Unhappy cat with new kitten

[emeraldislegirl]

Peg was a stray who we took in last year with a badly broken leg. She was nervous but gradually came round. She is very disgruntled with the new arrival of Kai the kitten on Saturday. Our previous cat was put to sleep last Tuesday, so there has been lots of change.

On Saturday things seemed ok.

On Sunday evening the kitten managed to run into Peg's room where we sit at night. I removed the kitten straight away but Peg was very ill at ease all night.

Yesterday Peg went outside, didn't want to come in until tempted by food and took herself off to a bedroom to sleep for the night. Something she has never done.

This morning Peg wouldn't eat and just went out. As she is so fond of her food it is unheard of. She hadn't eaten anything during the night either.

Has anyone any tips about how to get Peg to be happier? The kitten is either in the kitchen, playroom or the bedroom and is carried between the rooms, so apart from the accidental glimpse there is no contact. i am just worried as things seem to be getting worse.

[Fluffycloudland77]

She's sulking with you for getting the kitten.

Lots of treats and fuss and cuddles usually bring them back round.

Keep her in for a while so she doesnt move out.

[owlelf]

Even when she can't see the new kitten she will be very well aware of it- cats have much better senses than humans.

[cozietoesie]

Yep - it's likely a big sulk. (You said yourself that she only came round 'gradually' when you got her at first with her bad leg.)

I'd agree with fluffy and probably keep her in for a short while - with lots of treats and extra affection thrown on top. As it's a kitten she'll probably be fine because there seem to be different rules there. At least from what you say she's not aggressing so that's a good sign.

Best of luck.

[Fluffycloudland77]

We took a stray in one night (his owner came to get him next day) and even though he was quiet, and they didnt see him our male cat knew he was there and was trying to get to him to make friends kill him.

She's waiting for her superior feline charms to be noticed.

[cozietoesie]

I'm surprised your boy didn't break the door down, fluffy! (He's always sounded as if he was capable of it.)

[Fluffycloudland77]

It was one of our childhood cats, 14lb white persian. They never learnt how to jump up to open doors.

Funnily enough the persians would go for you if cross but the Bengal just runs away. Even the vet was nervous when he had his jabs but I said I can 100% say you are safe with him. But could you close that window?

[cozietoesie]

[cozietoesie]

Occurred to me - there's a male bengal up for rehoming on a site I sometimes visit. 'Must go as a single cat with no dogs.' Says it all, I think.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Lol.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Finally managed to get a pic on my profile.

He's a fierce killer as you can tell.

[sunflowerseeds]

You'd be better off with 2 kittens, they will play together and leave the other cat in peace. 2 are no more trouble than 1 and each will have another to play and sleep with.

[cozietoesie]

Well I don't necessarily agree, sunflowerseeds. We already had firstcoziecat (many, many years ago) when we decided to get a pair of kittens. What they actually did was gang up on him!

If I were emeraldislegirl, I think I'd just see how things went over the next few days/week. It sounds to me as if it might work out.

[emeraldislegirl]

Thanks for the replies. I think that 2 kittens would be a great idea but I think it would be rather unpopular with my husband.

I have given Peg lots of treats and she came to sit next to me on the sofa and allowed me to stroke her for a while and then laid there and purred.

We will just have to take it slowly.

[cozietoesie]

Well that's good progress, emeraldislegirl. Sounds like she's coming round?

I think she may adjust more quickly this time because there was another cat living with you very recently. She'll do the sulk (and probably get fed up at times with the kitten chasing its shadow everywhere) but it sounds good so far.

I take it the kitten has no problems with her?

[emeraldislegirl]

Well this morning they were looking at each other through a glass door and the kitten arched and sidled up to the door with his tail spiky. Peg growled at him through the door then ran away.

Peg doesn't seem to bothered about the sent of the kitten in the kitchen where she wants to eat. I'll keep them apart for a few more days and then try introducing them for a few minutes and see what happens.

[cozietoesie]

I wouldn't worry too much about that. Kittens can arch and brush-tail at a shadow on the carpet. (Wait till you introduce it to the hoover!) The kitten, as well, will have come from a place with a grown cat around (I assume it wasn't hand reared) so will know that there are such things as big cats. It's sounding pretty good to me so far.

[emeraldislegirl]

Just an update. Things are returning to normal. Last night Peg came to sit next to me on the sofa - almost the first time since Kai arrived. Kai was sleeping on the top of the sofa by my head and the 3 of us basked in the heat of the fire.

Kai does torment her by stalking her constantly but she has been very restrained and only hit him once when he went to eat her food.

So all is happy in the cat household except Kai is limping after he pounced under my feet as I walked down the stairs./emo/te/3.gif I hoping it is a sprain.

[cozietoesie]

Oh that's good news about better relationships, emeraldislegirl.

Keep an eye on him re the possible sprain and off to vet just in case if it doesn't recover very quickly. (You didn't say when it happened but kittens should recover real quickly from a bruise or something so if it goes on for more than a good sleep through, I'd be checking him out.)

[lljkk]

glad to hear things are improving. We are trying to introduce new adult cat to our older kittens with, er, interesting results!!

[cozietoesie]

Interesting?

[lljkk]

Lots of hissing, growling, bit of yowling today, too.
But no spraying.
No physical contact yet, just overlapping territories. So lots of eyeball & smell.
Really can't figure out if they'll accept each other or not. I am thinking that they have 2 weeks to indicate they can live with each other. If still hissing then I will finally let them direclty interact & see if they can sort it out with a few swipes.

New cat is huge and will easily kick others' butts, he is almost mellow, he so knows he's got size on his side.

Old cats are 1) tiny but feisty & 2) fluffy and fearful. DH reckons Tiny will be the big problem.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Yes we had a tiny but feisty once. She was most frightening.

[cozietoesie]

That's not un-positive, lljkk. I always feel better when there's a bit of posturing going on without any real displeasure (eg spraying.) It's the deadly hate filled glances and brooding silences that I always worry about.

[sashh]

Feliway.

Make sure both cat ans kitten have a bolt hole / own territory. Put food, water and litter in each territory.

Create a 'cat run' for each to cross the other's path, including, ifyou can, to the door/window they go out of (I know kitten won't be going out yet).

A 'cat run' is ideally something a cat can walk on that is above the other cat's terretory - that's why they walk on the top of fences - they are crossing another cat's territory.

In the home you can try chairs, book shelves, sideboards etc.

When the kitten starts to go out let it out at a different time to the cat. They all have their 'home' territory where they eat and sleep, but they also have a wider terretory that they 'time sharre' for want of a better phrase.

If you have other cats come into your garden you will see different cats at different times of day. They leave their scent behind to let other cats know they have been.