Thoughts On What Breed?

[SycoraxM]

Hi there. I recently brought home a kitten, and the woman who had the mom couldn't give us much information unfortunately. I'm hoping to figure that out just so I could get a rough idea of how big he might end up being. I have two other pets walking around the house so I thought it would be a good idea (not that I could part with the little guy at this point anyway). I have a 3 year old Bengal (Mila) that came to us last year. She's relatively smallish at 9 pounds, and she's also declawed (should that be a concern if I won't be declawing the kitten?). There is also a 2 year old female Beverin Rabbit (Puck- a meat farm rescue. Spayed and very social) who is 12 pounds.

Here are a few pictures of baby Merlin to give you an idea of what he looks like. He hasn't been to the vet just yet, but based on what the lady who had him said, he's between 5-6 Weeks old. If anyone has any thoughts, I would really appreciate it.

 

[abyeb]

I'm guessing that he will end up as a shorthair, the longer hairs are probably just kitten fluff. Without papers, Merlin would be a silver tabby (in the classic or "bullseye" pattern) Domestic Shorthair. Silver is quite a rare color in non-pedigree cats, so that combined with his overall look indicates that he *might* have some American Shorthair influence. It's hard to tell size right now. The average housecat weighs around 8-10 pounds. But if Merlin does have some ASH influence, he might get a little bigger (around 11-12 pounds perhaps). Merlin is very cute and quite striking!

You're making the right decision not to declaw Merlin. There should be no issues between him and Mila. As long as they're properly introduced, they won't fight. I have a friend who obtained a Norwegian Forest Cat through a rescue organization. The NFC had been relinquished to the shelter because of declawing-related issues (inappropriate urination, biting). They later rescued a Maine Coon who had claws. Both cats get along great.

Best of luck with your new kitten and keep us posted!

 

[SycoraxM]

I'm guessing that he will end up as a shorthair, the longer hairs are probably just kitten fluff. Without papers, Merlin would be a silver tabby (in the classic or "bullseye" pattern) Domestic Shorthair. Silver is quite a rare color in non-pedigree cats, so that combined with his overall look indicates that he *might* have some American Shorthair influence. It's hard to tell size right now. The average housecat weighs around 8-10 pounds. But if Merlin does have some ASH influence, he might get a little bigger (around 11-12 pounds perhaps). Merlin is very cute and quite striking!

You're making the right decision not to declaw Merlin. There should be no issues between him and Mila. As long as they're properly introduced, they won't fight. I have a friend who obtained a Norwegian Forest Cat through a rescue organization. The NFC had been relinquished to the shelter because of declawing-related issues (inappropriate urination, biting). They later rescued a Maine Coon who had claws. Both cats get along great.

Best of luck with your new kitten and keep us posted!

So far there haven't been major issues between them. He tries to chase after her to play and if he gets too close or he bites she bops him on the head with her paw, growls and runs away to a place he can't reach. He's still quite small and he can't make it up to her higher perches. My concern is that once he matures a bit he might be hormonal and he'll be big enough to reach those spots that the fighting might start then. We plan on having him neutered as early as we can to try and avoid most of that.
I don't think I'd ever be able to declaw a cat though. Its just not something I agree with. Mila came to us already declawed so that's why I was concerned about her being able to defend herself if she needed to. (Hopefully not!) I've never had two cats sharing the same space before so I'm definitely trying to plan ahead.

 

[SycoraxM]

Just wanted to give an update on Merlin.
He's doing really well. About 4 months, and already just shy of the 7 pound mark. An endless source of crazy energy, and super affectionate. He does still annoy Mila, but I think that will get better once he settles down a bit. During the rare moments he lays down for a nap, she'll sometimes cuddle up near him. He just got neutered this week, and it hasn't phased him at all. He seems more annoyed with having to take it easy, and staying in our room.
My boyfriend also adopted a puppy about a month ago, and Merlin gets along with him great. We have to keep an eye on them because they love play fighting, and we just want to be extra sure it won't get out of hand.