Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

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FelineGood
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Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by FelineGood »

We already have a year old cat who recently lost his brother. They had an amazing bond so we want to adopt a companion for him whilst he is still young.
We don't have a spare room, utility or conservatory. When we initially adopted the pair my other half fenced off part of the kitchen diner using a Baby Dan stair gate. He will do this again but make the walls higher so the kitten cannot climb out but it means they will be able to see each other from Day 1.

Does anyone have any advice? We're not too worried about our cat accepting a kitten but we don't want to cause him or the kitten additional stress. The kitten was still with his mother until very recently but he was getting on her nerves wanting to play fight so the adoption centre separated them whilst we were there yesterday.
Last edited by FelineGood on Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by fjm »

When I introduced Pippin, who was 9 months old and had recently lost his brother, to Tilly, who was a little younger and had a reputation for being a rather fierce kitten, it was love at first sight. He sniffed, she arched and jumped sideways; he walked away, she followed; within half an hour they were playing and within an hour they were curled up together while he washed her ears. Sometimes when they are young it really is as easy as that!
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by FelineGood »

That's wonderful to hear! We'll be very mindful to not allow Elijah to feel upstaged, well have to move his feeding bowls out of the fenced off zone but hopefully he will be eager to play with the newcomer who does seem very playful.
His 2 littermates were adopted quickly because they were tabby so he must be very bored without them.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by FelineGood »

Please could an admin or moderator move my post to the cat behaviour forum?
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by FelineGood »

We brought Stanley home Sunday afternoon. When he first saw Elijah he was meowing expectantly but Elijah was scared. Elijah hissed and growled at first and kept out of the way.

Yesterday we let Elijah wander in to Stanley's 'enclosure' he sniffed Stanley's bowls but didn't seem interested in getting up close with him.

He doesn't want to make eye contact and Stanley closes his eyes when Elijah is around.

I hope Elijah will take to him, we have got Stanley so he won't be lonely so if it makes him unhappy I'll be gutted.


We decided on his name because he has very sharp claws, like Stanley knives. We used to say the same about Jasper(after the first time we had to put him in the pet carrier for a trip to the vet!)
We joked we should have named him Stanley so it's like a tribute to Jasper.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by FelineGood »

Elijah came in for food earlier then he was straight back outside. He strolled up to his brother's grave and sat on the slab for a moment. It was very sad to watch.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by MarySkater »

I've been in a similar situation. I adopted a pair of cats; not related so far as I know, but long term friends. About 6 years old, male and female, both neutered. A few months later, the female had to be pts for cancer. I wanted the boy, Rocky, to have a companion since he was used to that.

So two months after he lost his girlfriend, I brought home a female kitten, then 3 months old. Rocky was not please, hissed at her and avoided her. The kitten, Ria, was fearless, and kept approaching him, wanting to play, and he would run away. I have microchip feeders for them so there was no competition about food. It took several months before Rocky became more relaxed around her, sometimes playing with her, or sitting still while she licked his head.

Two years on, Ria is still more playful than Rocky, but of course she's much younger. If they go into a cattery, I book separate pens for them, because I think Ria would pester Rocky too much if they were shut in together. At home they sleep in different places and don't cuddle up together, but they get on all right. So it has worked out. I hope it will be easier for your two, since the resident cat is younger.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by FelineGood »

Thanks for replying,
I'm sorry to hear your cat was pts, it sounded like she's had a lovely bond with Rocky.
I guess we were expecting too much, hoping to replicate what he had with his brother. I know it's still early days but I don't like the thought of Elijah being upset by the new addition.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by MarySkater »

This was Rocky and his original pal, Bridie. When I adopted them, they had been in a shelter together for 4 months. They lost their previous home when the owner had to go into hospital permanently, so I never got many details about their past life.
Rocky Bridie by fire.jpg
When I decided to get another cat, I chose a female kitten because I thought that would be easiest for Rocky to get along with, and I chose a fluffy tortoiseshell because I wanted another one like Bridie. This is a video of Rocky and Ria interacting, when Ria had been with us about a month:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxbQDhWjvXM

And several months later, things had got more relaxed between them. (I know I said they don't cuddle up together, but when I looked through my photos, I found this one.)
Rocky Ria on bed.jpg
So cats can settle down with new buddies, but it might take time. If there was actual aggression, you might have a problem, but if there's no blood, it will probably work out!
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by FelineGood »

Thanks for the lovely photo, we have constructed the enclosure using the same playpen you have as a fireguard! They are beautiful cats. Jasper was similar to Rocky.
Cats Protection told us not to intervene if they have a fight. Poor Stanley just wants to make friends. He cries a lot a night for his Mum and because he doesn't like the noise of the dishwasher.

Off to watch your video now!
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by FelineGood »

That video was adorable, Rocky conveyed so much with his facial expressions! I loved Tia gently teasing him at the end! I would post photos but the files are too large
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by MarySkater »

Thank you! While Ria was at the kitten stage, Rocky did get fed up with her, but he never did her any harm. Those snaps at her paws are play bites, they did no damage.

There's some information here about posting photos:
https://www.catchat.org/felineforum/vie ... f=29&t=227
I always need to make smaller copies of my pictures to post them. I use a program called paint.net (which is not the same as Windows Paint, and is better). Paint.net is available as a free download. But I think there are also on-line sites you can use to make smaller copies of photos.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by FelineGood »

Thanks for those links MarySkater,
Quick
Elijah has accepted Stanley, he comes home more frequently and they chase each other up and down the stairs. We have put beds next to each other on the landing and they sleep next to each other.

There were some funny moments last week, Elijah squared up to him and made a point of towering over him. Stanley was undeterred so followed him then Elijah turned round really quickly to make him jump! Elijah did tap him a few times and it got to the point where Stanley wouldn't walk past him but they soon resolved their differences.

Stanley is so greedy and will butt in and eat from Elijah's bowl , he wasn't happy about it last week but now he let's him. We're going to look into getting a microchipped bowl as Elijah needs to move onto adult food.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by MarySkater »

Glad things are settling down now. :)

Re the microchip feeders: they need 4 "C" batteries. I put Duracell in mine, which was expensive to start with, but I find a set lasts about a year. They have a "training" mode, but my cats got used to them quickly, and the lid keeps flies off the food.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

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MarySkater wrote:Glad things are settling down now. :)

Re the microchip feeders: they need 4 "C" batteries. I put Duracell in mine, which was expensive to start with, but I find a set lasts about a year. They have a "training" mode, but my cats got used to them quickly, and the lid keeps flies off the food.
I'm currently in the garden with Stanley wearing a harness. He is enthralled by Elijah's climbing skills. I had to get him a harness as he sometimes manages to get through the new microchip cat flap.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by MarySkater »

I don't have a microchip cat flap - I don't need one, as my cat flap opens into a garden enclosure which my cats can't escape from, and strange cats can't get into. But maybe someone with experience of coded cat flaps can comment. Does Stanley force it open, or does he follow Elijah through before it locks?
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by FelineGood »

He follows Elijah through. Just figured out how to 're size photos. This is Stanley.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by FelineGood »

This is our precious Jasper who died 9 weeks ago today
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

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This is Elijah
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by Lilith »

Ohh! Your Stanley's just like my Mouse! With half a white moustache!

They are all gorgeous, but Elijah, well, Elijah ...

What a fabulous lad ...

Thanks for posting :D
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by FelineGood »

Thanks, it does make Stanley look sad :lol: He's a little Monkey, very high maintenance.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by alanc »

I don't have a microchip cat flap - I don't need one, as my cat flap opens into a garden enclosure which my cats can't escape from, and strange cats can't get into. But maybe someone with experience of coded cat flaps can comment. Does Stanley force it open, or does he follow Elijah through before it locks?
Tubby Tay from next door figured out he could get through my microchip catflap by following close under Badger or Tilly's tail. Trouble with Maine Coon's - they have very long tails!
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by FelineGood »

AlanC, I wish we hadn't gone to the expense of buying it. If I go out I have to lock Elijah indoors or outdoors, I'm not usually gone for longer than a couple of hours though.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by alanc »

I find that the timer function on the microchip catflap is by far the most useful feature - means I can impose a curfew on Tilly and keep her in at night when I am not around. As Tay was the cat I was trying to keep out (no others come in) the microchip feature is not a lot of use!
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

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alanc wrote:I find that the timer function on the microchip catflap is by far the most useful feature - means I can impose a curfew on Tilly and keep her in at night when I am not around. As Tay was the cat I was trying to keep out (no others come in) the microchip feature is not a lot of use!
Ooh I'm not sure if ours has a timer, it would be great if it did. It's the Sureflap one.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by alanc »

Mine is a SureFlap, but it is the larger, Maine Coon size, Pet door version. I don't know whether the smaller versions are the same (although I would have assumed they were).
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by Voskhod_02 »

Damn, there is such a thing as a cat flap that recognises a cat's microchip? :shock: I'm amazed, I was still using the good old "look at whoever's trying to come in" tactic :D
Anyways, it's true that younger cats have an easier time getting along with each other ; I never had issues introducing kittens to cats younger than 1 year and a half, they hiss a little at first but then go along quickly : the will to play is too strong!
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by alanc »

Hi Voskhod - there have been microchip reading cat flaps around for quite a while. Tilly's is now over 5 years old. The smaller ones were around for several years before the big ones like Tilly has.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by MarySkater »

Back around 2002, I had two indoor cats. The big one wolfed the food, the little one liked to nibble and graze, so inevitably the big one finished the little one's food. I solved it by putting a microchip cat flap on the door of a crate, and fed my little cat in the crate. Frustrating for the big one - at one time I found him walking around on the top of the crate trying to find a way in. But he got used to it.
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Re: Tips for introducing kitten, no spare room.

Post by FelineGood »

alanc wrote:Mine is a SureFlap, but it is the larger, Maine Coon size, Pet door version. I don't know whether the smaller versions are the same (although I would have assumed they were).
I have told my other half about this, if it has the timer function it will be really useful. Stanley has just turned 5 months old. Another month until he can go out. We have had to lock it both ways but we can hear it click when Elijah wants to come in. Stanley managed to force his way out when Elijah was coming back in. He's very very frustrated now, it will be coming up to October half term when he can go out and the days will be shorter.
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