Hello everyone, I need your help

[Liz]

When we have foster kittens they are given the run of the house and allowed to bop the kittens who are hooligans, have no manners and are cute and this teaches the kittens their place in the heirarchy

I have introduced an awful lot of cats and kittens to my home ranging from 1 day old kittens with a feral Mum to senior adults at 15 plus and added 3 Border Collies over the last 6byears and as long as the adults are fed first and attended to first they tend to accept the kittens with little or no bother

Another thing is have you tried a Feliway plug in for the room the adults tend to spend their time in and ensure they have high places to go where the kittens can't follow helps to

I tend to find the kittens eventually curl up next to the adults and that helps to there will be some spats its only normal as the adults have been unsettled as you say and now have incommers adding to their stress its only natural but can work if you put the effort in -  Adults first then kittens also a laser pen is a great way to get all to interact even my dogs play with the red dot with the cats

[Rossandrew1]

Afternoon everyone,

Just wanted to put up an update and get a little bit more advice.

Its turning out now that Bella and not Jasper who we thought originally is the tougher cookie to crack.

We have been keep the cats separate until the last couple of days swapping rooms and items and making sure the house has plenty of the kitten smell about.

Its clear Jasper and Bella know they are here and aren't as happy as normal, and to be honest, its becoming more clear they don't even like each other much, just tolerate living together.

As far as I know, before we bought bella and Jasper, she was there first as the older of the two, a few months later Jasper was introduced. So I guess she has had cats put on her before on top of the owner change and two further house moves.

Anyway, we have now taken to putting up a wire divide in the house so they can see eachother but not get to one another. Also we have tried to feed the cats in sight of eachother, food on each side of the divide as feeding time is considered happy time?

The two kittens, now called Harley and Freya are much bigger than they were, really can't be confined to one room any longer, 12 weeks old, they run about and play to their hearts content and have real friendship.

Bella and Jasper have sat at the fences, growled and hissed while the kittens sat looking at them very unphased, Freya has hissed back at Bella a few times. Jasper still hisses but sits and watches them play, he seems very interested, Bella is just grumpy and walks away.

We want to have them all have the run of the house together as Cheryl and I don't like the divide.

They have lived together in the same house for 4 weeks now.

Any advice as to what to do next? Obviously trim claws etc so fights won't result in harm, however I really do think Jaspers bark is worse than his bite, but Bella has a viscous streak.

Thanks

[amber83]

I don't think your older cats will fall out with each other, but they may not accept the new kittens.
When I was a kid, we already had an older female cat that my mum had found abandoned in a bramble bush. She was a grumpy old girl! We got a younger rescued cat a few years later who was about six months old and we had hoped they would get on but they didn't. We had been told it might take a while but they never got on. They didn't seem to cause each other any distress, but they would just tolerate each other. Initially the older cat would bully the younger one but this stopped after a while and they just avoided each other.
When my husband brought his cat down with him she and my two boys would hiss and wallop each other if they crossed paths, but now his cat will often curl up with one of the boys (although she'd never admit it to you lol) and she and my other boy will just ignore each other. Sometimes they'll hiss but nothing more comes of it.
It might be the same with yours, or they might well get along at some point, or of course they may never accept each other. If it causes any of them distress and its ongoing then you may have to look at rehoming the kittens, but I would give it time because they're all new to the situation and sometimes it just takes a little time for everyone to adjust.

[Stuart]

Hi Ross and Drew  to Purrs   

your in the right place for advice 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

It sounds really good what you are doing and would certainly keep this uo for at least another week.

Once the two older cats seem totally relaxed with changing of rooms and scents then it will be time for a meeting.

I dont think getting a cage will be worth while but if a meeting goes really pearshaped that maybe the next step.

However just stay patient cos it is very early days yet and B and J have big past issues that they need to overcome.

Just as a for instance my semi feral tortie Sasa has been with me for 8 yrs and its only a year ago she allowed me to stroke her although she has always loved the other cat I got at the same time............she is a bad case and was in a rescue for a couple of years............I am sure yours will not take this long 

[Rossandrew1]

Evening everyone, thank you for the welcome, and thank you for the responses.

Yes Nicky, I had wondered that. Perhaps Bella and Jasper are very worried they might be re-homed again and the kittens are a threat to them.

What we have done since I read these posts has been to take our time and try to scent swap between rooms.

Bella and Jasper tend to sleep in our bedroom at night, Bella sleeps in either 'the cats room' which is our 2nd spare bedroom which has Fudge the rabbits hutch in it, on top of the hutch in a bed, while Jasper is on top of a box we gave them with a large bed on it in the same room. Or she sleeps behind the sofa in the living room, while Jasper is on my leather computer chair in the other spare bedroom where my computer is.

The kitchen is where they eat, and the 'cats room' is where their litter tray is.

We have put the kittens in my computer room so that they have company from me if I'm in there. Bella and Jasper have the run of the rest of the house.

This was an initial switch from the living room where they were the first two nights as B and J do spend a fair amount of time in that room with Cheryl when she is watching tv.

The kittens are very playful and seem to have settled nicely, they play with each other all day, purr when Cheryl and I are close, play with us as well, then huddle beside each other when they sleep. So I have no concerns with them so far which is great.

Bella and Jasper haven't had any issues since the box incident which is good. Both of them seem happy enough, although funnily enough actually a lot more affectionate.

I switched the kittens into the cats room from about 11:00 this morning until about 20 minutes ago. 20:00, food, litter tray toys etc. let them run around, lie on B and J's beds etc while B and J were allowed into the computer room.

When B and J went in they just sniffed around a bit, nothing more than that then walked off with a look of intrigue but slightly on guard. The kittens ran from room to room when we were moving them with no issues at all while B and J were in the living room.

They have had a ball in the cats room, rolling around, playing, sleeping, eating etc, no issues at all.
And since moving them back to the computer room they are again fine, eating behind me as I type.

Jasper has been into the cats room, had a sniff around and seems fine, usual strange look on his face. Bella is still asleep, i'll let her go in in her own time.

So far so good I think, I just don't know how much longer I need to do this? Where to go next?
I was thinking of getting them a box or a cage eventually so that B and J could see them but not get to them. Could walk up and get used to them?

I really don't want to rush it after last time. Any advice?

Thanks

Ross

[nickynoo93]

As the other ladies have said, it can take time.

I wonder if the strong reaction also has to do with already being rehomed due to new baby?

Good luck.

Nicky

[Greenlaner]

Hi and          Plenty of advice on here

[Liz]

If you have throws they sleep on this can be a good way to swap smells and yes time is the key kittens have no manners and adult cats can be scared by these pushy little balls of fluff

My 2 Rescue raggies are both very different in how they accept our newbies - Minmin hisses and Casper accepts anything, mine however live in a very multi household and we have just added another rescue moggie aged 8 months and she has been accepted with no issue apart from her lack of sleeping

[lau200]

Welcome to the forum 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

The key to this is slowly slowly and loads of patience and time.

You are now doing the right thing but need to take the box away as your cats are not ready to even tollerate the smell of the kittens.

Give the box back to the kittens and try again tomorrow.................if they react badly again take it away quicker.

You just need to persevere and you also need to swap something of your cats to give to the kittens  and then bring it back.

When I say slowly, I really mean this..............it could take weeks or months.

Good luck and welcome to Purrs 

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

 

The following links may be of help:

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,4789.0.html

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,4931.0.html

[Rossandrew1]

Hello

My partner Cheryl and I have recently taken two small kittens into our home to live along with our two older cats.

Bella and Jasper are our current ragdoll cats, they are both almost two years old.
We bought them around 5 months ago from a family who couldn't take care of them anymore due to another newborn baby.

The kittens are both 8 weeks old, (which I know is very young, however we were assured they would be fine) Ragdoll x Maine Coon.

When we brought them in, it seems we made a mistake by trying to introduce them straight away, which resulted in a lot of anger, growling, hissing mainly from our current cats.

So we decided to separate them into different rooms, Bella and Jasper got the run of the house in their normal favorite areas, the two kittens are in our living room.
We bought a Feliway Plug in as recommended by our vet.

We were then told to gradually introduce them through swapping smells. Switching rooms, letting them get used to each other by smell first.

So today we took a box which the kittens had been playing with to Bella and Jasper, this resulted in them falling out badly! Both hissing and growling at each other.

They have both become very hunched, they seem bigger and almost fatter, their fur seems in edge.

It is very clear they are unhappy.

What can we do? Will they ever accept the kittens?

Could this cause Bella and Jasper to fall out?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you