2009.05.28
Bringing home kitten
Blog reader Sandy recently introduced a new kitten to her household, which has been a happy experience for everyone except Sandy's elderly cat, Baby.
Seems that Baby is not very fond of the new baby, pictured below. I know. Go ahead and say "Awww."
I got to read e-mails being traded back and forth between Sandy and her two daughters, blog reader Kim and my colleague, Lindsey Nair of Fridge Magnet fame. Sandy was looking for advice on how to make the transition easier for Baby, who was showing signs of physical distress since the arrival of Abby, a kitten from a litter that Kim rescued in her neighborhood.
Sandy said she gave Baby an eighth of a tablet of anti-anxiety medication she got from her vet for when Baby has to travel, and that seemed to help. No more physical symptoms. She said she also planned to invest in At Ease Calming Spray for Cats, an herbal concoction that was recommended to help ease Baby's stress.
Has anyone else used this product successfully?
One of the Wag's followers on Twitter, EmmyTheCat, suggested that the kitties be kept in separate rooms and to introduce them slowly by swapping bedding, steps that Sandy is already following. Emmy also recommended keeping separate food and litter areas and lavishing lots of attention on the older cat. She said it could take several weeks for Baby to accept Abby as part of the household.
What other tips do you have for introducing a new kitten to a home that includes an older cat?
I can't help much here...but knowing some cats, if you find something that works be sure to send it to the State Dept. as a possible solution to peace in the middle east.
Comment by Ed S. — May 28, 2009 @ 7:44 am
We adopted India when she was smaller than little Abby here, and we adopted Thai less than six months later. They are not littermates but they are about the same age. We had only a few minor hisses from India the first couple of days when Thai was in the house. While I would not say they are fond of each other, they co-exist nicely now.
We fostered a couple of kittens years ago when Thai and India were younger, and they were good about taking care of the babies. They would even clean them. But now that they are older, I don't know what they would do if we brought another kitty in the house. Probably react much like Baby has done.
It's so much easier to introduce a new dog to a pack than a new cat to a colony.
Comment by Nona Nelson — May 28, 2009 @ 10:26 am
Keeping them in separate rooms works very well. Allow Baby access to the door where the kitten is. They will stick their paws under the door and get used to each other's smell.
It works. We had a older cat that everyone swore would never accept another kitten.
We did the separate room thing and ever couple of hours I brought the kitten out and held her so the older cat could sniff her. Emma, the older cat, would hiss, but would not do anything physical.
I did this for a week before Emma finally gave up and accepted the kitten.
Comment by Thom — May 28, 2009 @ 10:27 am
We have a nice brood of cats, 8 in total, and introducing new ones to the clan has not been overly troublesome. We started with 2 littermates and added a slightly younger kitten a few weeks later and all 3 got along well. When we added an older cat to the mix, he quickly adjusted to the presence of 3 kittens and took to teaching them how to hunt. Over the years, that older one has since passed and we added 2 new found strays and another one that we adopted from some people who couldn't keep her. In each case, we did the slow introductions, kept the newby separate for a few days, and made sure we didn't change anything with how we treated the others. Within a week in all cases, everyone adjusted and welcomed the new cat into the mix. Our newest cat had a litter of 4 kittens (we still have 3), and all were also readily welcomed in as well. We tried some of the sprays and Feliway warmers, but didn't notice too much of a difference. The biggest thing is slow introductions and eventually the older cats will accept the new ones. I've found that having multiple cats has actually helped, because it's already a community feel where the cats seek companionship and playmates among each other, rather than having a lone cat that gets upset when a second cat is added (I guess they have only-child syndromes as well!). One trick we do to help get the cats more concerned about other things that who is next to them, we will feed them some cans of wet food from time to time, and we give each cat their own bowl. When they hear the bowls getting set on the counter and the lids peel open, they lose all care in anything else other than what's coming their way.
Comment by Other John — May 28, 2009 @ 11:07 am
Ed, you crack me up!
Comment by Lindsey Nair — May 28, 2009 @ 11:24 am
Abby was the runt of the litter and she is such a sweetie! I almost kept her but I don't think my crew could handle another cat in the house. I know from previous experience that it will take a long, long time for the older cat to come to terms with the kitten. When I brought Gracie home, Shade was upset for weeks and refused to be in the same room with her. Five years later I can't say that they are friends but they do coexist rather peacefully and are allies in their distaste for the dog!
Comment by Kim — May 28, 2009 @ 11:35 am
Update-yesterday Baby must have decided that she had enough of the intruder and became rather aggressive, stalking Abby and launching brief attacks if she could get within range. They have been isolated from each other except for an hour or two at a time up until last Friday when I decided Abby needed to investigate the lay of the land and get some exercise. This was probably the last straw for Baby, having had enough of seeing the kitten running around the house. I'm concerned that Baby will turn mean. She has always been a very gentle cat. When I reached out to pet her on Tuesday, she yowled and bit me (not hard, just a warning grab) and she did it to Lindsey the day before. She has never done this so Abby is really causing her anxiety. I've not pushed them at each other and have stood by ready to intervene if necessary as they work out their differences but I don't want Abby to get hurt. Baby has had 6 teeth removed and doesn't have front claws but she sure can sound intimidating and is very fast with the boxing gloves. I am making a trip to find some At Ease Calming spray today in hopes that will work even a bit. Who knew that a tiny baby kitty could cause an old cat so much stress? Can't we all just get along?!
Comment by Sandy — May 28, 2009 @ 1:28 pm
I think Baby will get used to Abby, eventually. It may take her a while to figure out that A. Abby is no threat to her and B. She's not going away.
Cats don't like change, but they eventually adapt. Baby can't hurt Abby, I think she just wants to show her who is boss.
Comment by Nona Nelson — May 28, 2009 @ 1:56 pm
We recently added a new kitten, Sasha, to our household that showed up as a stray during one of those late night thunderstorms a few weeks back. She was exhausted, painfully thin, wet, and hungry; but she had obviously been an indoor cat before she got lost. Our older male cat, whom we've had for 2 yrs., was curious but left new kitty alone while she recuperated (she slept for 3 days; I was afraid we'd lose her). We semi-isolated them for several days, but they kept their distance from each other more so than needing physical separation. Now she is ruling the roost and has no problem with the 2 dogs, but still doesn't like the cat. She came into heat this past weekend, and even though he is neutered, she has been tolerating him a little more - for now. She gets spayed next week so we'll see if she returns to picking on every other 4-footed in the house or if she'll mellow out some! I think they will all find their place in the pecking order, eventually.
Comment by Julie — May 29, 2009 @ 9:51 am
There is also a pet spray that works well at the Roanoke Natural Food Store. Its called Rescue Remedy.
Comment by Katie — May 29, 2009 @ 12:01 pm
Advice: be patient. They will not become friends overnight. Sometimes not even after 3 months! I have a 6-year-old cat, Zoe, who is stubborn and can get cranky. She used to live with another cat but the other cat died a few years ago. I think she became anti-social towards other animals (it was her and my parents' dog, who she can't stand, until I moved out two years ago after I graduated from college).
Anyway... I got a 6-month-old kitty, Wally, on Valentine's Day. I kept them separated, but a week or two later let both roam loose around the apartment. Zoe still doesn't like Wally, even after all this time. Then again the little boy likes to jump on her when she's just walking by. The noises she makes are awful - growl/hiss/snort. It is a little funny, but I still hope one day I'll see them cuddling. It might be wishful thinking though!
Comment by KB — May 29, 2009 @ 1:04 pm
Keep up the good work, Sandy. Both of your babies are lucky to have someone so caring who wants to do right by both of them. I agree with one comment that it is harder for a single cat, initially, but, in time, she will realize that she will have a mate for life and also more interesting aspects to her life. You may need to keep them separated longer than you anticipated and let Baby give you the signal when she is curious enough to want to go near the little one. I am fostering an orphaned kitten at the moment and I let one of my cats in her room yesterday and she was just curious. But my big male kitty - often the bully - snuck in and when the kitten challenged him, he slowly backed out of the room! So, no two cats are the same - let them guide you. In the meantime, you are definitely on the right track!
Comment by Ellen — May 30, 2009 @ 8:53 am
Thanks to everyone who commented. I have lots of patience and love so if it takes months, I can wait. BTW-I rode all the way to PetSmart in Roanoke to pick up the calming spray and they were out! So I will have to rely on Mother Nature after all.
Comment by Sandy — June 3, 2009 @ 3:39 pm