New cat/old cat

[robana]

Hi Everyone
We have an 8 yr old neutered male cat who grew up with another male cat that was unfortunately run over and killed. My young daughter was distraught so after a few weeks we adopted a new 4 month old female kitten. The new kitten is quite active and noisy, when we first put them together the old cat hissed, spat and went outside. Since then (a week and a half ago) he has refused to come inside or eat anything we put out for him. He also disappears for most of the day and we hardly see him anymore. Does anyone have any advice on how to fix this situation?
Thanks everyone!
Ana

[JulieJulie]

You need to take this right back to the start - a week and a half is far to quick to just chuck them together - they need time - your old cat might still be wondering where his buddy is - my cat waited at our back gate for weeks for her friend to come home after he was in a RTA.
Have you done the reading on how to introduce a new cat into the home?
I think the combination you have of male and female kitten should work ok, from my experience, but you need to slow things right down.

[robana]

We are now shutting the little one away when we see the older cat and are bringing him inside by carrying him in as he won't come in by his own volition. As soon as he gets inside he just sits by the door to be let out and refuses any food at all. Do I just have to be patient?

[Crewella]

I've linked below to the Cat Chat advice pages on cat introductions. As Julie says, yuo need to go right back to the start as if the kitten has just arrived so your poor older cat doesn't feel pushed out. And take it slowly. Good luck!

http://www.catchat.org/bonding.html

http://www.catchat.org/hierarchies.html

[robana]

Thanks for that Crewella. The new cat is not stressed at all, just the old one. He doesn't let anyone show him any affection. I want to try the feeding on either side of the door technique but the old cat refuses to come inside or eat anything. I am worried he will starve and get sick. Should I leave food out for him or just persevere leaving the food in his normal spot inside.

[HelenaPatrick]

Thanks, that really helped me!

[Jacks]

I would suggest you bring in the older cat and keep him inside until he re-establishes himself in his home. You will need litter trays (if he normally goes outside) and he hard hearted. The longer you leave him outside to make his own decision the more he will just reinforce his pattern of staying outside. You have to break that pattern and give him a new one. Keep the kitten in a 'bonding room' for the moment, and let your boy find out that nothing dreadful is going to happen to him when he stays indoors. As long as you give the kitten plenty of attention and play she will be find. After a while you can get the boy into one room where he likes to be for a while and let the kitten explore the house for a while and leave her scent around. I would suggest some plug-in Feliway as well, although some people find the spray more effective for the calming addition of pheromones to the environment. Once you've got your boy inside and not going out, put his food where he would normally expect it. If he's hungry he will eat. Make sure he has some water sources around the house and some dry biscuits as well - maybe some treats in odd places where he would usually like to be. The kitten must be in the bonding room overnight so that he can explore the house and re-establish himself.

Follow the instructions on this website for encouraging bonding - but they're not going to work if he lives in the garden. You need to be 'cruel' to be kind I fear. A few weeks incarceration is nothing in the long scheme of things, and your boy needs to be happy. You can also use this time to teach the kitten her name and to come when called, which will be important when she eventually goes out.

All the best!

[robana]

Thank you!