Will a new kitten be a good idea for my cat who is struggling to adjust to having a dog around?

[Marlee***]

I've moved house four weeks ago and my housemate has a dog and my cat Olive has been very scared of him and won't leave the bedroom. I've tried feeding them on either side of the door and she won't go near her food when I do that.

We tried letting her explore outside after three weeks and she ran away and hid for three days. We thought something had happened to her but she eventually came home only the escape for the next three days. We have now been keeping her inside and she seems very tired and bored and still is not exploring the house.

I am wondering if getting a kitten might help her now that she might need to be an inside cat. I also thought that if the kitten was comfortable with the dog (who is totally friendly and good with cats, Olive just hasnt given him a chance) Olive might be more willing to give him a go.

Olive is 4 years old and it's very friendly with people, I don't know how she goes with cats though.

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

[Furballsmom]

I am wondering if getting a kitten might help her now that she might need to be an inside cat. I also thought that if the kitten was comfortable with the dog (who is totally friendly and good with cats, Olive just hasnt given him a chance) Olive might be more willing to give him a go.

I'm of the opinion that given your description of your cat, she is completely unhappy right now and not openminded enough to deal with a second cat of whatever age but particularly not a little one.

She needs time along with a lot of love and help from you. I don't think this is an optimal situation to bring a kitten into, even an exuberant confident outgoing one, which although might be able to handle anything, but likely would be offputting and unfair to your older kitty.

Try cat music - classical harp music, spotify, youtube are sources as well as others, RelaxMyCat, MusicForCats. Also, try calming products, I'll list some below.

How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home – Cat Articles

The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside – Cat Articles

Stress in Cats – The Ultimate Guide – Cat Articles

How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog – Cat Articles

Here are calming products;
Only Natural Pet has a calming product called Just Relax Calming spray with essential oil (catnip oil).

There's this one, be sure and scroll all the way down the page;
Bach Flower Remedies - Rescue Remedy Pets Dogs Cats Horses Birds

Also, there is ThunderWunders calming chews, Naturevet Hemp, HomeoPet Anxiety Relief, Head to Tail Calming, Relaxivet Quiet Moments Cat treats, GNC Calming formula, and there is Calm-o-mile, Natures Miracle calming spray, Vetri-Science's Composure is another item to look at, Pet Remedy - UK (it has valerian) is yet another, as is Essential Pet Pet-eze, Pet Organics No Stress, Only Natural Pet (brand and website) has other calming products, Pet Naturals also has one I believe, and there are others.

Lambert Vet Supply is a website to look at, and of course chewy, also there's Petwishpros, animaleo, 1-800-petmeds, Petco and PetSmart, and other pet stores.

There is also a product called a lickimat which could be helpful, as cats can be calmed by the process of licking. The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats

This post talks about some other products;
Calming Treats For A Very Picky Cat

 

[ArtNJ]

Don't do this, it is very unlikely to go well.

There is a flaw in the brains of domesticated cats, perhaps due to inbreeding during the domestication process, that causes something called "redirected aggression." It is a very well known cat thing that you can google, and we have an article on it as well here that I'll link below. Basically, if something scares cat, like another animal, cat lashes out at person or animal that is merely nearby that has nothing to do with the scare. So shortly after a move, when a cat is still stressed from that and the resident dog, is a terrible time for an introduction. Kittens *are* a lot easier, but things can still go wrong, so its clearly best to wait.

Re-directed Aggression In Cats – Cat Articles

Even if you didn't get actual redirected aggression towards the kitten, the older cats stress level would almost certainly make the introduction tougher and decrease the chances of a good result.

With a little bit more time, your idea *is* excellent though. My 4 y.o. cat plumped up when I converted him to indoor only shortly after his cat friend died. I deliberately got a kitten in the hope she would help entertain him and provide him with exercise. And it worked rather nicely; they don't play constantly, but they are friends and do play some. You just need to wait till your 4 y.o. is not stressed to pull the trigger. There is no guaranty your cat will do as well with a kitten, but if you wait till your cat is not stressed, you have a reasonable chance for them to be playmates.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. I think I'm going to have to agree with the others, that bringing a kitten into the mix would just mean more additional stress for Olive, as well as yourself, your housemate and their dog. So work on getting Olive comfortable in her new home, ad slowly re-introduce her to the dog.

And spend as much time with her as you can, letting her know everything is going to be ok, and that you love her.

Here's a couple more TCS articles that might be helpful:

Bored Cat? What Cat Owners Need To Know (including 10 Actionable Tips) – Cat Articles
Playing With Your Cat: 10 Things You Need To Know – Cat Articles