Adopted young barn kitten and behavior issues

tweetykiss

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Hi, I have posted here before but don't get much time.  I now have a full grown cat named Avalon who is very sweet.  Then Cammie; our gray tabby is 11 months old and loves it outdoors.  Then Tamara who is five months old and has a lot of energy and loves to play with the other cats.

Now just two weeks ago, I adopted a tiny kitten from way out in the country and never thought "Mariah" was a barn cat until I got her.  I fel instantly in love with her.  She is adorable but she started hissing and spitting at me and the other cats.  Cammie and Tamara still don't accept her.  Avalon loves her.  She is a mother figure to all the cats.  I had to separate Mariah from the other cats for her own safety.  I tried to sleep in Mariah's room last night but she kept biting me all over and it really hurt.  So, I grabbed Avalon and we left the room and I went to my own bedroom.

How do I tame Mariah so she does not hiss and spit anymore and that I can sleep with her without any biting?  Also, I am introducing am introducing Mariah to Cammie and Tamara by doing what the vet told me to do by having them smell Mariah's items but they just growl and hiss right after they smell the cloth she rests on.  How long does this take?

I am a cat lover or the "Crazy Cat Lady" and want all four of them to get along great.
 

ondine

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It may take some more time than you'd expected.  It sounds like you've had a lot of luck introducing new cats and you might be surprised that sometimes it takes months for things to settle down.

Keep letting the others sniff Mariah's scent.  If you can, feed them treats on top of the article of clothing that smells like her.  That way, they associate her smell with goodies.

Mariah sounds like she may have been raised by a feral mother.  That probably means she doesn't understand humans can be friends.  It will take you some time to convince her but there are plenty of ways to do so.  Sit in her room and read out loud to her, make sure you make no sudden moves towards her or when you are cleaning the litter box or feeding her.

You can bribe her with food - try Gerber chicken baby food.  Most can can't resist it.  You can start by leaving a dollop on a plate and sitting near it.  Soon, you will be able to put some on your finger and she'll eat off your hand.

Always allow her to come to you.  I personally think Avalon can be a great help in this.  As she already likes the kitten, she will be able to teach her, by her interaction with you, that humans aren't so bad.  Allow her to do this and once you are sure she isn't going to hurt the kitten, allow her to be with Mariah for periods of time.

You are no crazier than the rest of us. 


All we all want is to help kitties! 
 
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tweetykiss

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Thanks hun for the suggestion...that is very kind of you...I take Mariah outside sometimes and she is well adjusted to the outdoors.  I still keep her in seclusion and I miss seeing her all the time.  I play with her a lot.  She is learning that humans are not bad. But when the other kittens snarl and hiss, she hisses and spits again.  I figured her bio mother is a feral since her behavior is that of a wild kitten.  

I had to work on Avalon for two months recently because she attacked my husband and he had to be rushed to ER.  She almost got him right in the eye.  We still don't know what got into her.  Avalon is a very well behaved cat otherwise but she went "crazy" like a tiger.  I did not want to give her up.  I kept her secluded and tamed her.
 

ondine

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Make sure she is spayed as soon as possible. Spaying and neutering cuts way down on behavior issues. It calms them down and does increase the chances that they will all get along.
 
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tweetykiss

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No worries there, I will get all them spayed very soon since I now have insurance for all of them...
 
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