Two new kittens different litters and one older cat.

[semeagher]

Hi, we just adopted two new kittens; rescue organizations policy if you adopt a kitten under six months, you need to adopt a kitty near their age. One is 5 months and the other 4 months both from different litters. We also have a 13-year-old cat. We are following Jackson Galaxy's steps on introducing the cats; his practice seemed to echo what everything else I saw said and had clear steps to it. My question is, how does it work with three? My husband and I are thinking of introducing the kittens first, then our older cat, but even that presents itself with issues as one of the kittens is really ready to explore the house, I think (we will see). Once they are introduced, they are technically free to roam between two rooms, and then the older cat will see them, and putting the older cat in a room with the door shut will likely not be successful. Although I suppose we can try tomorrow. I can't imagine this is the first time this has happened in the world. What have other people done?

 

[ArtNJ]

Two kittens this young will essentially always become friends no matter what you do. Its perfectly safe to just put them together. So the two kittens share a safe room and get used to each other and you. It might be quick, or it might take a week, but they will do fine with no help from you required. Then you use the J.G. process as though the two kittens were one kitten. That isn't literally true of course -- its quite possible one kitten will be a lot more active, a lot more of an intrusive PITA to the older cat, and just generally have a worse relationship with the older cat. Indeed, I had that myself. Nonetheless, you can follow the guide until and unless it becomes clear that the older cat is having a much harder time with one kitten than the other.

Be aware that a lot of people have problems with J.G.'s recommendation to feed on opposite sides of the door. I'm not a fan of the step per se, but perhaps it makes sense to do it, as long as you understand that there is no magic to having the bowls be right by the door. Often times, they will be too stressed for that. So back the bowls up far enough so they actually eat - you can move them closer over time.

Thirteen year olds do not generally take kindly to kittens. Expect some difficulties. But if your expectations are realistic, it will likely all work out finein the end.

Good luck! Stop back in and let us know how its going.

 

[semeagher]

I will. The feeding on either side of the door didn't seem practical, so I thought we would skip it; I figure, for now, we can feed them separately, one in my office and one in my daughter's room. One of them is very much ready to explore more, so we might start trying to combine them soon.

 

[cataholic07]

I would not rush intros. You risk cat fights and peeing outside the litterbox. It's important to go your cats pace, not your own.
You can also check out this website for info on cat intros

Introducing a new cat or kitten

The key to a successful new cat introduction is to give the cats a reason to like each other.The proper new cat introduction technique must address the emotional

catbehaviorassociates.com

You also wanna ensure you have lots of resources in high value spots (litter boxes and cat trees) in areas that is socially significant.

 

[ArtNJ]

I will. The feeding on either side of the door didn't seem practical, so I thought we would skip it;

That's absolutely fine. Just maybe rethink it if the older cat is totally avoiding going anywhere near the kitten's isolation room, which can throw a monkey wrench in the gradually get them used to each other by slowly upping the stress (the desensitization model of introductions). Once in a while, people with certain set ups have a real problem with avoidance. Just for example, the visual step (I think JG recommends making cracking the door with door jambs rather than the baby gates type approach we recommend) can't do anything if the older cat stays out of visual range of that room.

 

[semeagher]

The kittens have met each other and are doing fine. There is still some growling and fighting, but they also play separately and together some. Yesterday they ate in the same room, and there was no food-stealing until they both had their fill of what they wanted and then switched bowls. But they did it at the same time, so I think they were okay. They have used each other's little boxes, I am sure they were attempts at aggression, but the 'owner' of said litter box has gone back and used them again. And we clean them out at least once a day so that hasn't appeared to be an issues (yet). They both are tired of being confined and are trying to escape. A friend who takes care of strays suggested we try introducing the cats to her on Monday so that we will see. I know the kittens are ready, I am not sure it is, but she will never be ready if we go at the older cat's pace. She is a great cat, but she also growled at my daughter when she first came home and required my husband or escort her to the litter box.

 

[ArtNJ]

Here is the thing, with a 13 year old cat, it wouldn't be unusual if the cat is *still* quite stressed and very growly a month or even two after face to face interactions. You don't want to be in that stressful situation and second guessing whether there was something else you could have done that would have made a difference. Introduction processes aren't magic, and its hard to be sure how much they actually help, I totally agree with you there, but with a senior cat, its best to error on the side of more time, and slower. Here, it hasn't been long, and even the two kittens aren't solid yet.

So I would extend your process. Once the kittens are solidly friends, and if the older cat isn't growling at the kitten's door or if you bring something with their scent near him, then you can try a visual step. I believe Jackson Galaxy whose guide your following talks about a cracked door? We generally recommend double stacked baby gates, or the same efect by improvised contraption, but either way a visual step is a good way for them to get acclimated and get some of the stress out prior to face-to-face.

 

[semeagher]

Is there a way to give the kittens more freedom without letting the older ones get upset? They are now trying to escape the rooms they are in pretty consistently. One is my office and the other is my daughter's7 rooms. If we draw out the process longer than the next week, it will interfere with schooling and my work schedule. I can work with the kitten in the room. I am pretty sure my daughter won't be able to do virtual school with the kittens in the room(a totally different question, I know). Giving them room to move more might prevent them from trying to escape. I am not sure about how long we will need to extend it. We can't contain them anyway, but for upstairs, because of the way our house is designed, I am not married to following Jackson Galaxy's advice. It was just the first advice I found. If there is something better, I am happy to follow that, I want to do the best we possibly can, and my husband, daughter, and I all have a week off, so we have the time to focus on it. Also, cords one kitten chews all the electric cords. We are getting something to cover them Tuesday. Is anything I can do until then? I will charge certain things out of the room if I have to. Any advice is welcome. I found very little when I was looked at earlier this week, and we have friends where it took a while to integrate the kittens, but I think the kittens were from the same liter and they had a spare room to put them in, so that helped with spreading things out over time.

 

[ArtNJ]

Well, some people do "room swapping" as a normal step in the process. If your older cats wouldn't mind being cooped up in the small room, or at least wouldn't drive you crazy, you could do some of that. Beyond that, its difficult to say anything without getting a tour of your space.

You can only do what you can do. I just worry your 13 year old might be stressed for months (which is possible no matter how great of an introduction you do) and you'll really be kicking yourself, even if another week or two might well not have helped any. Hopefully it won't go that route, but with a lot of older cats its a long slow crawl towards toleration of kittens. Other older cats do much better of course - you never do know, some even ending up almost mothering the kittens, but at age 13, the odds of stress are unfortunately pretty high.