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Tracy March 4th, 2002 02:49 PM

New Cat...desperate for information
 
[B]I AM DESPERATE FOR INFORMATION[/B]

Hello I am Tracy and I am new here. I am in need of some information and quickly.

I am trying to introduce a small male kitten into my home where we currently have a 3 year old female cat. Captain Cookies (my children named him) is a very lovely kitten not at all disturbed by Sophie (the adult female). He will wander about and not mind Sophie or the hissing and growling that she spits his way.

Sophie on the other hand, is not coping well. She is hissing, biting, attacking, and growling at every household member. Not jsut the other cat. We cannot pet her, we cannot walk by her without her attempting to bite. She has never been what you would call an affectionate cat, but this is a little out of control.

I do not and cannot send that poor kitten back to the horrible shelter where I got him. they did not even give them kitty litter ir was just wood chips and he needed medical care and medication when he moved in with us because he was neglected at the home. I do not want to part with Sophie but my family is more inclined to go and provide the new kitten with plenty of love where Sophie will not let them near.

I want to keep them both, but my fear is that Sophie will harm the kitten or my family. I am at my wits end. I have no idea what to do from here and I need to do something because Sophie cannot hold herself back even 2 seconds with supervision with the cat.

I need some information.

Tracy

These are things that we have attempted with the cats.
1. Both cats are living in segregation. Captain cookies is set up in a spare room with all the things that he needs such as a litter pan, food, water, bed toys etc.
2. Sophie has free reign of the house as she normally would. She is just not allowed in the spare room which is nothing different from before we got the new cat.
3. I have tried to feed them together to see if they could equate their time spent together as something enjoyable.
4. I have switched their blankets so as to introduce their smells to one another. Sophie attacks and claws and bites Captain Cookies blanket whereas Captain Cookies just curls up on Sophies and goes to sleep.
5. We try small spurts of integration. The longest has lasted 10 m inutes before Sophie launched Captain Cookies half way across the hall. Not a good thing.
6. I have tired to put Sophie in Captain Cookies room when Captain cookies has reign of the house.
7. I have tried a partial door opening where neither could gain access to the other just so that they could get used to seeing one another, but to no avial. Sophie just starts spitting and because she cannot reach the cat on the other side, she bit my leg and drew blood.
I am at the end here, I have no idea what to do at this point and I need help.

Please if anyone knows of anythign that would work, please respond...i am desperate because I love them both but have to keep my family safe from my agressive cat.

Tracy:(

maude March 18th, 2002 10:12 AM

Hi Tracy,

I found this one in the archives
[url]http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?threadid=41[/url]

Maude

petdr
Moderator

Registered: Apr 2001
Location:
Posts: 62
Question:

I hope you can help me with this. I have a 1 year old male Himalayan who was fixed last week. I am moving and he must become acquainted with an 8 year old fixed female who does not always respond to other cats in a positive fashion. This is going to happen in about a week.

First we are going to trade scratching posts and see if that helps.
Do you have any suggestions. Your input is greatly appreciated. Jennifer Routley

Answer:

Hi Jennifer,
So far, you seem to be doing things correctly by introducing your 1 1/2 year old Himalayan cat to his new friend and surroundings. May I suggest that you take some of your Himalayan's toys over to his new friend's place and vice versa. Handle the other cat and your own - don't wash your hands then go from one to the other petting them. You'll have the scent of both cats on your hands. (The smell will stay on your hands by the time you get home.) Switch cat blankets, etc.

When it comes time to moving your Himalayan over to his new dwellings, keep him in a closed off room along with his kitty litter and food and water for a while and stay with him. This is a good as he not only gets used to his new dwelling but the new world he's being introduced to. When he looks comfortable, open the door and let him get acquainted to his new surroundings in this one room. Continue to let him get used to each and every room on his own before you introduce his new friend so he gets used to all the smells, etc., around him.

Don't leave the two cats alone -- be with them.
A male and a female is usually a plus but you have to play everything by ear.
This may take a bit of time but you'll have a happier set of cats in the long run.
Good luck and keep up the great work!

© Nancy Kitching 2001

Nancy Kitching
Dog Trainer Member of CAPPT, CKC, OKC (Ottawa Kennel Club),
and Bytown Obedience Club in Ottawa.
156 Fairhaven
Hudson, Quebec J0P 1H0


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