Can an older female cat ever accept a new female kitten in her life?
Dr King is an idiot.. I have 4 cats 3 females and one male, they all get used to each other eventually. Some cats don't or it takes them a longer time, sometimes they will never warm up to a new addition but will only tolerate it. It all depends on the cat.. I'd give it some time. Try containing the kitten in a seperate room for a few weeks so they can get to know each other more slowly under the door. Don't jump the gun and get rid of the kitten.. 9 times out of 10 things will work out just fine. It takes my cats just a few weeks to get used to a new addition and as I foster kittens they are meeting new ones all the time and it's the same every time.. redirected aggression onto each other, or you if you are silly enough to touch a cat whos threatened.. hissing, growling swatting.. then eventually acceptance. Lucky for me my cats are pretty laid back.. However my brothers cat who used to live here never ever learned to get along with my cats she came here as a kitten and my cats were all adults. She used to play with them when she was young but the older she got, the more she hated them. She suffered from intense redirected aggression and was miserable with anyone whem my cats were near. It still was possible for her to co-exist with my cats but she is much happier now being the only cat at my brothers house. If your cat does not get used to your kitten within 2 months and still acts very aggressive towards the kitten or you it may be best to rehome the kitten. I'd still give it a try though.. and your cat doesn't hate you she is just a territorial creature and is acting out over an intruder in her territory with time she should settle down.
How can I get my male cat to accept my new female kitten?
SLOWLY. Keep them separate for several weeks so your cat can first get used to the new scent of the kitten before they meet. Keep your kitten in a room by herself and let the male have the rest of the space he's used to so there's no change in his routine. Go in and play with her a lot and pet him afterward with the kitten’s scent on your hands.A good way to introduce new cats is to have them eat on opposite sides of a closed door. Set your kitten’s food up on one side (if it's a bedroom where the door opens inward, tie a string around the bowl and pull it so it is touching the door after you close it) and move your cat's food directly in front of it (cover the string with the bowl). When he eats, he will associate the good feelings with the kitten’s scent.The whole introduction process should take months. Don't just put them in a room together and expect them to be best friends right away. Don’t let the kitten take over the male's territory until the male is used to the kitten's scent and noises. You should be very cautious, good luck.
My 6-year-old female cat smacks my new male kitten on the head every time he gets near her. Will this likely change once he's neutered?
OP has clarified that she is bopping the kitten on the head when he is minding his own business, and chasing him to hide under furniture. Ai am editing my answer with that new info in mindCats have a unique behavioral pattern when they think the territory is overcrowded. A group will declare one cat an underdog and harrass it. I had this happen once when I tried to being a third cat into a small apartment, The other two underwent a campaign to scare him under the sink all the time so they did not have to share the space. When you talk about attacks of minimal violence, that are scaring the kitten into hiding, that's a lot what it sounds like. Your female does not want to share.Try expanding the territory, Cat shelves in particular can double perceived amount of territory in an apartment. Provide some that the kitten can't climb (spaced far apart) But also some easy ones that he can, cause he needs a safe escape route too, that isn't under furniture, Do what Jackson Galaxy suggests in creating a "cat superhighway" where a cat can traverse to room without coming down to the floor.If indeed this situation is triggering the "territory isn't big enough for two" instinct, that *may* help.New cat shelves will also be new territory, that no one owns, so that may help.Kitten needs to have enough confidence that he does not run and hide under furniture. Honestly, the best thing you can do for that is watch episodes of My Cat from Hell, as they deal with this problem often. When you've got shelves or cat tree that the kitten can get to, close off the spaces under furniture so he can't crawl in there.
Should I get a male or female kitten if I already have a 6-month-old male kitten?
Depends how much time, money, love you have to spare. Best case scenario you get one and they love each and play all the time. Worst they hate each other and fight.In either case your still responsible for taking care of their needs.If you do get a second cat make sure you introduce them probably. There are many articles on this on Google.Second at six months they can be neutered. Please please do this! You'll lessen their chances of cancer, spraying is much less likely to happen, they'll be friendlier to you and each other. Overall a win-win situation.Lastly make sure they can retreat from each other to places like perches. If at all possible have one cat box for each cat plus one, and keep them clean. It really helps keep things calm. And if things get tense I highly recommend Feliaway to calm them down. You can get it online or at PetSmart.
How can I get a two year old cat and a six month old kitten to get along? (See details)
Imagine a family member bringing a woman/child to your home and saying, she's going to live here with us, get used to it! Cats are territorial creatures and creatures of habit. For your older cat to accept this newcomer, this interloper, a period of introduction is needed in order to avoid fighting, hissing and bullying. Lock your older cat in a room where she has food, water, fresh air, toys, litter boxes and places to sleep. Allow the kitten to explore the house, so that he gains a bit of confidence and gets used to his new home. Play with him, feed him, pet him, make a fuss of him...basically he needs to know that he can trust you, you love him and good things happen with you around. Then, switch them around! Lock the kitten in the room where the older cat was, and let him get used to the additional home space. This is called site swapping and is very important, because if you don't, both cats will make their respective area, their own territory, making the other cat a permanent intruder. You can try bring them both out at mealtimes so that they start to realise that good things happen even when they're both in the same room. Play with them equally, make a fuss of them equally, then they will start to believe it. Lock them into separate areas while you're out of the house and at night, site swapping every time, so that they know that they both own the whole house equally. When mealtimes and playtimes are hiss-free, then you can try letting them roam the house freely, while you're there to supervise, for the first day. If all goes well, then you can trust them alone. It could take days, weeks or months; don't rush it! They have to accept each other on their own terms and in their own time. You don't want to push them into become friends too quickly, because any progress made could be undone in one quick step. You'll know that all is ok when they snuggle up together, play together and eat together. And let me tell you, that feeling is amazing! It feels like having brought two enemies together and helped them to become friends. I hope it goes well for you, good luck.
I have an 8 year old female cat. We are thinking of getting a kitten. What gender kitten would be more compatible with our resident cat?
The problem is not gender necessarily, it's the age. At 8 years old, your cat is used to your house and it is HER territory. She's had 8 years of ruling the roost, and will not necessarily welcome a tiny kitty into the mix.My suggestion would be to confine the kitten to one room for a while. Introduce a blanket with the kitten's smell to your older cat. Them have them eat near the door so they can smell and hear each other. After that goes without a hitch, short periods of interaction (where you're focusing them both on play). Then, once that goes well, you can let them together and watch them become best friends, hopefully!!Pam Johnson-Bennett has a few great books, including "Cat v. Cat," which will be helpful if you want more info! Basically, just take it slow and give your cats time and space. :-). Good luck!!
Will my 1 year old cat get along with my new kitten?
It will probably take a few days or weeks for them to "get along", but once the kitten UNDERSTANDS who's the "alpha" cat, they'll be fine. In my experience, female cats have a harder time accepting another female ....cat OR KITTEN !! Females just don't seem to want to "share" their space! The hissing and screaming will settle down in a few days....and the cat will either play with the kitten, or ignore her. Eventually, all should be fine...........just BE PATIENT...... You need to have BOTH girls SPAYED...The kitten should be spayed between 3-5 months....according to the newest information that I've read. They're developed enough and will heal quicker and easier than older ones. Hope this helps.......Good luck to you and your little "family"........
Can a 3 month old kitten get "raped" by a 9 month old male cat?
I have a 3 month old kitten. She went with me when I went to visit my family for new years. My mother in law?has a 9 month old male kitten, that is half mountain cat that doesn't really look like a kittten. My kitten is very small and playful. She's shy when she first meets new animals, cats especially, she usually hisses and arches her back. I wanted her to warm up to the male cat, so I put her in a room with him and all of her toys and shut the door. It wasn't until a couple days later when i was petting her and she walked away that I noticed her private was so red and irritated I couldn't tell which was her behind and which was her private. I looked closer to her private and it looks like her opening was penetrated by the male cat, her opening was still open, but today it's closed so it must have happened recently. Is there any other explaination for this? What do i do? Can she get pregnant?
My Male Neutored Cat keeps on raping my 4 month old Kitten?
Is the kitten fixed yet? You need to do it soon. This is a dominance feature that some male cats, (even fixed ones), use to tell the other cats they are master in the area. I have seen my male mount the other male in our house to show who is dominate. If the kitten is not using the litter box, she need to be checked out by the vet to rule out a medical problem. She may have another cat's scent on her. You still need to spray the male to break this attack on the younger kitten. If it's mom was near she would take down the male fast. You have to protect her until she is big enough to fend-off that male. It will just take time.
Can a 4 month old male cat get a female cat pregnant?
I'd say not likely but not totally impossible. Like Ocimom, the youngest I have personally heard of for a male kitten siring his own kittens, was 5 months. I've heard of female kittens coming in heat at 4 months, though. And I would not rule out the possibility that a male kitten MIGHT be that precocious. Let's hope he was not. but I wouldnt want to take a chance on it. from now on until 6 weeks after he is neutered, I would separate the little guy. (Males are able to get a female cat pregnant for up to 45 days after being neutered, according to the website of UC Davis vet school. Does he get along with the 2 yr old neutered male? If so maybe you can keep them together so the kitten has a buddy. Of course there is no need to separate him that long if you can manage to get the females fixed. I don't know if there might be any lower cost spay /neuter clinic in your area? but you can search on the ASPCA's database of spay neuter clinics, or google low cost spay neuter and your location The other issue is what if the female IS pregnant. Are her nipples brighter pink and sticking out? If your dad can't afford the $100 to get the cat fixed, what if she needed a c-section ? that is usually quite a bit more expensive. . Plus there is the issue of there already being so many homeless cats. If there is a way to just go ahead and spay her ASAP that would probably be best.