New Kittens
By dvrug52
@dvrug52 (11)
United States
August 19, 2009 4:37pm CST
I am getting two new baby kittens and I have a 15 year old cat. Any ideas of how to introduce the babies to my older cat??? About 6 years ago I had another kitten and the older cat hissed and growled at the baby, I couldn't leave them along for approx. a month or more. When the cat got older the old cat would go over to the younger cat and put his head in his face so that he could clean his face and as soon as the little cat started licking the older ones face, the older one would go for his neck and try to bite him, the younger one always got abused by the older one. I would always say no, no to the older cat and watch them carefully all the time. A few months ago I lost my younger cat to a problem do to surgery and now the older one just goes around the house and cries looking for the other cat, so that's why I'm getting the kittens, so he has someone to play with but I don't want my older cat to do the same thing he did to my other one. That's why I'm asking for any suggestion.
Thank you
1 person likes this
4 responses
@standbymeforever (887)
• Australia
20 Aug 09
I have had brought many new cats into my house over the last couple years. i dont feel that you have to do anything to really introduce them to eachother. I just would let them go and let the cats introduce themselves. Sure they mught hiss or growl or even go to hit th other cat but that is nature and that is what cats do. I mean I wouldnt let them start fighting or anything but a little hiss or growl is no need to get worried. The cat is basically jsut telling the newbie that he/she has come into their territory and they are the boss. The cats should work themselves out within a couple days. Hope this helps you.
@standbymeforever (887)
• Australia
20 Aug 09
I have six cats in my house right now and they are all fixed. The oldest is 16 and th youngest is about one year and a half. He just loves to go up to the two oldest female cats and cuddle they. He will rub them and rub them. My oldest 16 ear old will hiss and smack him for that and the other one usually grabs him by the neck and bites him. They never hurt him though. Just once again are tellign off to back off I think. He is just such a friendly and loving cat and he never learns as he does it again and again. I cant help but laugh now because you think he would ought to know right now.
The only time I had a bad experience wiht one cat was when I had two female barn cats that had kittens. We decided to bring them into the house so they kittens would get hurt outside. Well I had this one male cat that was fixed let me remind you but one of th days he went up to one of the kittens that was about 2 months old at the time and he piucked he up and just started shaking it. The kitten was luckily ok but I ended up gettign rid of the male cat.
Well hope every thing works out for you!!
@dvrug52 (11)
• United States
20 Aug 09
Thank you for your comment, I also tried that with one of my other cats and that's just what happened. The older one hissed and growled but I did keep them separated until I got home from work and little by little, probably about a month they did get use to each other but the older cat was always mean to the other one. He would always go up to the one so he could clean the top of his head and the younger one would start cleaning him and then the paw came up and then the older one would go for his neck and try and bite him. I felt so bad, this went on forever, even when the youngest got to be 6 years old the older cat just kept trying to bite him. One day the younger cat got mad and pounced on the older cat, I laughed so hard I was crying. The older cat ran and hide, I said to myself good, now maybe he'll leave him alone but the next day the same thing. I guess he just wanted him to know that this was his territory. My youngest cat had to have surgery, nothing to do with the older cat he had a large hairball that had to be surgically removed and I ended up loosing him from complications. Now the older cat looks and cries for him all the time. He goes to every room in the house and to the door and cries. That's why I'm getting new kittens so he'll have someone to play with. I hope I'm not making a bad decision. Thank you for your response.
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
19 Aug 09
when you bring them in - or even better, have a friend bring them in, put them in a separate room - the bathroom works fine for smaller cats or even better, a spare room, and then let your older cat sniff them under the door for a while - 4-7 days. Of course, go play with the kittens, but be sure you spend a lot of time with your older cat. Then, after a week or so, put the original cat in the kitten's space and let the babies run around the rest of the house - this allows the older cat to get a good smell of the babies and allows the babies to put their smell in the older cat's space. Do this for a few days then open the door, but watch the older cat - since the newcomers are kittens, they can't hurt him, but the older cat could hurt them. If they seem to be doing well, do it again the next few days until you think you can leave the door open and leave them alone.
@anne25penn (3305)
• Philippines
20 Aug 09
From experience, the hissing and neck biting is part of their routine. I have a new kitten, Tornado and he keeps jumping on the older cats. They would usually scrap with the usual biting and feet kicking. LOL. I would hear the littel one cry but when I disengage them Tornado looks fine. I guess it depends on how bad their scrapping is. Cats are very territorial, and I leave them alone on how they will accept new kittens.
@beho82770 (63)
• Philippines
20 Aug 09
Cats have its own way of adjusting to their own kind. It is very natural for them to growl and hiss to the new kittens but it will not last long because it only shows that cats are territorial pets and liked to be the boss of its own neighborhood. I also have baby kittens in our house. Just put the kittens in a small cage or carries for the meantime for security and protection from the environment and let the older cats sniff them. As a precautionary measure, don't let strange male tabby cat wander around those kittens because sometimes it has the tendency to kill the kittens just like the lions doing to the younger cubs. Part of survival of the fittest in the animal kingdom.
