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A little over 2 weeks ago (Sept. 2), I adopted 2 kittens to introduce to my cat Isabelle. Isabelle is just over 9 years and had been with another male about a year ago for most of her life. They were not the best of friends, but they got along. The male was the more dominate one. We have been on our own this past year since I moved away for school, and it has been hard on her just being us, hence adopting the kittens for company. Persia and Katrina are just over 3 months old, and seem very bonded, although not siblings.
The kittens are in the bedroom, with Isabelle in the kitchen/living room/loft area. I sleep with Isabelle every night. Isabelle had a lot of negative energy I helped her get out with playing the first few days, and she has been more playful in general since the kitties arrived. Scent swapping and feeding near the door has been done since the kitties arrived, and at about the 2 week mark were some face to face meetings and letting everyone intermingle for a few hours at a time.
Isabelle will hiss sometimes, sometimes no and just sniff kitties. The kitties are pretty bold and ignore her hissing for the most part, but are cautious other times. A couple times Katrina has hissed back, depending on her mood. I give Isabelle treats when she approaches and around kitties without hissing. I've read hissing can be normal, although I worry it will become a habit, and go back and forth between thinking of slowing down or continue having meetings.
After meetings, such as last night (despite Isabelle being irritable when everyone was separated), Isabelle will sleep on towels that Persia had been resting on right after they are separated. Isabelle will also beg to go into the other room, maybe do her curious meow at the door, and loves sleeping on the bed. She seems less stressed at meetings, she has been letting me pet her without growling and has climbed up on my lap this morning while the kittens were out. Often she will sleep in the bedroom or sit under the bed watching the kittens when they are out while they mainly stay in the living room. If the kitties get too close, she may or may not growl/hiss.
Although, sometimes in the evening, if there is a meet and greet at that time, Isabelle gets rather irritable towards the end as she gets more hissy or will try to swat at them. She has also jumped up the cat tree specifically to hiss at Persia who was calmly sleeping there.
What would advice from people who have been through this? The kittens should be getting spayed in a few weeks, would this affect/influence the introduction if they have not been spayed yet? Obviously during recovery time they would soley be kept in the bedroom to prevent them from climbing and jumping on the large cat tree in the living room.
Also, there were some unexpected repair workers that entered my home today and were unaware to keep the bedroom door shut. (When my landlady alerted me of them being here, I nearly had a panic attack because I wasn't home, and rushed to get there, LoL... I didn't want a negative experience to set back any progress! Isabelle seemed surprisingly very calm with the kittens as the bedroom door was open when I arrived, and touched noses with Katrina with no growling and just camly walked past her.) She is extremely empathetic, and I wondered if she knew they were more nervous (usually they are very bold), or maybe because I wasn't there with my bundle of nerves. I've read cats can feel our anxiety... and that adds to my anxiety during meetings... Anyways, I did crack the door open to let Isabelle peek at the kittens when I got home again, since she was so calm earlier. She looked at Katrina and was fine, gave her some treats and then Pursia peeked and was growled at. Katrina then pushed to the front and was growled at. Now she is meowing at the bedroom door.
I guess any reassurance I haven't F-ed anything up yet and ways to continue working on their introduction. I know I have time since during the kittens spay they will be kept separate, unless it would be a good idea to let Isabelle in the bedroom with them for visits.
Thanks everyone for any advice or personal stories to relate!
The kittens are in the bedroom, with Isabelle in the kitchen/living room/loft area. I sleep with Isabelle every night. Isabelle had a lot of negative energy I helped her get out with playing the first few days, and she has been more playful in general since the kitties arrived. Scent swapping and feeding near the door has been done since the kitties arrived, and at about the 2 week mark were some face to face meetings and letting everyone intermingle for a few hours at a time.
Isabelle will hiss sometimes, sometimes no and just sniff kitties. The kitties are pretty bold and ignore her hissing for the most part, but are cautious other times. A couple times Katrina has hissed back, depending on her mood. I give Isabelle treats when she approaches and around kitties without hissing. I've read hissing can be normal, although I worry it will become a habit, and go back and forth between thinking of slowing down or continue having meetings.
After meetings, such as last night (despite Isabelle being irritable when everyone was separated), Isabelle will sleep on towels that Persia had been resting on right after they are separated. Isabelle will also beg to go into the other room, maybe do her curious meow at the door, and loves sleeping on the bed. She seems less stressed at meetings, she has been letting me pet her without growling and has climbed up on my lap this morning while the kittens were out. Often she will sleep in the bedroom or sit under the bed watching the kittens when they are out while they mainly stay in the living room. If the kitties get too close, she may or may not growl/hiss.
Although, sometimes in the evening, if there is a meet and greet at that time, Isabelle gets rather irritable towards the end as she gets more hissy or will try to swat at them. She has also jumped up the cat tree specifically to hiss at Persia who was calmly sleeping there.
What would advice from people who have been through this? The kittens should be getting spayed in a few weeks, would this affect/influence the introduction if they have not been spayed yet? Obviously during recovery time they would soley be kept in the bedroom to prevent them from climbing and jumping on the large cat tree in the living room.
Also, there were some unexpected repair workers that entered my home today and were unaware to keep the bedroom door shut. (When my landlady alerted me of them being here, I nearly had a panic attack because I wasn't home, and rushed to get there, LoL... I didn't want a negative experience to set back any progress! Isabelle seemed surprisingly very calm with the kittens as the bedroom door was open when I arrived, and touched noses with Katrina with no growling and just camly walked past her.) She is extremely empathetic, and I wondered if she knew they were more nervous (usually they are very bold), or maybe because I wasn't there with my bundle of nerves. I've read cats can feel our anxiety... and that adds to my anxiety during meetings... Anyways, I did crack the door open to let Isabelle peek at the kittens when I got home again, since she was so calm earlier. She looked at Katrina and was fine, gave her some treats and then Pursia peeked and was growled at. Katrina then pushed to the front and was growled at. Now she is meowing at the bedroom door.
I guess any reassurance I haven't F-ed anything up yet and ways to continue working on their introduction. I know I have time since during the kittens spay they will be kept separate, unless it would be a good idea to let Isabelle in the bedroom with them for visits.
Thanks everyone for any advice or personal stories to relate!
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