Two Questions

[hey you]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this or what, but heres two questions.

Warning: First time kitten owner

1) My kitten is using the litterbox then eating it (the litter), is this normal/okay? Hes only 4 weeks old and just started using the litterbox and such. Should I worry?

Its still with its mother, so I'm not always around to see it, but the owners of the mother cat told me my kitten was doing this a couple of days ago.

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2) When I go back home, should I keep my kitten separated from my adult cat for a couple of days until it feels safe and at home (to get home from where I am currently, it will be a 2-3 hour drive total and 2 hours on the ferry)?

Should I introduce my kitten to my adult cat after a few days for only a few minutes and gradually let them spend more time with each other?

My adult cat has been living at my house for a 4-5 years so naturally he will be defensive when we bring another cat home. Hopefully eventually he'll accept the new kitten?

Does it matter the gender of each cat? Like will males be less likely to get along.


Again, I'm sorry if this is the wrong place or posted somewhere I missed. Again I'm (going to be) a new kitten owner and want to do everything right

 

[evakatharina]

I'm no expert on question number, two, but as to question number 1-

IF you are using clumping clay litter, it can be EXTREMELY dangerous for a kitten that young to be eating it! It can clump up in his belly and cause major problems. Your kitten can actually die from this! If this is the type of litter you are using, if it were me I would take kitten to the vet immediately.

 

[zoey602]

For question #2, I have a little experience, but there are some great websites about introducing cats out there, too, just run a Google search. Summed up, it's always a good idea to keep them separated at first. Your questions with that are right on track with the guidance I've read as well as with my own experience. Generally I've read that two males will get along well (once they're used to each other), and if you have a female already you should go for a younger, male cat. But ultimately, every cat's personality is different. Here are some sites that I myself used:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/the-other-cat

http://www.petfinder.com/after-pet-adoption/cat-to-cat-introductions.html

http://cats.about.com/cs/catmanagement101/a/introducecats.htm

http://maxshouse.com/introducing_cats.htm

I hope those are helpful - I thought they provided a good idea of what to expect as well as tips for best mitigating the situation. All in all, your own judgement is best since you already know your adult cat and his behavior. My own existing cat was only 1 year old when I brought home a kitten, and there was a lot of hissing and her prowling after him when we reached the point where he was allowed to explore the house (she even whacked him with her paw if he got too close!). She scared the crap out of him at first (especially since he came from being around lots of friendly playful cats at his foster home), but within a week they were lovey-dovey cuddling and grooming each other. Every cat is different, but have the patience to take things slowly if you need to and everything will be just fine

Good luck, and let us know how it goes when the time comes!

 

[farleyv]

Oh yes, kittens under 8weeks or so should be using clay litter without the clumping ability.  I hope your kitten is ok, but I would def contact the vet.