Just got new kitty and ?

[crys12065]

HI Everyone...

YOu all may have seen me lurking, answering and asking a few questions on this site. One very important question being should i get a play mat for Sebastian my only kitty. Well I have been working ALOT lately and could tell how lonely he was, but I got to pay the bills!

SO I went into Petsmart tonight and they have an adoption center in there. I saw this beautiful black 1 yr old cat with the biggest green eyes ever. She was the sweetest calm, playful nice kitty I had ever met. I decided to take her home and here I am.

Now they said she loved other cats and I even talked to her foster mom. In the clinic she seemed unfazed but any of the cats and just lounged around.

I took her home and left her on the living room floor in her crate while i set up her room. My cat seemed ufazed by the crate and just went about our normal routine of getting his wet food and medicine.

She already used the litter box and now he is meowing and trying to see under the door of the room. I am unsure of his tmeperment towards other cats so I do not know when is a good time to at least let them see each other.

Should I wait a couple days before even shwoing Sebastian the new kitty or just let him have a peek now and see what he does?

I have a feeling she will be fine because Vickie seems like a very well adjusted cat. She has not acted like she is stressed at all and just wants to see what is up. She is very mellow.

Sorry for the long post I just have never introduced two cats before, at least not properly. In my moms house growing up we always had multiple cats but she just took them in and figured they would get along. We had a lot of spraying and litter box and fighting issues that way. I am trying to avoud all that because I think he will really come to enjoy the company when I am away.

Thanks for all your suggestions guys. I will post some picks of vickie my new cat when I get a chance to take some.

Crystal

 

[stephanietx]

Congratulations on getting a new kitty! She sounds adorable!

First all, I wouldn't introduce the 2 kitties until the new one has been checked out by your vet. Just to make sure she doesn't have anything that's contagious from fleas/mites to something more serious. Also, keeping her confined will help her adjust to the sounds and smells of her new home so that she won't be so scared when she's introduced to your resident cat.

Then, follow the steps here: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67321 .

Good luck with your new family member!!

Stephanie

 

[crys12065]

Okay...I just went into the new kittys room to pet her and see how she was..on my out Sebastian ran in between my legs..the room is not very big.

He just kind of looked at her and got a little close...he did nothing but she actually layed in the same spot and gave a little "growl". Sebastian them proceeded to her food dish where I promptly picked him up and took him out of the room.

He seemed not to care too much about her but she groweled but did not arch her back or hiss.

Did i just mess up the whole process of introducing them or what? Sebastian seems to not really care a whole alot. he is playing with his toys and going about his business as usual.

 

[coaster]

No, just keep them separate and start over. The main thing is that they shouldn't actually see each other -- shouldn't be in the same room at the same time, even in a crate. There's a good article in the "Cat Behavior" collection, and here's a link to it: Introducing Cats

 

[crys12065]

Also-
How much time do I spend with the new kitty? Last time I went in the room Sebastian cried outside the door the whole time and that is when he snuck in. I do not want him to feel left out as he is my baby but I also want my new kitty Vickie to feel comfortable and loved as well.

Where is the happy medium? She must be lonely all by herself in there

 

[trouts mom]

I always wonder why you can't just let the kitties out and let them check eachother out while keeping an eye on them? I remember in the old days, we used to do that..Is it really that bad?

 

[njangel021]

Congrats on your new baby!!! I'm not sure on how you put the two together usually when I bring home a new baby she or he is off on there own and usually teams up with our one cat that we call Mommy Midnight and we have never had a prob a hiss here and there or that reaching of the paw and a fast touch and run..I'm not one to usually worry if they got anything long as their eyes are clear and they are active I have no worries and I've never had a problem.

 

[katachtig]

I think the new cat needs some time to adjust to the new environment so keep them separated a couple of days. Follow the ideas in the links in the previous posts to get them acquainted with one another's scent. I don't think you blew it but it does seem that your new cat needs time to settling in.

 

[touro1979]

Originally Posted by Trouts mom

I always wonder why you can't just let the kitties out and let them check eachother out while keeping an eye on them? I remember in the old days, we used to do that..Is it really that bad?

this is how I do it even though many here would disagree. I have introduced my two cats to my parents two cats and my aunts 3 cats as well as my parents large sheperd mix dog. I just let them out of the carrier and watch them to make sure no fights start. (I have very good control over my animals, I can pick them up when they are scared or even mad and have never gotten injured) with the dog I jsut put the dog on the leash to make sure she didnt lunge at my two cats. After a little while I just let the dog off the leash and everything was fine. When the dog gets too close, the cat whacks the dog, the dog yelps and goes the other way. No problem. the cats were hissing at each other for like 5 minutes and that was that, friends for life.

I think the key thing is how much control do you have over your current cat because if there is problem you will have to physically remove somebody.

 

[crys12065]

Okay...I feel like I am messing this all up!!!!

Again Sebastian got in and the new cat got out! Again there was some sniffing Sebastian followed her and then she hissed at him and I picked her up and put her back in. I am going to lock sebastian in the bedroom when I go in there with her, I just did not want to have to do that and make him feel punished.

The main reason I am not just putting them together to see what happens is I want them to like each other and also I want to avoid any serious behaviour issues between one or both of the cats involving stress. I know stress in cats can lead to litter box and spraying problems and that is the LAST thing I want to happen.

Now he is just laying there and purring like everything is fine. He is such a good little kit. I thought he would be more of the problem than her but it looks like the cat who "likes" may need the most adjusting. I know it has only been a few hours so I need to be patient.

I will keep you posted as I am going to attempt some sleep although I am WAY stressed about my new kitty right now.

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

[njangel021]

Its okay to be stressed just remember they can sense that and remember there will be some hissing untill they are used to each other which doesn't take long. Everything will be fine and when they are chasing each other around the house and double teaming on you for food you gonna look back and laugh

 

[katachtig]

You're still doing good. By separating them again, you are allowing both to de-stress. Keep working on getting your new cat comfortable with your living space. Lock Sebastian up and let the new one be able to explore. She has the added stress of coming to a new home and dealing with everything in it. Try rubbing Sebastian with a towel and then putting the towel under her food so she starts to associate Sebastian with good stuff. If she seems more comfortable, try allowing short intervals with the two together. There will be hissing, (my cats have been together for over a year and there is still hissing) just have a towel ready so you can grab one if something breaks out.

And just take a deep breath, relax and enjoy your cats.

 

[lookingglass]

Trust me everything is going to be fine. I went through the same thing about a month ago with my two boys. They are getting along better now, but just realize you are on cat time not people time. Let them come around on their own.