I really, really don't want to be a crazy cat lady! I came home this afternoon to find a tiny (maybe 3 pound) male kitten running around the parking lot. There's a bad storm moving in--the sky is black just west of here. The kitten gets corralled and I try to determine where this little guy needs to be with bad weather about to hit. I finally get the area kids to tell me where the kitten slept last night--they kept trying to sell him to me -- and the lady tells me that her uncle gave the kitten to her kids but she can't keep up with it and all but admitted that she 'accidentally' let the kitten escape. I offered to make sure he got to a rescue so he could be re-homed and she was thrilled. (The only people who should ever give live animals to children as gifts are the parents).
*One sweet note about this--about a month ago one of the area boys had asked about the stuff (greenhouse and shelters) on my patio and I had explained about how I put food, water and shelter out for the homeless kitties in the area. He had been trying to herd the kitten onto my patio so that it would have food and shelter with the storm getting close.
So, I head into my apartment cradling this little guy. Riddle, my niece's two and a half year old cat took one look and hissed at the kitten while the little guy just tried to disappear into the crook of my arm. Angus, my 10 month old cat, seemed more curious--sniffing at him but no real reaction otherwise.
For now, I pulled out a medium size dog crate I had (picked up cheap back when I was worried about being able to catch and fix the ferals before kitten season so I'd have an emergency confinement available). I've got him all fixed up and closed off in the spare room and I moved the third litter box out to the living room so Angus and Riddle still have three boxes to choose from. So the little guy has a dry, safe place to sleep and Angus and Riddle have the run of the apartment.
Now, I can check with local rescues to see if anyone has room for a kitten, but my niece's cat is supposed to be going to my niece's new place in another week (they're moving in this week and wanted to get everything unpacked and settled before they introduce him to the place). I was going to wait and see how Angus did going back to being on his own before considering getting him a playmate, but a kitten was just literally dumped on my front porch. Angus is 10 months old and a good 9-10 pounds. He's not really territorial or food aggressive, but he is somewhat dominant. This little guy is maybe 3 pounds and probably less than 3 months old.
Should I just contact rescues and see if I can get the kitten a placement now or would it be a good idea to attempt an introduction between the two of them? With the difference in size, I'm not sure it would be a good match. Riddle is 9-10 pounds so the two of them are evenly matched. This little guy is tiny. If I do test the waters, what kinds of things can I look for to see if Angus is accepting the kitten. He likes to groom every other cat he encounters (surprisingly, one of the ferals will let him--the others, not so much). I know that's also a dominance behavior as well so it's a mixed signal.
I've read through the 'introducing a new cat' and there hasn't been any bad interactions or reactions other than Riddle's hissing, but it's also been all of two hours. Here's my unexpected guest. He's on the top floor of the crate, underneath is a small litter box and food/water.
*One sweet note about this--about a month ago one of the area boys had asked about the stuff (greenhouse and shelters) on my patio and I had explained about how I put food, water and shelter out for the homeless kitties in the area. He had been trying to herd the kitten onto my patio so that it would have food and shelter with the storm getting close.
So, I head into my apartment cradling this little guy. Riddle, my niece's two and a half year old cat took one look and hissed at the kitten while the little guy just tried to disappear into the crook of my arm. Angus, my 10 month old cat, seemed more curious--sniffing at him but no real reaction otherwise.
For now, I pulled out a medium size dog crate I had (picked up cheap back when I was worried about being able to catch and fix the ferals before kitten season so I'd have an emergency confinement available). I've got him all fixed up and closed off in the spare room and I moved the third litter box out to the living room so Angus and Riddle still have three boxes to choose from. So the little guy has a dry, safe place to sleep and Angus and Riddle have the run of the apartment.
Now, I can check with local rescues to see if anyone has room for a kitten, but my niece's cat is supposed to be going to my niece's new place in another week (they're moving in this week and wanted to get everything unpacked and settled before they introduce him to the place). I was going to wait and see how Angus did going back to being on his own before considering getting him a playmate, but a kitten was just literally dumped on my front porch. Angus is 10 months old and a good 9-10 pounds. He's not really territorial or food aggressive, but he is somewhat dominant. This little guy is maybe 3 pounds and probably less than 3 months old.
Should I just contact rescues and see if I can get the kitten a placement now or would it be a good idea to attempt an introduction between the two of them? With the difference in size, I'm not sure it would be a good match. Riddle is 9-10 pounds so the two of them are evenly matched. This little guy is tiny. If I do test the waters, what kinds of things can I look for to see if Angus is accepting the kitten. He likes to groom every other cat he encounters (surprisingly, one of the ferals will let him--the others, not so much). I know that's also a dominance behavior as well so it's a mixed signal.
I've read through the 'introducing a new cat' and there hasn't been any bad interactions or reactions other than Riddle's hissing, but it's also been all of two hours. Here's my unexpected guest. He's on the top floor of the crate, underneath is a small litter box and food/water.
Be patient, once Riddle has left for his new home the dynamics will change and Angus may settle down. There's lots of great advice on the site. Getting the neighborhood kids on your side is an excellent way to go. 
You are awsome.
Keep us updated and post lots of photos 
