Hi!! I am new to this site and very excited to be in a community filled with other cat lovers and cat gurus!!
I am bringing my dilemma here because I feel like my fiance thinks I am crazy and so do all of my friends! My fiance and I have a 5 year old Siberian cat named Percy who weighs in at about 18.5lbs. Percy has been the absolutely LIGHT of my life since we got him as a 2mo old kitten in 2018. He was the most fearless, social, daring and curious little kitten with the biggest personality I have ever met. Over the past 5 years it has been the 3 of us against the world. We live in an apartment, but started traveling frequently in the car with Percy as a kitten and bringing him to my parents house whenever we travel there (every 2 weeks about, give or take) and he LOVES it! He sleeps the whole car ride and he is happy as a clam in my parents big house with their screened in pool enclosure. Now, my fiance and I both have very demanding work schedules and were noticing Percy become a little lazier and more sleepy/bored, but he was still the sweet gentle silly giant that loved to be with his momma.
Enter... FISH. I have been asking my fiance for YEARS for a new kitten to keep Percy company, especially seeing how social and playful he is. Finally, this past February, my fiance agreed it was time. I spent a lot of time looking for the perfect kitten (one that was social and playful to match Percy). Finally, the universe's cat distribution system dropped a sweet 4mo old tan tabby in our laps.. and his name is Fish! Fish stumbled into someone's pool as a young kitten and required resuscitation. Luckily for him, other than a little water in his belly, he was completely fine! We decided to take a chance on him and bring him home.
We brought him home on Sunday evening, and by bedtime that night, Fish was out of his hiding spot in the bathroom and ready to snuggle us. We were SO surprised and touched by this little guy's heart. HE IS TRULY SO SWEET. Now after a few days of interacting under the door and swapping each others toys many times... we let them interact face to face. Percy really only every hissed at Fish maybe 3 times total? And only growled ONCE. Fish was honestly the one doing all the hissing! But since then, the boys have been out unrestricted really. Percy and Fish rough play a lot (no growling, no hissing, no arched backs) but sometimes I feel like Percy is being very rough with Fish as I will sometimes hear Fish let a little whine or cry out. But he will get up and trot away but doesnt hide or act too afraid of Percy. Fish is still battling food insecurity - he is NOT agrgessive when he eats, he is just a GARBAGE DISPOSAL and will FIEND for all food possible (even our food!!!) His foster mom did tell me he was having some GI issues (we think sensitive stomach as all the vet tests came back negative) which is something I have been battling with ALL week. I have him on special GI food currently and got new probiotics last night. He is such a gassy little guy as well. BUT this whole situation has disrupted Percy's normal feeding routine as he was used to just being able to graze from his automatic feeder whenever he felt, but due to the sensitive stomach ANNNND his ravenous food insecurity, I have had to get them on a strict feeding schedule.
Percy has been acting differently towards ME (this is where my fiance comes in and thinks I am crazy). Percy has been almost giving me a cold shoulder. He doesn't purr as much, play with his toys really, doesn't come to the door to greet me or snuggle me. Mind you, it has been only a week +1 day... but I feel like this kitten has been causing me so much stress over my relationship with Percy!! Everyone keeps telling me to have more patience and that they have already made incredible progress, but I am just feeling a little beaten down and almost SAD. I want to bond with our new kitty, but I feel like my fear over losing my close bond with Percy is causing me to hold back and not enjoy him nearly as much.
I guess I am just posting this for advice, reassurance, a shoulder to lean on and tell me I am not crazy... or maybe I am crazy! I have just been feeling very down and like I made a massive mistake. I am growing attached to Fish and would never give him up, but I am just feeling so sad and so anxious over the change in relationship with Percy, and Fish's sensitive stomach and his food insecurity. I was expecting this to be a happier transition and was not expecting to be feeling this sad/anxious...
I am bringing my dilemma here because I feel like my fiance thinks I am crazy and so do all of my friends! My fiance and I have a 5 year old Siberian cat named Percy who weighs in at about 18.5lbs. Percy has been the absolutely LIGHT of my life since we got him as a 2mo old kitten in 2018. He was the most fearless, social, daring and curious little kitten with the biggest personality I have ever met. Over the past 5 years it has been the 3 of us against the world. We live in an apartment, but started traveling frequently in the car with Percy as a kitten and bringing him to my parents house whenever we travel there (every 2 weeks about, give or take) and he LOVES it! He sleeps the whole car ride and he is happy as a clam in my parents big house with their screened in pool enclosure. Now, my fiance and I both have very demanding work schedules and were noticing Percy become a little lazier and more sleepy/bored, but he was still the sweet gentle silly giant that loved to be with his momma.
Enter... FISH. I have been asking my fiance for YEARS for a new kitten to keep Percy company, especially seeing how social and playful he is. Finally, this past February, my fiance agreed it was time. I spent a lot of time looking for the perfect kitten (one that was social and playful to match Percy). Finally, the universe's cat distribution system dropped a sweet 4mo old tan tabby in our laps.. and his name is Fish! Fish stumbled into someone's pool as a young kitten and required resuscitation. Luckily for him, other than a little water in his belly, he was completely fine! We decided to take a chance on him and bring him home.
We brought him home on Sunday evening, and by bedtime that night, Fish was out of his hiding spot in the bathroom and ready to snuggle us. We were SO surprised and touched by this little guy's heart. HE IS TRULY SO SWEET. Now after a few days of interacting under the door and swapping each others toys many times... we let them interact face to face. Percy really only every hissed at Fish maybe 3 times total? And only growled ONCE. Fish was honestly the one doing all the hissing! But since then, the boys have been out unrestricted really. Percy and Fish rough play a lot (no growling, no hissing, no arched backs) but sometimes I feel like Percy is being very rough with Fish as I will sometimes hear Fish let a little whine or cry out. But he will get up and trot away but doesnt hide or act too afraid of Percy. Fish is still battling food insecurity - he is NOT agrgessive when he eats, he is just a GARBAGE DISPOSAL and will FIEND for all food possible (even our food!!!) His foster mom did tell me he was having some GI issues (we think sensitive stomach as all the vet tests came back negative) which is something I have been battling with ALL week. I have him on special GI food currently and got new probiotics last night. He is such a gassy little guy as well. BUT this whole situation has disrupted Percy's normal feeding routine as he was used to just being able to graze from his automatic feeder whenever he felt, but due to the sensitive stomach ANNNND his ravenous food insecurity, I have had to get them on a strict feeding schedule.
Percy has been acting differently towards ME (this is where my fiance comes in and thinks I am crazy). Percy has been almost giving me a cold shoulder. He doesn't purr as much, play with his toys really, doesn't come to the door to greet me or snuggle me. Mind you, it has been only a week +1 day... but I feel like this kitten has been causing me so much stress over my relationship with Percy!! Everyone keeps telling me to have more patience and that they have already made incredible progress, but I am just feeling a little beaten down and almost SAD. I want to bond with our new kitty, but I feel like my fear over losing my close bond with Percy is causing me to hold back and not enjoy him nearly as much.
I guess I am just posting this for advice, reassurance, a shoulder to lean on and tell me I am not crazy... or maybe I am crazy! I have just been feeling very down and like I made a massive mistake. I am growing attached to Fish and would never give him up, but I am just feeling so sad and so anxious over the change in relationship with Percy, and Fish's sensitive stomach and his food insecurity. I was expecting this to be a happier transition and was not expecting to be feeling this sad/anxious...
