New Cat, Her 5 Kittens, Resident Cat As Well

[Naomilovescats]

I NEED HELP !

Ive had my resident cat (Finn) for about a year now and shes been amazing. About a month ago we took in a female cat (Eva)that had just given birth to 5 kittens.
I did a bunch of research and knowing the introduction process is slow i made Eva and her litter a safe room which is currently my bathroom.
Its been a month now and Eva and Finn still havent met. Everytime Eva is out of the bathroom Finn is locked in our room and vice versa. She hisses under the bedroom door at Finn and even tries to attack, but Finn is super scared and just hides under my bed. I know shes trying to protect her kittens but im not sure if that behavior will pass.
The kittens are only a month old so i have another month with them until i can get them each to their designated homes.
Am i making a mistake by prolonging their meeting process?
Should i just wait until the kittens are weaned and in their new homes to introduce Eva and Finn?
By the way i forgot to mention i am going to keep a kitten from the litter, so it will be Finn (Resident cat) Eva and her kitten.

PLEASE HELP
im new to this site and im just trying to make all my fury friends happy.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to The Cat Site.

I have no experience with introducing cats, as my family and now myself, only ever had one cat at a time. However, I'm thinking it would be best to keep Finn and Eva separated until the kittens go to their homes. And until you can get Eva spayed. Then, I think, would be the best chance of starting the "official" introductions between the 2 females. And I'm not sure at all when to introduce the kitten to Finn.

Hopefully other members will reply with their opinions and suggestions. Meanwhile here's some TCS articles that may be helpful:

Introducing Cats To Cats
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
The Multi-cat Household

BTW, it's generally recommended kittens be kept with their mothers for at least 12 weeks, so if you can it might be better to keep them a bit longer than 1 more month.
How Old Do Kittens Have To Be To Leave Their Mother?

For any questions about mom and the kittens, TCS also has a Pregnant Cats and Kitten Care forum.

 

[talkingpeanut]

I would wait until the kittens have weaned and Eva has been spayed to do an introduction. Is your resident girl already spayed?

Thank you for taking her in!

And yes, kittens should be at least 10-12 weeks when they leave mom. Try to rehome in pairs!

 

[Naomilovescats]

Hello and welcome to The Cat Site.

I have no experience with introducing cats, as my family and now myself, only ever had one cat at a time. However, I'm thinking it would be best to keep Finn and Eva separated until the kittens go to their homes. And until you can get Eva spayed. Then, I think, would be the best chance of starting the "official" introductions between the 2 females. And I'm not sure at all when to introduce the kitten to Finn.

Hopefully other members will reply with their opinions and suggestions. Meanwhile here's some TCS articles that may be helpful:

Introducing Cats To Cats
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
The Multi-cat Household

BTW, it's generally recommended kittens be kept with their mothers for at least 12 weeks, so if you can it might be better to keep them a bit longer than 1 more month.
How Old Do Kittens Have To Be To Leave Their Mother?

For any questions about mom and the kittens, TCS also has a Pregnant Cats and Kitten Care forum.

I would wait until the kittens have weaned and Eva has been spayed to do an introduction. Is your resident girl already spayed?

Thank you for taking her in!

And yes, kittens should be at least 10-12 weeks when they leave mom. Try to rehome in pairs!

Thank you so much for all your help !
My resident cat Finn is spayed yes, is there a specific reason why Eva should also be spayed before meeting Finn ?
I figured i had a weird case because i went online trying to find solutions to my situation and couldnt find anything.
Im super grateful for this site !

 

[rubysmama]

After having kittens, Eva will still have a hormonal thing going on, plus will probably have gone into heat by the time the kittens are weaned. I think, especially since Finn is also female, the introduction would be easier once they were both spayed.

Google found these links, which is kinda the same as your situation:
Mother Cat Aggression: Calming the Protective Queen
Introducing mama cat to my own three cats

 

[talkingpeanut]

I am concerned that any progress you make will be lost if there is any hormonal behavior, or once Eva returns from vet post-spay. It would be easiest to start fresh!

 

[Naomilovescats]

Okay i completely understand,thank you !
I will most definitely take her in once the kittens go to their new homes.
Thanks again !

 

[Naomilovescats]

Should i introduce Eva AND the new kittie to Finn at the same time or do it separately ?
I just want everyone to be happy and get along.
I found 4 homes for the other kitties and would hate to have to give the last one to the ASPCA so i rather keep it and give it allllllllll the love

 

[Naomilovescats]

Yesterday i found pee in their safe room and thought it was Eva but when i picked up one of them i noticed it was wet near that area.
Today i found some kitty poop and now two of them are peeing everywhere.
Should i start a litter box for them?
Can i use the same cat litter as their mom ?
Also Eva seems to be weaning them because shes keeping a distance from them and everytime they try to feed she moves and goes somewhere else.
Should i get them kitten formula ? or should i try some wet food with water ?
Please helppppp

 

[Willowy]

Yes, offer a shallow pan with non-clumping litter. They're ready now.

They're probably also ready for solid food. Get some canned kitten food and mash it up with some water to make it sort of soupy. Not too runny, more like a smoothie texture. You can also mix it with kitten formula, but since they have their mother that's not entirely necessary. She'll let them nurse occasionally for a few more weeks at least. It might take them a while to catch on but do introduce the food now so they can get the idea.

Even if the mama cat weans them earlier, don't send them to new homes until they're at least 10-12 weeks old. Kittens who stay with their mom and siblings longer learn better kitty manners.

 

[Naomilovescats]

Thank you so much !
What about if their new homes have a resident cat ?
would they be able to learn from the resident cat ?
What would occur if they went to new homes at 8 weeks? would it hinder their learning process alot ?

 

[Naomilovescats]

Another quick question... Is the arm and hammer clump and seal lightweight okay to use for them ?
the box says its good for any cat and the picture shows a kitten.
I can get kitty litter tomorrow but just for the time being considering theyre peeing and pooping everywhere now.

Again i really appreciate all the help !

 

[rubysmama]

Hello. A shallow litter box that they can easily get in and out of is best. And make sure the litter is NON CLUMPING, as kittens sometimes eat litter.

Here's a few TCS articles with more information:
Weaning: How To Get Your Kittens To Eat On Their Own
The Essentials Of Kitten Nutrition
How Old Do Kittens Have To Be To Leave Their Mother?
"kittens To Good Homes" - How To Find A Good Forever Home For Your Kittens

 

[talkingpeanut]

Yes, get non-clumping litter only.

The kittens need to stay with mom until at least 10 weeks. 12 is even better. They continue learning, and it will make them into far better adjusted adults.

 

[danteshuman]

Being in a bathroom for a month would drive you insane. Now imagine taking care of baby to! I would suggest locking up Finn and giving her the rest of your house for 12 hours a day. Until they are both spayed & healed I would not let them see each other. However by smelling each other throughout the house it should help them get used to each other. Also be sure to kitten proof EVERY THING! Little kittens are tiny adorable ninjas They climb curtains, use their claws to rock climb up wooden cabinets, worm under kitchen cabinets, chew on cords, explore tv entertainment centers, burrow under couches! Take lots of picture they grow up so fast!