New kitten with 2 elderly cats

mar14

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Three weeks ago we adopted a 5 month old kitten to join our 2 other cats (17 year old girl, 19 year old boy). We took the introduction very slowly, he just started having access to the house a week ago when we are home and he sleeps in a closed room at night. Our girl cat is tolerating him, even letting him sleep next to her. Every now and then she smacks him in the head when he pounces on her, but overall it is trending well. Our male cat is the complete opposite. He sleeps all day in a chair in the living room (was active prior to the kitten) and hisses whenever the kitten comes near him. Last night he became very ill (dry heaving, soiling himself) and was taken to the vet. We are bringing him home tomorrow and I want to make sure he will be ok, but  feel the kitten is a stressor for him. He just isn't himself any more and unhappy. I try to spend time with him, but he sleeps all the time now. It's breaking my heart. Also he won't eat or drink. I've brought his food to him on the chair, but it doesn't help.

Advice?
 

Ms. Freya

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It might be best to keep the separate. The kitten is likely a stressor for him and he'll need to be able to relax and get well. Is there a separate areas or few rooms you can keep him in that the kitten can't get to?

Once he's back to normal, is it possible to keep the kitten in a room away from him for at least a bit of time...maybe a few hours in the evening. That would give him some safe time where he could know the kitten wouldn't be there.
 
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mar14

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 Yes, we have been keeping him in a separate room for some hours of the day and at night. Thinking maybe to get a Feliway diffuser to help ease the stress, too.  I am super bonded to the 19 yr old and maybe he thinks he is being replaced because the kitten interacts more with me than my husband as I work from home several days per week. I'll try to give him more alone time and hopefully it will help. We were trying to do something good by rescuing the kitten from a kill shelter, but you just never know how things will turn out. Initially we were more worried about the 17 yr cat girl cat.
 
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mar14

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I brought him home after an $800 vet bill (!!) and he urinated all over himself in the carrier. The vet told us to separate him the the night in a bathroom. He is upset and pounding on the door, the Feliway is not working to keep him calm. My husband feels we should find a home for the kitten because this is too much stress for everyone. I'm torn as I am attached to the kitten now, he follows me everywhere.
Don't know what to do...this is awful.
 

Anne

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If you can keep them separate for a while, I agree that would be best for the older male. I'm torn about the re-homing decision though. I do believe the older cat may need a slower re-introduction, however it is entirely possible that all you'll ever get is for them to tolerate each other's presence, at the most. 

It's a tough call. If you can find a good home for the kitten, it will probably be better for the older cat. It's such a hard thing to do though, and good homes aren't that easy to come by. 
 

keyes

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I thought that I read somewhere that when you use start using Feliway, that it takes a little time for it to permeate the house or area before it becomes really effective?
 

keyes

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I took in my Mom's cat, he's 15, and so right now he's dealing with a 19, a 10, a 9, a 6 and a year and half old group.  And visa versa!  We be havin fun!
 

amandatzl

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I have 6 cats ranging in age from 19 to 3 weeks old (foster). The trick I use is if more the youngest and attention to the older ones. The other trick and this may sound weird, but explain it to them. Say "they are not replacing you, but we saved him". And I make sure the kitten is the one locked up not the adult. In addition to the felt way there are also calming treats you can give. That way your adult gets goodies and extra attention
 

plastraa

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I agree with the kitten being locked away at night. Poor older guy some usurper comes into his home and now he has to be in prison locked away from his home and family while the kitten can go along spreading it's scent all over everything. I'm feeling for him.

I have two cats and after living in the same house their whole lives we moved. They would sleep together spooning in the old house. I put them in the bathroom of the new house while moving everything in and by the time I opened the door my little girl cat hated her sister. Hissing growling and swiping at the other one whenever she came close. We've been in this house for almost three years and they are barely able to sleep on the bed together one at the head and one at the foot without a fight ensuing. It's taken them that long to become tolerant of each other again.

I put up wall shelves along with the normal cat condos and that's helped so they each have lots of choices of high areas they can command. You might try getting a new high place for your male cat, and make sure to keep the kitten off the one that the older cat designates as his so he has a place to feel safe. Anyway I hope it goes faster for you! Good luck!
 
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hublebuble4

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Hi, I'm no expert, but your two older cats have lived a calm Life. And then introducing a young cat perhaps mean, that the old male find the new one higher in the hierarchy. If the old male is neutered and the new Young cat is not, then it's obvious that the young cat is higher in the hierachy. So I suggest that try to pet one cat after Another, on and on again, so that the old male realize that "we are all family". And repeat the petting all the time. Perhaps that can help? After a long Life the old male find this intruder yong cat as a kid of ruin of his Life. So te most important is, my Point of view, that he old cat after a while can find the Young cat as a new friend. 
 

lunariris

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We have a young 6-month-old as well I saved back when she was just 5 weeks old, and almost all of our other cats are between 8-12 years old, so they are much less hyper than her. 

Generally, she stays in my room if I'm not home to supervise interactions between them. When introducing them, I started with the screen door so they can see and smell each other but not hurt each other. Once there were no signs of hissing, I let them into my room to see her, starting after everyone has eaten, and let them sniff each other. I then will grab 2 pole toys and play with each cat individually with each hand. I try to tire out the youngest one so she's calmer to be around the adults, or all she will try to do is pounce on them and chase them, to play. They obviously don't want to be chased. But they do love watching her play from above. They might want to play too, but don't want to get trampled by the angsty teenager with all her energy. They will lie on a chair or my bed and watch her frolic and leap after balls, catnip toys, and toys on a pole I have her chase. She also plays fetch (I'd like for them to watch and learn to do it, too, as only some fetch so far). 

Try the Feliway definitely, it can't hurt to try. I would also give the older cats some cat trees/shelves, multiple places to get away from the little one's reach when she's playing, and a little jungle gym area with scratch posts and things for the little one to run around on and get her workout.  Also try grooming all the cats with the same cat brush daily, switching the order of who get brushed first, to get them used to each other's scents as a family unit.

I'd hate to see you have to re-home your little one, which I don't think is necessary. Just try improvising to get the extra energy out of the kitten and some high-up places for the seniors to go to have some down time and nap in peace and quiet. Also this may sound counter-intuitive, but it may actually help to have two kittens, not just one. This should direct her wrestling kitten energy on a like-minded person her own age and speed level. This will give her a tag buddy, so long as they both don't bother the older cats. But usually, with hyper kittens who like getting into trouble when bored, two is actually better than one because they will keep each other entertained. 

You know what also helped greatly? We have a senior who's blind and has to have a vet diet for urinary issues, but I want her to have it and not the other cats. Also to give her some time to herself when she wants, I put a microchip cat door onto one of the rooms so she can go in and have her diet food and be alone when she wants away from the rest of the house to relax. You can decide who's microchip will open the door and when. It's nice. Why I bring this up is, perhaps you could get a microchip door put in for your older cats, so if the youngest one gets too hyper for them, they have a safe place to retreat that she can't go. They don't have to be microchipped to use the door either, if yours don't have them. The door should come with one or two tags that also will open the door when they walk up to it, just attach to their collar. 

You can get the microchip doors on Amazon. It's a little pricey, but well worth it.

The brown one's $110: 
The white one's $180: 
Good luck!! 
 
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lochness350

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I feel for your situation for I have gone through this situation twice in one year.  I found a stray and starving 7 month old kitten in an alley and new I had to take him in.  I already had 2 older cats, both female and 13.  I brought the kitten home (named Ivan) and we did everything that was recommended to introduce him to our older girls.  We went though horrible fights, hissing, separation, etc, to the point I thought for sure I was going to have to find Ivan a new home even after having him for 4 months.  Then a crazy thing happened.  My husband and I went on vacation and our cats had a babysitter.  Well one night, Ivan got out while our babysitter was coming inside.  He had never been outside before.  We were called and headed home straight away to help find him which we were successful.  Long story short--he was a completely different cat after that.  No issues with the girls at all.  Now onto the next---this last June another stray made her way into our hearts.  Her name is Anouk and is around 2 years old.  She took right away to Ivan (they are best friends) but HATES our girls cats and they HATE her.  I have tried everything from Feliway, lavender, thundershirts, Bach's Rescue Remedy, etc. Nothing has helped.  We decided it wasn't worth all of the strife and I certainly wasn't going to give Anouk away once we promised her a home so we just keep her separated from the girl cats and only allow interactions when we are all in the room together.  Since your other cats are older, I don't think they will mind having their own space (even if it is a room or two).  At least they will feel safe.  We have noticed that they are getting more tolerant of each other as time goes on so we are taking it very slow.  I think it is worth trying since you are already attached to the kitten.  Keep your head up--and keep pushing on but I would certainly separating them for a while until your poor sick kitty can feel comfortable and safe again. 
 
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