Integrating 3 kittens from 3 separate litters + resident adult cat?

[Kyaviana]

Hi everyone, I’m having trouble coordinating all the kittens/cats I suddenly have and would appreciate any advice!

I am currently traveling and living in a country that is rather unkind to its stray animals, with NO animal shelters and very minimal vet care available. Over the past couple of months, I have picked up three kittens from three separate litters. The first two I found within a couple weeks of each other in dumpsters, they were both barely a week old and I bottle-fed them. They view each other as siblings now and co-exist quite well in my bedroom. They’re 5-7 weeks old, one male, one female.

Two weeks ago, a third kitten was dumped on my doorstep. I took her in and have been keeping her in my bathroom. She’s a bit older, about 3 months old. I fear that she’s had a rough start in life, she oscillates between being a total sweetheart and being very aggressive/nippy.

I have tried introducing her to my younger kittens over this past week and she was incredibly aggressive towards them. She hisses and growls non-stop, she swats at them and weirdly, she is incredibly possessive about *me*. She will not let the other kittens cuddle with me. The other two kittens don’t really seem to mind her, one of them completely ignores her and plays as usual, the other will observe her from a distance and then go back to playing.

I am not really sure how to go about this, because there isn’t a common, neutral space for the introductions to happen. I want to move her out of my bathroom asap, it is very very tiny. I live in a small apartment and I already have an adult cat, who I’ve been keeping in the living room, away from all the kittens as they’re still in the process of being dewormed, vaccinated etc.

Can the 3-month old kitten change behaviorally and become a better socialized/less territorial cat? How?

How do I know if the other two kittens are a bonded pair, or if it’ll eventually be OK to separate them for adoption?

I would like to adopt one of the kittens but as it stands, I am worried the aggressive 3-month old kitten will not get along with my older, 4-year old and very mild-tempered cat. One of the younger kittens is a better fit personality-wise but I am not sure I can separate those two, however I can’t take them both because of traveling, space, etc.

Sorry this is incredibly long, I am overwhelmed and would appreciate any insight! Thank you!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hello - I think that three-month old might benefit from staying by herself, somehow (I realize your bathroom isn't the best) and can you obtain a toy that has a purr or a heartbeat in it, or alternatively, find a ticking clock and wrap it in a towel so the sound is a little muffled like an actual heartbeat, or you could use a phone or other computer item and have soft Cat Music with purrs in it playing for her.

To go along with the music and the soft sounds, take a sock, partly fill it with dry rice or dry beans and microwave it a little (test it against your own skin so it isn't too hot) and give her that to snuggle with.

I think you're right, it sounds to me as though she's been traumatized by something. My hope is that with patience, love, time and these things I mentioned, she can find a little of her inner mental balance

Later on, this article may be helpful;

How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat [A Guide] - TheCatSite

How do I know if the other two kittens are a bonded pair, or if it’ll eventually be OK to separate them for adoption?

I think, since they came from different litters, they've basically become well socialized little felines, all thanks to you, and should acclimate to being adopted, whether together or separately, just fine

 

[Kyaviana]

Hello - I think that three-month old might benefit from staying by herself, somehow (I realize your bathroom isn't the best) and can you obtain a toy that has a purr or a heartbeat in it, or alternatively, find a ticking clock and wrap it in a towel so the sound is a little muffled like an actual heartbeat, or you could use a phone or other computer item and have soft Cat Music with purrs in it playing for her.

To go along with the music and the soft sounds, take a sock, partly fill it with dry rice or dry beans and microwave it a little (test it against your own skin so it isn't too hot) and give her that to snuggle with.

I think you're right, it sounds to me as though she's been traumatized by something. My hope is that with patience, love, time and these things I mentioned, she can find a little of her inner mental balance

Later on, this article may be helpful;

How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat [A Guide] - TheCatSite


I think, since they came from different litters, they've basically become well socialized little felines, all thanks to you, and should acclimate to being adopted, whether together or separately, just fine

Thank you for the advice! supplies are so limited here so I will look for a clock or something and play music for her! How long do you think it will take her to settle and find some inner mental balance?

I have about two months left in this country, I will need to take her with me or adopt her out by then. And I don’t want to take her with me if she’s better off in a single cat family.

 

[Furballsmom]

How long do you think it will take her to settle and find some inner mental balance?

She might not take as long as a person would think . I'll keep my fingers crossed that it won't take long at all

 

[Kyaviana]

She might not take as long as a person would think . I'll keep my fingers crossed that it won't take long at all

Hi! I wanted to post an update, just in case anyone ever ends up in the same situation as me

I ended up putting all three of the kittens together in my bedroom after a few days of the black kitten staying by herself in the bathroom. I basically just stayed in the room for a few days, babysitting all the interactions

There was a lot of hissing at first, growling and smacking from the older, black kitten. But my white kitties were surprisingly tolerant of her and just took her aggressive behavior in stride.

Now, 3 months later, we are in a new country and they’ve all become good friends! They eat together, sleep together, play together without much issue at all. The black kitten has really grown into a sweet and energetic cat, she doesn’t hiss much anymore and is far less emotionally volatile.

I’ve still kept them mostly separate from my adult cat but that integration is next on my to-do list

 

[Furballsmom]

Thanks so very much for the update!