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Fighting cats, horribly scared kitten
I have 7 month old neutered male tabby, he's been spoiled ever since we got
him being treated like a child. We recently got a 12 week male un-neutered kitten from a man who had been giving them away for free, who immediately ran under our futon in the living room and has been hiding there for 2 days without eating/drinking or using his litter box, he's simply terrified. My older cat was curious about him, but seems scared...running and hissing when he came to close. The kitten simply cowers in the corner under the couch shivering. Now, I've heard to take the slow approach when intorducing new cats, keeping them in seperate rooms but, I live in a smaller 1 bedroom apartment and have a newborn so I can't allow the cats in my room, the two cats can't realy help but be near each other. So what can i do to make the situation more livable for everyone? Sonny the older cat doesn't seem to want to have much to do with the little guy now. He just...doesn't seem to like him. HELP! I couldn't bare getting rid of the little one. |
#2
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Fighting cats, horribly scared kitten
You need to separate the two and place the kitten in a room by himself with
food, water, litter, and a bed. Gradually you can expose them to each other. This should be done slowly and methodically. Even if you place the kitten in the bathroom this should be done. Gail "ZailaGrace" u20585@uwe wrote in message news:5e62a9dcd1244@uwe... I have 7 month old neutered male tabby, he's been spoiled ever since we got him being treated like a child. We recently got a 12 week male un-neutered kitten from a man who had been giving them away for free, who immediately ran under our futon in the living room and has been hiding there for 2 days without eating/drinking or using his litter box, he's simply terrified. My older cat was curious about him, but seems scared...running and hissing when he came to close. The kitten simply cowers in the corner under the couch shivering. Now, I've heard to take the slow approach when intorducing new cats, keeping them in seperate rooms but, I live in a smaller 1 bedroom apartment and have a newborn so I can't allow the cats in my room, the two cats can't realy help but be near each other. So what can i do to make the situation more livable for everyone? Sonny the older cat doesn't seem to want to have much to do with the little guy now. He just...doesn't seem to like him. HELP! I couldn't bare getting rid of the little one. |
#3
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Fighting cats, horribly scared kitten
Unless you provide the kitten with a safe place of his own, he will remain
scared to death. If you cannot segregate him even in a bathroom, you can try buying a very large dog crate and keep him in there with food, water, litter, and a soft bed. Gail "ZailaGrace" u20585@uwe wrote in message news:5e62a9dcd1244@uwe... I have 7 month old neutered male tabby, he's been spoiled ever since we got him being treated like a child. We recently got a 12 week male un-neutered kitten from a man who had been giving them away for free, who immediately ran under our futon in the living room and has been hiding there for 2 days without eating/drinking or using his litter box, he's simply terrified. My older cat was curious about him, but seems scared...running and hissing when he came to close. The kitten simply cowers in the corner under the couch shivering. Now, I've heard to take the slow approach when intorducing new cats, keeping them in seperate rooms but, I live in a smaller 1 bedroom apartment and have a newborn so I can't allow the cats in my room, the two cats can't realy help but be near each other. So what can i do to make the situation more livable for everyone? Sonny the older cat doesn't seem to want to have much to do with the little guy now. He just...doesn't seem to like him. HELP! I couldn't bare getting rid of the little one. |
#4
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Fighting cats, horribly scared kitten
"ZailaGrace" u20585@uwe wrote:
I have 7 month old neutered male tabby, he's been spoiled ever since we got him being treated like a child. We recently got a 12 week male un-neutered kitten from a man who had been giving them away for free, who immediately ran under our futon in the living room and has been hiding there for 2 days without eating/drinking or using his litter box, he's simply terrified. My older cat was curious about him, but seems scared...running and hissing when he came to close. The kitten simply cowers in the corner under the couch shivering. Now, I've heard to take the slow approach when intorducing new cats, keeping them in seperate rooms but, I live in a smaller 1 bedroom apartment and have a newborn so I can't allow the cats in my room, the two cats can't realy help but be near each other. So what can i do to make the situation more livable for everyone? Sonny the older cat doesn't seem to want to have much to do with the little guy now. He just...doesn't seem to like him. HELP! I couldn't bare getting rid of the little one. Do you have a bathroom? If the cat is terrified, it's not going to mind being cooped up. Good luck. |
#5
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Fighting cats, horribly scared kitten
By the way. If they fight, clip the aggressor's claws. At the same
time, keep in mind that the aggressor might be stressed and acting defensively. |
#6
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Fighting cats, horribly scared kitten
John Doe wrote:
I have 7 month old neutered male tabby, he's been spoiled ever since we got him being treated like a child. We recently got a 12 [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] have much to do with the little guy now. He just...doesn't seem to like him. HELP! I couldn't bare getting rid of the little one. Do you have a bathroom? If the cat is terrified, it's not going to mind being cooped up. Good luck. Well, we tried having him in the bedroom, with all the supplies, he meowed and scratched at the door the whole time, this lastest a good hour and a half. Same in the bathroom. He seemed fine when he was let out, but hissed at my other cat. He didn't run. It was the older one who seemed scared. Either way, nothing seems to be working. The only place the kitten seems to feel comfortable is under the couch. He actually seems, relaxed under there. Thanks for the tips. |
#7
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Fighting cats, horribly scared kitten
Okay. Relax. These are two young cats. The new one is probably a little
wild and he's freaking out the resident. I know when it's going on that it feels like it will never end and your house will never be peaceful again and you have to DO something, but it really is all about time. The new one sounds like he is doubly-afflicted - has to adjust not only to the other cat, but it sounds like he is also frightened of you and of being confined. That's alot to deal with all at once : Since you're restricted on space, you have some challenges. Try to work with the space the new cat has chosen to hide: the futon. That's his safe space. Let him be there - and try to keep the resident out of the area (can you put down some pillows or move some furniture temporarily to sort of "fort" the area so it's hard for the resident to access? Then sit in the room or on the futon and talk gently to the new cat. Sing songs, tell him about your day, read aloud, do anything so he has the experience of hearing you and watching you not threaten him. Try taking the resident into the other room and loving him up so new cat hears old cat purring and sounding happy. Give both cats lots of treats to help them understand this special time of moving in together has fringe benefits. At some point, new cat will try to move from under the futon, if only to use the litterbox. If you can, try temporarily shoving some food under the futon and putting a litterbox somewhere fairly close to the futon. It won't be permanent. This way new kitten doesn't have to take his life in his hands everytime he has a bodily need. You can also try to regularly take new cat into the bedroom with you and shut the door for a while to play with him so new cat can eat and pee. If you can do this at the same time for a while, the pattern will be reassuring. The initial meetings (which it seems have already happened) are all about establishing dominance. It usually looks more hideous than it really is. Hissing is normal. Chasing and pouncing is normal. Hitting is normal. The resident cat will attempt to force the newcomer back under the futon. After that happens, go to resident cat first, give him a hug and a caress, speak gently and empathize with him about how hard it is to get used to a new cat. Then poke your head under the futon, sympathize with new cat, and slide a few treats under the bed and tell him you love him. Only interfere if resident cat doesn't leave the new one alone after he retreats. Over a few weeks, they will do this repeatedly, and new cat will make more forays out of the safe space. Each foray will meet with indignation from resident cat and a strategic retreat, but they will be feeling each other out. When new cat takes a walk and resident cat just ignores him like he's invisible (just once) - then the end is in sight - you can take down the fort, and move things back to their usual place. It could take a month, but might be much less. After that, they will have occaisional scraps - which will usually be about who gets to sit where when, but they will figure it out. And one day, they'll be wrestling, but it won't be fighting - it'll be playing : |
#8
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Fighting cats, horribly scared kitten
ZailaGrace wrote: I have 7 month old neutered male tabby, he's been spoiled ever since we got him being treated like a child. We recently got a 12 week male un-neutered kitten from a man who had been giving them away for free, who immediately ran under our futon in the living room and has been hiding there for 2 days without eating/drinking or using his litter box, he's simply terrified. My older cat was curious about him, but seems scared...running and hissing when he came to close. The kitten simply cowers in the corner under the couch shivering. Now, I've heard to take the slow approach when intorducing new cats, keeping them in seperate rooms but, I live in a smaller 1 bedroom apartment and have a newborn so I can't allow the cats in my room, the two cats can't realy help but be near each other. So what can i do to make the situation more livable for everyone? Sonny the older cat doesn't seem to want to have much to do with the little guy now. He just...doesn't seem to like him. HELP! I couldn't bare getting rid of the little one. Get rid of the newcomer NOW. Do it before he screws up your existing kat's world. They obviously aren't going to click, so make it soon. That or get a bigger appartment. IBen |
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