, but walking around like she was the queen of the land, smelling of everything, even his food dish, but she didn't eat anything. Then she jumped up on a plastic tub, Jethro jumps up on when playing a lot. Lily just laid there watching him like, "So what're you going to do about it?" Later as I was cleaning their boxes, Lily had come up behind me and laid down, I didn't know she was there at first. Seems Jethro had decided to come out to, until she started growling at him, he backed up, and laid right inside the doorway. Now, he is on the top of the kitty playground napping, and Lily is in the washroom on top of a cabinet napping.

No, I haven't heard Jethro growl at all, he makes a chirping sound when he's playing sometimes... Lily makes a grunt, when she gets up, or jumping up or down on something, she doesn't make a sound when playing.

 

[Columbine]

Tentatively, this sounds like a step in the right direction (I say tentatively because it wouldn't be good if Lily's behaviour escalated ). It's fantastic that Lily's standing her ground again, and that Jethro is taking appropriate notice without getting freaked or worried by Lily's 'discipline'. Hopefully, Lily will start to relax as she sees that Jethro is respecting her space and rightful place as top cat.

I think just keep doing what you're doing, and just keep an eye on them to make sure that Jethro continues to respect Lily, and that Lily doesn't overstep the mark with Jethro. As always, trust your instincts too. You know these two far better than anyone here, after all

 

[sadiesdad]

Well, it's been iffy...At times they are nose to nose and no problem, then at times Jethro gets frisky and wants to play. This afternoon, we were in the kitchen, because Lily came for snacks even though it wasn't time, Jethro did one of his jump at you with wide open arms, like he does me and my wife when he wants to play. Lily jumped and did a complete flip in the air, I saw her belly, that's how much of a flip. Then this morning, my wife let Jethro out of his room too early, from when I have been doing it. I let Lily have a little time with me in the morning before letting him out. Lily ended up going in the washroom and sleeping on the washer and dryer most of the day. Jethro follows her every where like a little kid following a big brother or sister. When she hisses at him, which isn't always, he just lays down like he's submitting...

I think it looked like he used one of the two litter boxes that Lily has been using. Lily has been in his room two or three times in the last couple of days, but we have to watch her because she keeps trying to eat his kitten food. Jethro at first tried to eat Lily's food, but he behaves good, and after "no!" a couple times, he mostly doesn't bother it. They are eating snacks in the evening side by side with no problem. Jethro is still sleeping in the bedroom, with me and my wife. Also this afternoon, they both were nosing in the cupboard where the snacks are, when I was getting them out, Jethro had stepped up, so his front feet were on the bottom of the cabinet, Lily all of a sudden hissed, and swatted him on the back of the head, not hard, but made him back up.

 

[Columbine]

It all sounds mostly positive to me. Lily's hissing and swatting incidents seem more like a little kitten discipline than anything else, which is always allowed in my book

As far as Jethro's food goes, why not just remove it when Lily's in his room, and get rid of the temptation?

 

[sadiesdad]

Oh, I have been taking Jethro's food out, but a couple times Lily snuck in when we didn't know. This morning, she was after it, so I sit it on a high desk, and forgot about it...a couple hours later I found Jethro standing under the desk looking up, took me a minute to figure out what was up. I took his food back in his room, and he went to eating. Yeah, it seems to be going pretty good... it's funny to me when Jethro is trying to get Lily to play with him, he jumps at her, or runs toward her and leaps in the air. He's been pretty calm this morning for the most part...

 

[sadiesdad]

Well, everything seems to be ok... They both eat snacks together with no problem. Jethro has been using the same litter boxes as Lily, not even using his in the bedroom. Only thing is sometimes he pesters Lily something awful, especially if you try to pay Lily some attention. I heard him yelp this morning, I guess Lily was tired of it, but he almost acts like nothing happened, and next thing you know, he tries to pounce on her, or she runs and he chases her. Sometimes it looks like they are playing, sometimes not. We have seen them nosing each other without any growling or hissing, they even set in the window together for a short time.

 

[Columbine]

I'm so sorry for not seeing this sooner. I've not been able to be online for a while

It sounds like things are going very well with Lily and Jethro. A few spats here and there, and even a bit of kitty discipline on Lily's part, are both perfectly normal and to be expected when you introduce a kitten to and adult cat. I think you can call this a great success

 

[sadiesdad]

no need to apologize...yes, I've missed you They seem to be getting better everyday. I think Jethro wants to play, or he is just being the bratty little brother sometimes. But you see him chasing Lily, then it's reversed and Lily is chasing him. I think sometimes she tries to hide from him, getting some place he doesn't know about, or he can't see her...Then sometimes seems she is looking for him. They were in the kitchen this morning, and Jethro was playing with something, just slapping it around a stool leg, and Lily was sitting across from him, just watching....

I took these pics last week, and sent it to my wife at work.

 

[Columbine]

It's wonderful to hear that things are going so well They definitely sound like firm friends now, and it's perfectly understandable that Lily wants some peace now and then, too. I love those pics of the two of them - they look so happy and relaxed together

 

[sadiesdad]

Well, now we have advanced to the stage, several times in the last week, we have seen Lily licking Jethro on the head and neck... he just leans toward her like he is loving it. Then a couple of times, Lily has bitten him softly on the neck, the way Jasmine and Lily used to do each other, he just paused and didn't move until she stopped. But with Jasmine and Lily, they would bite, and then they would get into it, and end up chasing the other away that was biting.

 

[Columbine]

That is just wonderful It's so special when two cats bond to that degree, and mutual grooming is the surest sign of two cats accepting and loving each other. Jethro was clearly meant to come into your life...even if it didn't seem that way in the beginning

This update has just made my day