My Cat Doesn`t Accept The Kittens

[sarahlouncke]

Hello everyone,

i have a question. But before I ask it I will give you some background information.
I had originally two cats Beppie and Ate. They were sister and brother and came from the same litter. Unfortanetely Beppie (girl) have died in march. We grieved a lot and we noticed that Ate missed his little sister. As a reaction to him and to our own grief we decided to adopt a kitten. She came in June and her name is Muffins. The introduction didn`t went well and we had to decide to go all the way back from the beginning. Because we wanted to socialize Muffins with other cats and give Ate all the time that he needed we decided to get another kitten. We got her a month ago. Muffins and Zoe adopted really quickly to each other. But with Ate it has only spiraled downwards. Even when we keep them apart he begins to show signs of agression.He started to gis and attacks everything (not all the time but he attacks suddenly) on top of that he doesn`t want to stay inside at all. Even when the kittens are not around. I don`t want him to stay outside for so long but I also do not want to force him to stay inside. I want to take the introduction proces and do it slow but i feel like i can`t even keep him inside without him trying to attack or trying to open the doors instead. What should I do. At this point I feel like having kittens was actually a bad idea but know i have to deal with it and i have no idea what i can do. What would you think I could do the make the situation better?
Thank you for responding.

 

[5starcathotel]

With Ate being indoor-outdoor, the introduction process is going to be very problematic. The kittens Muffins and Zoe are going to be 'claiming' the indoor space, by rubbing and laying everywhere. Frankly, Ate needs to be 'encouraged' (even forced?) to adapt to this new indoor dynamic. Yes, that means I think Ate cannot be allowed outside during the next month or so, at least!

That said, the transition does not have to be a negative for Ate. First, play with him, or the kittens, with interactive toys like Da Bird or a laser pointer. Bring out Ate's inner-kitten, and he will interact much better with the new kittens!

Next, be sure Ate has places he can escape to, observe, and defend, in the main living areas of your house....cat trees or even shelves.

Lastly, can Ate and the kittens share a meal together? If so, that is like 90% of the work done! Rhythm and ritual around meal times will teach them to live together, which is the basis of all cat friendships!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hello! It sounds like too much change in too little of a time period for Ate. I presume he is older, given his sister died recently?

Anyway, a new kitten in June, then another in no time at all after that, means it has not been nearly enough time to allow all the steps of an introduction process to be successfully completed. It can take months!

I would suggest you read through these TCS articles and see what you can do to correct/adjust an introduction process for Ate and the two kittens. With each step, you can only go as fast as the slowest adapting cat - meaning Ate.

How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat

 

[sarahlouncke]

With Ate being indoor-outdoor, the introduction process is going to be very problematic. The kittens Muffins and Zoe are going to be 'claiming' the indoor space, by rubbing and laying everywhere. Frankly, Ate needs to be 'encouraged' (even forced?) to adapt to this new indoor dynamic. Yes, that means I think Ate cannot be allowed outside during the next month or so, at least!

That said, the transition does not have to be a negative for Ate. First, play with him, or the kittens, with interactive toys like Da Bird or a laser pointer. Bring out Ate's inner-kitten, and he will interact much better with the new kittens!

Next, be sure Ate has places he can escape to, observe, and defend, in the main living areas of your house....cat trees or even shelves.

Lastly, can Ate and the kittens share a meal together? If so, that is like 90% of the work done! Rhythm and ritual around meal times will teach them to live together, which is the basis of all cat friendships!

Thank you so much for your tips. I am busy with trying to let Ate as much as possible inside. Today i noticed that he already wanted to stay longer. He even has sitten with me on the couch while given heads. My goal is eventually to let completely inside for a month but i am building it up so the tension will not get too high. But I am forcing him to stay longer and it seems like he begins to feel more comfortable with it.

Yes they actually can. I haven`t tried it with Zoë. But Muffins and Ate can actually share a meal together.

I am also playing with him. His favourite toy is his mouse but he like to play also with other thinks as the laser pointer. But I have to buy another cat tree so all the cats have had their own space.

 

[sarahlouncke]

Hello! It sounds like too much change in too little of a time period for Ate. I presume he is older, given his sister died recently?

Anyway, a new kitten in June, then another in no time at all after that, means it has not been nearly enough time to allow all the steps of an introduction process to be successfully completed. It can take months!

I would suggest you read through these TCS articles and see what you can do to correct/adjust an introduction process for Ate and the two kittens. With each step, you can only go as fast as the slowest adapting cat - meaning Ate.

How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat

Yes i think it too. Ate is 8 years old. He is not old old but he is already older to adapt to a kitten. I am afraid that my grieve has taken over and that I didn`t make the right decissions. It was a bit too much for him. I think he may be needing a lot of time to adjust but that is ok. The only thing I want for him is to be happy. I will read the articles. Thank you so much for your reply!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

This CAN happen! Just don't rush it. Time and patience are your two best friends here. Keep reminding yourself that you can ONLY go as fast as the most reluctant cat. If you push, it WILL go backwards.

 

[sarahlouncke]

I want to give you an update on how things went in the meantime. I have followed your tips and my cat Ate has begun to accept the kittens. They can stay in one room. Sometimes he hisses to the kittens when they do something he doesn`t like bute overall he seems to be relaxed around them. There are no signs of agression. I feel like they are getting more and more used to each other.Thank you so much for your tips!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Excellent! That's good progress already for an older cat!! Thanks for the update!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

That's wonderful! And he's supposed to let them know when they get out of line, that's his job, you know!