Getting a second kitty - how did your first cat react?

[Novel]

Hi cat loving PSers,

BF and I are probably going to keep a friend's cat for her while she is abroad (a couple years, unless she has a kid there) but we're a little worried about how our cat will react. He is about three years old and we joke that he thinks he is either a puppy or a stuffed animal, as all he ever wants to do is follow us around the house or sit on our laps. He was a shelter cat before we got him a year and a half ago. We don't know if he has ever been with other cats but we know he needs some kind of company, as he cries constantly when we're gone.

Long term lease cat is 9 and female. I've catsat before for her, she is an absolute love. She has lived with other younger male cats before and has never had a problem. Actually, she seems to like other cats quite a bit and is lonely where she is now. They're both neutered/spade.

I've heard that the best way to introduce them is slowly, kept in different rooms, and eating on either side of a door (2 litterboxes, 2 food bowls, etc). Any other ideas? For any of you that had one cat before another, how did the first cat take it? We're worried he'll be jealous or less affectionate with us, as well as hating her. Are there other things we should be thinking about in terms of how things will change, other than needing to clean the cat hair up and the litter box more frequently? Obviously, there will be more costs.

My friend really needs us to take her cat, as her ex has the cat now and is threatening to dump her (

), but we don't want our furry baby (oh yeah, I had to include a pic!) to suffer as a result.

Thanks for your advice!

ETA: Sorry, I didn't compress it enough! Thats huge! Can't figure out how to re-attach to make Graham smaller!

 

[tiffanytwisted]

Your kitty is adorable.
Our cat was about 7 years old when we got a kitten. The older cat hissed at the kitten and hid under the bed for about a week, really pissed at us. After about 2 weeks they started playing together and are now the best of friends. But I don''t really think it was anything I did, I think she just needed to get used to her.
Good luck!

 

[princesss]

It took about a week (and a huge amount of hissing and growling), but things worked out well for me. I kept the new kitty in the bathroom, with his own food, water, and litterbox. After a few days, I put Lola (my first cat) in my bedroom for an hour, and let Ezra (the new kitten) out to roam. Then I locked him back up, and let Lola out. I kept doing that for a few days, then I gave them supervised time to interact. Then all of the hissing and avoiding stressed me out, so I went to visit a friend and let them duke it out on their own. It''s the cowards way out, but it worked for me. I only felt comfortable with that, though, because I''d watched them for hours at a time, and all they did was avoid each other and Lola would hiss and swat when Ezra got too close.

Now they''re pretty happy with each other - they''ll never be best friends, but they keep each other company, play, and snuggle with me together. My best nights are snuggled up on the couch with BF, my kitties, and his dog on our feet.

 

[Novel]

Thanks, ladies. I''m totally up for the coward''s way out! Its good to know it worked in both your cases. And I''ve heard its harder to get an older cat to adapt to a kitten, so maybe its easier with two adults.

Did your first cats change at all to you guys? I know its totally selfish, but bf is a bit worried that one of the reasons Graham is so affectionate (which we love) is that he is lonely and if we give him a playmate, he won''t need loving from us so much. Wow, we sound like terrible cat parents, don''t we?

And Princess, that sounds like a great night to me! Now if we only had enough apt space and maybe a backyard for a dog...

 

[princesss]

Lola wasn''t the same for a while, but she''s never been the type to snuggle just because. Ezra is actually getting a little territorial right now with the dog coming over, and snuggles MORE - it''s like he''s saying, "These are my humans. Go find your own!" (Which is causing its own problem, but I''m going to deal with that later. Sufficient unto the day, and all of that...I''ve got bigger issues right now.)

 

[MonkeyPie]

Oh your kitty is SO cute! Love!

I think the kitties will be fine, you just have to transition them slowly since they are older cats. When I have brought home kittens it''s easier, but older kitties usually need some room to themselves before they meet.

 

[Novel]

Date: 10/12/2009 11:03:56 AM
Author: MonkeyPie
Oh your kitty is SO cute! Love!


I think the kitties will be fine, you just have to transition them slowly since they are older cats. When I have brought home kittens it''s easier, but older kitties usually need some room to themselves before they meet.

Thanks, MonkeyPie! We lucked out with him, since he was just supposed to be a foster that we couldn''t bear to give up.

Thats reassuring, from someone who knows. We''ll transition them slow, though our bathroom is so small we don''t have a tub in it. We''ve wanted a second for so long, but been unsure. I guess it just seems like this cat needs us, as Graham did, so we can''t say no.

Did anyone out there have an unworkable experience with introducing another cat?

 

[TooPatient]

Lilly was about 3 when we rescued Sven. Sven was about 14 months old. Lilly was about 8 pounds, Sven was 19.

We were going to keep them apart for at least a week. Give them time to adjust slowly. Through doors. All that nice stuff. Including letting Sven have his own room (food/water, box, toys, bed, etc.) for at least the first week so he''d have his safe place to go relax. The plan was to go see him in there and then bring him into the rest of the house (with Lilly in a different room) after a couple of days.

That didn''t go over so well. Sven wanted out of his room NOW. After about an hour in his room, we let him out to explore the house. He did a quick inspection and then went straight to the door where Lilly was waiting in another room. Sven was content to sniff under the door for about 30 seconds.

We did wait until the next night before letting them meet face to face.

A little hissing. Lilly thought about attacking but never actually did. Sven and Lilly stayed in different rooms (closed doors) while we were at work or sleeping until they were comfortable together and I wasn''t concerned about Lilly attacking Sven. (she did it before to another cat)


It all depends on the cats. Some need longer. Some don''t. Watch and see what the new cat wants to do.
Some hissing and growling is okay. Just don''t let it turn into a fight. If the introduction is traumatic, the cats may not get along after that no matter what you do. (Been there. Sent her to my mom''s house.)

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Pepper was 1.5 years when we got saffron (8 weeks) and pepper hissed and pissed and moaned for about 2-3 weeks. Now they play together pretty well. Pepper still gets pissed because saffron thinks it is hilarious to jump on pepper''s back when he is trying to take a nap so that is what we are working on right now lol. They also share a litter box right now but have separate food dishes. They like to sample each other''s food but I think they know better And they both now know the word "NO!!!!!" lol

 

[packrat]

When we''ve introduced a new kitty into the mix we just brought the kitty in and put them together and that was that. We tried to not make a big deal out of it. Bella''s pretty easy going tho. Bella acts different now towards us, than she did when she was an only cat-but she''s a big fatty and not as spry as she used to be. If something happened to Bella and we brought another cat in, I don''t know how Britta would take it. She''s a bit crazy.

 

[Novel]

I love how many positive stories there are! So, basically, it''ll be some work but I shouldn''t freak out in the first weeks (but can feel free to take the coward''s way out!). Our apt only has one room that has a door that closes (besides the teeny tiny bathroom) so I''m a little worried about locking them both away, but I can see Pandora (long term lease cat) being a hide under the bed type, so hopefully keeping her in our bedroom will work.

Thanks for your help, ladies! I feel a little better about this

And I love the stories of cats loving on each other, humans, and dogs.

Anything else I should know?

 

[Novel]

Date: 10/12/2009 2:45:40 PM
Author: packrat
When we''ve introduced a new kitty into the mix we just brought the kitty in and put them together and that was that. We tried to not make a big deal out of it. Bella''s pretty easy going tho. Bella acts different now towards us, than she did when she was an only cat-but she''s a big fatty and not as spry as she used to be. If something happened to Bella and we brought another cat in, I don''t know how Britta would take it. She''s a bit crazy.

Thanks, Packrat. I hadn''t refreshed my screen so I didn''t see it. How does she act differently now? I kind of wonder if Graham will be like that, just pretty accepting. After a couple of hisses, he just watches my mom''s dog from a distance (usually from a lap).

And SanDiegoLady, thanks! He is my pretty boy

but they''re all beautiful, aren''t they?

 

[Novel]

Date: 10/12/2009 2:45:40 PM
Author: packrat
When we've introduced a new kitty into the mix we just brought the kitty in and put them together and that was that. We tried to not make a big deal out of it. Bella's pretty easy going tho. Bella acts different now towards us, than she did when she was an only cat-but she's a big fatty and not as spry as she used to be. If something happened to Bella and we brought another cat in, I don't know how Britta would take it. She's a bit crazy.

Thanks, Packrat. I hadn't refreshed my screen so I didn't see your comment. How does she act differently now? I kind of wonder if Graham will be like that, just pretty accepting. After a couple of hisses, he just watches my mom's dog from a distance (usually from a lap).

And SanDiegoLady, thanks! He is my pretty boy

but they're all beautiful, aren't they?

ETA: Sorry for the double post!

 

[packrat]

Graham (handsome boy that he is!) might be a little unsure of what the heck is going on at first, but he''ll probably come around. If long term lease kitty is a lovey dovey kitty, that could help too! She''ll probably sneak over and lay with him one day when he''s sleeping and that will be all she wrote!

Bella doesn''t sleep with me at night anymore. She used to just shove Britta off the bed when Britta was smaller. (which was quite funny) And, she slowly started gaining weight after we got her fixed, so she''s quite rotund now and just wants to lay around. JD joked the other day that when he gets out of bed in the morning, Bella''s waiting outside the door, like it''s her shift to sleep in the bed..like the Sheepdog and Coyote in the Bugs Bunny cartoons. It''s not that she acts different towards us b/c of the other cat, she''s just a bit more lazy in her old age. She sleeps with London at night. Usually both cats and the dog do, actually.

She was the QUEEN of the house for so long, she seems perfectly content to turn it over to Britta.

 

[April20]

I've done this twice now. I had one kitty and when she was about a year old, got a second kitten. She hissed at the new kitten for about a week and by the end of the second week, decided the new kitty was her baby and treated her as such. It was really sweet. About three years later, I picked up a third kitten that had been abandoned on a door step. I'm a sucker for homeless animals, but I digress. The two existing kitties hissed at the new kitty for two weeks or so and finally gave up and accepted her. She was a skittish kitty and never really bonded with the first two, but they didn't kill each other either.

Long story short, they will adjust to each other, it just might take some time.

Now when I long term dog sat...... that the first two kitties never got used to that and the 3rd rescue kitty became best friends with the dog. Go figure!!!

ETA: Your kitty is soooo pretty.

 

[Novel]

I have to tell you, I love that you guys think he is handsome! Its so weird, its not like I made him! But the woman we fostered him from (she takes cats off the "death row" of the kill shelter and finds people to foster them until they''re adopted) she said she thought the reason he didn''t get adopted from the shelter was that he wasn''t particularly pretty and the only chance he had was if he reminded someone of a cat they''d had before! She didn''t mean to be mean... so I love that you guys think he''s beautiful!

Packrat, good to know. I wouldn''t want anything to change him, but I know he''ll age. He actually only sleeps with us when its really cold or when my bf isn''t home. Actually, when BF isn''t home, I wake up with him sniffing my eyelids! Its cute. But weird!

Thanks, you guys. I feel much better about this!

 

[IloveAsschers13]

Date: 10/12/2009 11:03:46 AM
Author: princesss
Lola wasn''t the same for a while, but she''s never been the type to snuggle just because. Ezra is actually getting a little territorial right now with the dog coming over, and snuggles MORE - it''s like he''s saying, ''These are my humans. Go find your own!'' (Which is causing its own problem, but I''m going to deal with that later. Sufficient unto the day, and all of that...I''ve got bigger issues right now.)

*hey I asked you some questions on your who''s who princess...*


But anyways, my cats are VERY territorial and I think the best thing would to just give them time to get used to each other... seems to work the best with dogs and cats, in my case, so probably with cats and cats too!

 

[IloveAsschers13]

Date: 10/12/2009 11:03:46 AM
Author: princesss
Lola wasn''t the same for a while, but she''s never been the type to snuggle just because. Ezra is actually getting a little territorial right now with the dog coming over, and snuggles MORE - it''s like he''s saying, ''These are my humans. Go find your own!'' (Which is causing its own problem, but I''m going to deal with that later. Sufficient unto the day, and all of that...I''ve got bigger issues right now.)

*hey I asked you some questions on your who''s who princess...*


But anyways, my cats are VERY territorial and I think the best thing would to just give them time to get used to each other... seems to work the best with dogs and cats, in my case, so probably with cats and cats too!

 

[IloveAsschers13]

Date: 10/12/2009 11:03:46 AM
Author: princesss
Lola wasn't the same for a while, but she's never been the type to snuggle just because. Ezra is actually getting a little territorial right now with the dog coming over, and snuggles MORE - it's like he's saying, 'These are my humans. Go find your own!' (Which is causing its own problem, but I'm going to deal with that later. Sufficient unto the day, and all of that...I've got bigger issues right now.)

*hey I asked you some questions on your who's who princess...*


But anyways, my cats are VERY territorial and I think the best thing would to just give them time to get used to each other... seems to work the best with dogs and cats, in my case, so probably with cats and cats too!


ETA sorry, my computer just went a little crazy.... I'm sorry!

 

[packrat]

I had 2 kitties that looked like Graham when I was younger. Brother and sister, both had white feet. Socks and Booties were their names-wonderful kitties. So yeah, I would''ve been one to snag him up since he looks like kitties from my childhood! (We''ve had so many cats (it was a cat farm, I''m telling you!) tho, I think I''d be hard pressed NOT to find a cat that didn''t resemble a childhood cat!)

Don''t forget to post pics of long term lease kitty when you get her so we can ohh and ahh over her!

 

[tlh]

Boy cat was 9 when I brought girl cat in, she was 1 year. It was not a pleasant meeting.

He weighed 15 pounds, She weighed 5.5 pounds... He was a big bully, and she was scared in one room, that we made her special safe place. Her litter box, and food was there. It took well over a month for him not to try to attack her. He did not have claws, and he only had two canines, but that didn''t stop him from trying to attack and mutalate the new cat. I was scared for the big bully because she had her claws and all her teath and she just wasl not wanting to mess with him. But she was in defense mode, as she was clearly embarking on his territory. So it was not fun to know I was stressing out my cat in his final days... and making another cat clearly upset as well.

After 3 months he could tolerate being in the same room w/ her w/o puffing up his tail and hissing at her. They never became friends, as about 6 months after I brought her home, he crossed rainbow bridge.

So it really depends on your animal. Some are more accepting of others.. and some aren''t. Usually the issue tends to be with the cat who''s territory the other is invading. The new cat can smell the old one - and know they are on "taken territory".. so they''ll be defensive but not aggressive. And sometimes this stress can cause unwanted (SPRAYING!) behaviors.

 

[Novel]

Thanks, ILoveAsschers13! I''ll definitely give them as much time as I can. To you and TLH, did you know your cat was territorial? My gut with Graham is that he isn''t, because he has been so calm about my mom''s dog (calm but scared). I definitely wouldn''t want him to take it out on Pandora, though. She is a little more fainthearted. Since the only place we could lock her away would be the bedroom, I''m sure I will feel bad about keeping him out of there! No more sleeping with (just) me for a bit.

Aw, Packrat, thanks

It does sound like you''ve had a lot of kitties! And as soon as I''ve got a pic of LTLkitty, I''ll post it. I also don''t know when we''ll get her out here, as she is in Detroit now. Hopefully it will be of both of them together!

April, I guess you never can tell! I suppose as long as they make peace, its the best you can ask for, huh?

 

[tlh]

I had NO IDEA that he was territorial... and that it would take THAT LONG for him to adjust. He was fine w/ dogs... but I guess I should have thought about it - since whenever the neighbor''s outdoor cat would come under the window (there were always cardinal''s that would nest in front of our house) he would go banana''s and slap at the blinds. I thought after an introduction it wouldn''t be THAT bad... but it was what it was.

I think had I had more time at home, I could have worked at their introductions... so I am not sure that I did it the best way possible. They say to introduce on neutral ground... but my cat would have freaked to get into a cat carrier, and then go someplace neutral, I don''t know if that would have helped at all.

Introductions are stressful times for both the pets and the owners. Just try not to force things, and let them come together on their own terms, however long it takes.

Good luck!

 

[yssie]

Ugh - FI and I just went through this too.

Two cats, one newcomer we picked up off the streets. She was pregnant, too (they aborted) but she apparently had the protective-mama-cat instincts already.

It took us about a month to be comfortable leaving them all home alone together. First she lived in the bedroom with two intervening doors, then one door, then we stopped washing our hands/changing our shirts when we went from one room to the other, then they were brought into the same room and slowly brought closer and closer.

Our boy has become a total cuddlebug, our girl was always a cuddlebug, and the newbie is learning not to nibble. No drastic personality changes - though we're still watching.

Graham is a beauty!

 

[Novel]

tlh, I don''t know if Graham has ever even seen another cat! I''m sure in the pound, but in everyday life? He is a kitty who doesn''t even know what to make of the staircase outside the front door! He does respond well to the scent of other cats on us, though.

yssie, thanks! I''m glad to hear everyone has settled in to your apt relatively well. I wish we had enough space and doors to do what you guys were able to, but hopefully one door and minimal hand washing will be enough.