I’m probably overreacting bit here’s the situation... (long post)
I have a 13 yo male cat, Casey Neale, who lost his 2 companion kitties in June. Casey became very clingy and seemed lonely. He had never been alone going from his littermates to my house with a resident cat.
About 10 days ago I adopted a 12 week old kitten now named Dexter Jackson. Dex spent his first week in my laundry room to acclimatize. There was hissing for the first couple of days but nothing since. They sniffed each other by day 4 and seemed ok so I started letting them interact more.
During the day while I’m at work and over night Dex is now in a “kitten enclosure” that I built. It’s made from modular mesh metal shelving so it’s like a giant dog crate in my living room with his cat tree, food, water and litterbox. This allows Casey and Dex to interact but keeps them separate and safe as well. When I’m home Dex is loose.
Like any 12 week kitten Dexter is a bit crazy. He constantly pounces Casey... Casey is taking it well - occasionally giving Dex a smack when he gets too nuts (no claws). No hissing, no growling, no hiding... they’ve even slept beside each other on top of me for a few minutes.
So here’s the issue... Casey just seems off. He’s not as purry. He doesn’t want to cuddle with me much. He’s hyper aware of any noises Dex makes and constantly watches him. And last night he slept in the living room beside the kitten jail...
Am I just being overly concerned? The whole point in getting Dexter was for Casey to have a companion. I’m worried I made the wrong decision. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve had to introduce cats so maybe I’m expecting too much too soon?
I have a 13 yo male cat, Casey Neale, who lost his 2 companion kitties in June. Casey became very clingy and seemed lonely. He had never been alone going from his littermates to my house with a resident cat.
About 10 days ago I adopted a 12 week old kitten now named Dexter Jackson. Dex spent his first week in my laundry room to acclimatize. There was hissing for the first couple of days but nothing since. They sniffed each other by day 4 and seemed ok so I started letting them interact more.
During the day while I’m at work and over night Dex is now in a “kitten enclosure” that I built. It’s made from modular mesh metal shelving so it’s like a giant dog crate in my living room with his cat tree, food, water and litterbox. This allows Casey and Dex to interact but keeps them separate and safe as well. When I’m home Dex is loose.
Like any 12 week kitten Dexter is a bit crazy. He constantly pounces Casey... Casey is taking it well - occasionally giving Dex a smack when he gets too nuts (no claws). No hissing, no growling, no hiding... they’ve even slept beside each other on top of me for a few minutes.
So here’s the issue... Casey just seems off. He’s not as purry. He doesn’t want to cuddle with me much. He’s hyper aware of any noises Dex makes and constantly watches him. And last night he slept in the living room beside the kitten jail...
Am I just being overly concerned? The whole point in getting Dexter was for Casey to have a companion. I’m worried I made the wrong decision. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve had to introduce cats so maybe I’m expecting too much too soon?
I'm not too sure that I understand what specifically you are worried about. As an outsider reading your description it sounds like Casey and Dex have hit it off and are getting along amazingly well. Casey might need a bit more time to fully adjust since from your description it seems like he is being vigilant and getting used to the idea of his new housemate, but sleeping together to me indicates they are definitely well on their way to making friends.
