New cat, need some advice.

[Krienze]

We ended up with another cat and it was a bit unexpected. To clarify, we had no time to prepare between knowing we'd be getting this cat and bringing him home. As a result, we don't have the room set up that we would have let him stay in for the first week or so while we introduce him to our other cats and dogs.

I've NEVER been in this situation before. I've always been able to introduce slowly and properly. I pretty much had to let him stay out with the other animals.

Now, we do have a gate in the kitchen that keeps the dogs out so for the most part, they don't bother him. He does seem afraid of them, but that's understandable.

Mia (surprisingly) just wants to be friends. She's tried to love him a few times and he's hissed/whacked at her. She seems to back up when he does though.
Jasper's a lil more stubborn and I think was offended that the new cat hissed at him, because he started hissing at him shortly after.

So far the only situations I've had are hisses and a few whacks. There are times that the new cat (Milo) will run up to them and hiss, and I'm afraid they might fight but I'm also afraid of stopping them to early.

Milo (the new cat) for the most part has been laying in the bed under my desk. He likes to curl under things and stay near people.

The shelter says he's a year but he's REALLY small and I feel like he may be closer to 5 months possibly.

He doesn't -seem- aggressive though he does initiate going up to the other cats from time to time and retreats shortly after.

He ate a little bit, but not a lot. He FINALLY peed a lot about 20 minutes ago in his litter box - I had to show him where it was though.

Has anyone been in this situation? Is there any advice for handling introductions when I'm pretty much forced to just introduce them right off the bat?

The other cats stalk near him but I think they're just trying to see him.

Mia and Sammy are interested in him, but haven't hissed or smacked at him. Jasper HAS hissed and smacked at him, though I think in retaliation.
When Milo gets scared, he hides. He watches them intently from his bed under my desk
When Jasper goes near the new litter box, Milo JUMPS up to rush over. I've kind of intervened before anything could happen - should I stop doing that and let them play it out?

SLIGHT update: Sammy did hiss, but Milo hissed first

This IS all normal right?

Whenever I get a new animal I go through sleepless periods like this wondering if it will all be okay but this is the first time I'm forced to do something a different and inaccurate way and I could use some hope here =( we want to really try and work with him.

It took us MONTHS with Mia when we got her but now she's super friendly, so I'm trying to keep that in mind

 

[ArtNJ]

Its going wonderfully considering a fairly aweful situation -- immediate intro to two cats with dogs in the background. Hisses and a whack or two are nothing at all. Watch them for a couple of hours straigh, especially if the dogs get active or barky. If you get through that, you might just be very lucky. Note that even when lucky, it can take cats a few days to work things out.

Once the cats are cool, start an intro process with the dogs. You can't skip that and must make it work despite the rushed arrival.

 

[Krienze]

Its going wonderfully considering a fairly aweful situation -- immediate intro to two cats with dogs in the background. Hisses and a whack or two are nothing at all. Watch them for a couple of hours straigh, especially if the dogs get active or barky. If you get through that, you might just be very lucky. Note that even when lucky, it can take cats a few days to work things out.

Once the cats are cool, start an intro process with the dogs. You can't skip that and must make it work despite the rushed arrival.

Right now the dogs are separated by the gate in the kitchen so thankfully we have that there to separate them.

Our catahoula doesn't give a hoot about the kitten. The black lab just wants to shove his face at him so it'll be interesting. When the kitten is in his carrier the dogs are calm with him so I have some hope there!

 

[StanAndAlf]

In the past, I have found a playpen (the small ones, about a meter in diameter) useful for these situations. I put a litterbox, a blanket and food and water in there, and then cover the entire structure partially with a light sheet. This will give your new boy some time to himself, and will allow your cats to get used to his scent gradually and vice versa, with a safety barrier in between. The sheet is to allow him to hide and give him some comfort. What I have done in similar situations is then let the new cat out of the pen for intervals during the day. When hissing escalates or nerves are running high, I return the newbie to his pen. Eventually I phase out the pen altogether.

It sounds like you have been lucky, and things are going well considering. But I do worry that nerves will fray, and damage will be done. Of course this may not happen, and you are the best judge in this situation. Best of luck!

 

[Krienze]

In the past, I have found a playpen (the small ones, about a meter in diameter) useful for these situations. I put a litterbox, a blanket and food and water in there, and then cover the entire structure partially with a light sheet. This will give your new boy some time to himself, and will allow your cats to get used to his scent gradually and vice versa, with a safety barrier in between. The sheet is to allow him to hide and give him some comfort. What I have done in similar situations is then let the new cat out of the pen for intervals during the day. When hissing escalates or nerves are running high, I return the newbie to his pen. Eventually I phase out the pen altogether.

It sounds like you have been lucky, and things are going well considering. But I do worry that nerves will fray, and damage will be done. Of course this may not happen, and you are the best judge in this situation. Best of luck!

I may try the playpen idea, but the kitten has already learned to jump the gate so I'm not sure a playpen would do much.

A bit of an UPDATE though!!

Milo has STOPPED hissing and swatting the other cats. He's now WAY more interested in getting next to them and sniffing. He follows Jasper around the kitchen Island and they even seem to communicate with each other through meow-like chitter sounds. I've never seen that before. There's been 0 violence between the cats, no aggression other than the other three hissing at the newcomer from time to time, though Sammy has pretty much completely stopped hissing and gives absolutely no craps that the kitten is even here (Sammy honestly only ever even hissed when the kitten hissed at him first.)

The kitten DOES know how to use his litter box. He peed and pooped in it yesterday and knows to run to it when he has to go!

He comes when you call him. Like absolutely CHARGES when he hears the sound of your voice. Sweetest little kitten! And I LOVE that he's trying to play with Jasper.

The other night Mia and Jasper decided to kitty rumble (play fight) and I let them do it where Milo could see - because I thought it'd be good for him to see them play. I read once that learning each other through play helps bleed out aggression, so I also started playing with them with the feather. The other cats respond but Milo still seems hesitant. He MAY just not be a fan of the feather so today I'mma try the laser instead.

We have HUNDREDS of cat toys, too. So far haven't found one he's all that interested in, but I know he loves to snuggle under things. He goes under blankets and his bed so I built a little fort he likes to run and hide under, under my desk.

I'm thinking my worries are pretty much voided at this point. The only thing I really NEED to focus on is getting him comfortable with the dogs. My catahoula is excitable but gentle and seems to know this is a baby. The lab gets a little much, barking and jumping at the gate. I know he's excited because he's also very gentle with the cats in general... but he's loud and so that's gonna take some work there.

My other worry however is that he ISN'T eating much. He takes a few bites, sniffs, leaves. He seems totally healthy otherwise, I think and the shelter had him at a clean bill of health. He gets excited to be given treats, but won't eat those either. I'm unsure if I should continue to wait or take him to the vet,.

 

[StanAndAlf]

That's great news! Thanks for the update.

Try and see if he will eat some boiled chicken, just to get something in his belly. Perhaps he isn't used to the food you are feeding, or doesn't like it. Maybe even a nervous belly. I don't like to eat when I'm nervous either.

I wouldn't be too worried yet, if he starts to lose weight or stops eating altogether, then I would contact a vet.

Best of luck!

 

[Krienze]

UPDATE:

Well... It would appear my worrying was all for naught.

While Mia still hisses a bit at him, and Milo still hisses a bit at Sammy, Milo and Jasper have become fast friends. The other cats are warming up to him slowly, but they're doing it. No cat fights at all like I feared.

He's even old news to the dogs now. Sergio doesn't bark at him like he did and Benito doesn't care. In fact, Milo has even played a bit with him and is comfortable walking around freely about the house with the dogs.

Soooo, alls well! I'm sorry for panic-posting!

 

[ArtNJ]

Terrific! You did get fairly lucky, this was defiitely an introduction with a high chance of being very dificult!