Not The Most Typical Kitty Introductions...

[LSpector]

I try not to double post, but I've compiled some of my more pressing topics while I was back home over the weekend and without internet. So hopefully you don't mind seeing me pop up quite a bit tonight

My kitten Dillon is 12 weeks old and he lives with me. I am going to school but I still go back home when I can. Back home, however, is where my mom's unneutered cat Michael lives.

Now before I continue I would like to write a little disclaimer because from my experience (not on the site), this can be a heated topic. I fully, 100% support spaying and neutering all cats. This is my mom's cat and no amount of my asking, logical reasoning, and sometimes demanding conversations has swayed her in wanting to fix him (he has just turned 6). So I am asking very nicely that any replies I get do not include the importance of neutering - believe me, I know and completely agree with you.

I will give you some background on Michael: he is incredibly sweet and very, very attached to my mom. She cannot go anywhere without Michael following her and meowing at her. He gets along fine with our two basset hounds and was also very close with Ashley, the old family cat, and Prim, my little girl (who also traveled back and forth with me). Both were spayed females and have since passed.

I am not home nearly as much anymore, but when I do go home I would prefer to not have Dillon locked away all weekend or even weeks, if I can help it. I would also prefer not leaving him behind and having someone look after him. As soon as he's old enough, he will be getting neutered so I don't know if this will help at all. I've read some articles on introducing cats but I haven't found much information on introducing two males, one of which is not neutered. Is there any chance they will ever get along or am I just fighting a losing battle? At the end of the day, I will do what is best for both of them (even if that means I need to find a catsitter for Dillon) but ideally I would love to bring Dillon home with me.

What do you think? I appreciate any feedback. Thanks

 

[Alejandra Rico]

Your kitty is very young, so I do not see a reason for them not to become friends or just get on well. There may be hissing at the begining, but it is unlikely that an adult cat will intentionaly hurt a kitten.
I would recommend you to introduce them slowly if you can, but to do It as soon as you can to take advantage of the youth of your kitten.

 

[di and bob]

I agree, meetings should start as soon as possible while Dillon is so young. Two unneutered males will not like each other so they will have to be monitored at all times. Once Dillon is neutered, Michael will most likely ignore him. If Dillon is not neutered there are sure to be fights. If Michael objects to Dillon now or in the future, just keep Dillon in your room and let him out when Michael is outside. Being in a room seems bad, but he would prefer this than being home alone. Michael will hiss and maybe run away to another part of the home, but that is all normal. Just be careful, an attack from a unneutered male can be vicious, and quick.

 

[danteshuman]

I had a similar situation about a cat not being mine (Chester) and not being vaccinated & neutered. It got to the point where I paid for half his vet bill. I was willing to pay to vaccinate him to protect my cats. He now gets his vaccines done and paid for by his owner. Have you asked your mom why she doesn't want to neuter him? After Chester got neutered he stopped getting in fights all the time with other male cats. Unforgettably his nose got torn up before he was neutered. He is now a happy indoor/outdoor cat that demands nightly cuddles

 

[ArtNJ]

It should be fine now, when your kitten is small. When your kitten is 6 months plus, there will likely be problems because: (1) unneutered older cat; (2) active younger cat; and (3) occasional roommates factor -- not sure how long cats can remember they were previously introduced to a cat. I don't get the people saying you won't have problems, because honestly a young active cat and an older cat is more than enough on its own and you've got 1 and 3 as additional factors. So you will likely have some sort of problems. That said, you could get lucky, and even if you have problems they come in many shapes and sizes, and many work themselves out without lasting stress. So you can wait and see.

 

[LSpector]

Thank you all for the replies!

I guess I will try to do the slow introduction, heavily monitored. I don't even care if Michael and Dillon become friends, I just want to ensure there is no fights between them. Dillon will most definitely be neutered as soon as the vet gives me the thumbs-up so I am hoping things will proceed as di and bob predicts. However, A ArtNJ raises very valid points. I am fully intending to deal with conflict but hopefully I can minimize the seriousness of it.

danteshuman Trust me, the neutering subject comes up very frequently between my mom and I. I've even made the same offer to pay for it but she is very adamant. In her opinion she "doesn't see the need for it," as Michael is strictly indoors, doesn't spray, is very affectionate, and not aggressive (he can be moody but it's nothing beyond that of a typical cat). I've gone about it from every angle with no such luck. I agree he should be neutered, but as he's not having any rendezvous with neighbouring females (again, he is strictly indoors), the consequences aren't as dire as they could be if he was outdoors as well.

 

[di and bob]

If Michael is 6 and hasn't started spraying, and all the other bad habits toms acquire, he more than likely won't, your mother is very lucky! He must be more mellow, so Dillon should be fine as long as you monitor things. Cats hate change, so time is on your side and the fact that Dillon is so young and no threat. If they don't get along as Dillon gets older he can be left at home and someone can check on him daily, or you can bring him and keep him shut in your room. Once Dillon is neutered Michael will treat him as he did your females most likely, so I don't foresee any huge problems. ( Don't tell Dillon I said that) There will not be any disputes over territory because Dillon won't be there that long. All the luck in the future!