New Cat. Possible Problems?

[mewsings]

We may be getting a new family member tomorrow in the form of a white male kitten, about 10 weeks old.

However, I worry that our current kitty, Buddy, may become aggressive or begin spraying. Now, he's not aggressive in personality, he is very much like a Ragdoll and doesn't have much of a fight in him. But I'm not certain how he will react to a new kitten on his turf.

Reason for a kitten? Buddy is very lonely when I and my girlfriend aren't home, he sits at the door awaiting our return much like a dog would. He plays with himself, and doesn't seem to socially enjoy us playing with him. Hence the idea of getting him a young playmate to bring out more of the kitten in him.

It just worries me that he may start spraying territorially, or become aggressive toward the little one.

Any suggestions as to possible introduction techniques to ease them into knowing eachother, or ways to cut the spraying IF he does do it? And yes, Buddy is fixed, as will the kitten be when he is old enough.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[luvmyparker]

There is an article here on the site explaining how to properly introduce a new cat into the home. If done correctly, they should be best pals in no time.

http://www.thecatsite.com/Behavior/4...cing-Cats.html

 

[mewsings]

Thanks for the link! I'll try the introduction blanket trick, although the only room I have is my bedroom. I don't think Buddy will much like being thrown out of his room, haha. It's only for a couple weeks at most. He'll get over it.

I wish I knew how Buddy would react with other cats first, but I don't have any friends with cats so there's no way for me to find out. The shelter I got him from didn't even have all of his vet records, much less anything else. He seems to prefer women over men tho, and I wonder if maybe he would prefer female cats over males. Although, what threat would a 10 week old kitten be?

Buddy is my first kitty, and I don't have the slightest clue what I'm doing. I knew I wanted two cats before I got him, and that he is the first. Now we're ready for the second and I have no clue how to do a smooth introduction. I've introduced adult rats together... it can't be much harder than that... right?

Here is a picture of the kitten at 7/8 weeks old. He's 10 weeks now:

Yes he is outdoors. He's a feral born kitten. He will be an indoor only kitten if we choose to get him.

 

[luvmyparker]

I have noticed males seem to do well in pairs. There was a thread here somewhere a while back about it and for the most part people noticed the males to be a little more affectionate and whatnot. We have 2 males and 1 female. The boys are best friends and the female does her own thing and NEVER interacts with them. She's a snob.

I am sure Buddy will welcome the newcomer just fine with a proper introduction. They will sniff under the door and get to know each other too. Don't panic if you hear some hisses or growls. It's pretty common. As long as they don't go into full blown kitty fits, it should be fine.

Bringing a cat into your home and letting it walk around freely may not be a great idea. Cats are very territorial and that would upset Buddy and could cause a fight. They need time to adjust to a new cat on their turf.

Just follow that guide in the link and I am sure things will work out great. He sure is a cute little guy! Just make sure he's cleared of fleas, parasites, diseases and all that before they meet up. Especially if he is outdoors. Wouldn't want Buddy to get sick.

 

[mewsings]

Well, we got the kitten today. It took them 45 minutes to fish him out from under the house, and then he ran under the car and got smudges of oil on him. I also asked about this nearly dime-sized wound on his side. Some punks shot him with a BB gun a few weeks ago, but it's almost completely healed and most of the fur has grown back. Gonna have the vet check that when I take him in for his neuter. Washed the oil and any fleas off of him, and now he's pure white with green eyes.

Buddy had a vet appointment this morning because he's been scratching at his ears. I was worried his mites came back, but the vet confirmed that it is a non-contagious ear infection and should be clear in a week with medicated ear drops.

Buddy doesn't seem to like Mogget (the new kitten's name) yet. He's avoiding both of us because we smell like the evil little white creature of doom. I've never seen Buddy react like this before... I hope that he gets over himself soon, because I would hate to rehome Mogget... I'm already attached. Buddy is my girlfriend's cat, and where he loves me as much as I love him, I still wanted to pick out a kitty of my own. I knew from the moment I saw Mogget's picture that it was him. I don't want to let him go now that I have him.

Gonna try the blanket trick while Buddy's ears are healing. Hopefully he'll be up for meeting Mogget next week after Mogget's been checked out. Wish me luck! If any of you have any last minute tips, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! Mogget is my first experience with a kitten, and Buddy is my first cat. I've spent 2 decades wanting kitties, and now that I have them I don't know if I'm doing anything right.

 

[mewsings]

Mogget~ He looks so sad and sleepy, but this is the best pic I could get tonight.

If you look carefully, the flash whited out the skin, but you can actually see the bullet wound right on his side =(. I wish we could find those punks and send them to jail. I hope she wants to press charges on those kids. I'm gonna take some pics tomorrow as evidence.

 

[luvmyparker]

Its natural for the original cat to be offended by a new comer. I didn't know anything about introducing cats when my roomie got our cat, Buddy. We just sorta brought him in and let him go. Parker was not pleased but being the good natured cat that he is, he accepted Buddy pretty quick.

Had I known to keep the one in a room away from the others, I so would have done that so no one would feel threatened. Oops.

Just let them sniff under the door and yeah, let them get each others scent and after a bit, them them meet face to face. That link I sent you gives the best tips for a smooth meeting. If you go by that, I don't think you can go wrong.

Being outside, I really hope Mogget is free of disease. He sure is cute though. Too bad about them stupid kids shooting him.

I don't know how anyone could do such a terrible thing to an animal. But at least it appears to be healing well. Keep us updated how things go. I wish you all the best!

 

[mewsings]

Well, I can't exactly separate the kitties. I only have 2 rooms; a bedroom and a living room. I've done the best I could tho. I'm allowing Buddy to have the freedom to choose when he wants to see Mogget, and when he doesn't. I have a cat cage (not a carrier) that I bought when I got Buddy. I've set it up with a litter pan, food and water, and stuck it in the corner of my room. Mogget goes into the cage when nobody is home or everyone is asleep... mostly because he isn't litter trained, being a feral kitten. No accidents yet!

I went to the vet yesterday to buy some Revolution, and ended up scheduling a neuter for Mogget. Neuter, post-op pain shot, dewormer, rabies, and first vaccinations is only going to cost me $68! He goes on the 24th. They didn't have Revolution in kitten, so I got Advantage and asked them to give him some dewormer during his visit.

As for health, other than the possibility of FIV and FeLV, he looks, sounds and acts very healthy. His lungs are definitely good because I can hear him crying all the way downstairs. I'll get the confirmation during his visit, and have him tested for FIV and FeLV later.

LuvMyParker, wanna see something kind of creepy? This is my Buddy:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ddy_icon-1.jpg