Kitten introduction issue

gambler31

Hey all.

Im really desperate here. We found a stray cat about 2 months ago. A ginger male (maybe 3 months old). And we left him in my mothers house since we thought she could be doing with the company.

About a week ago she decided that he could be doing with some company (not that he needed it since shes at home every day of the week) so we went up to the pet shop and got a nice new 8 week old kitten. Female (thinking it would mean less friction).

Its not going well at all. We read the best way to introduce them was by letting them get the scent of each other by rubbing each other down with socks and then giving the other one the sock to smell and get used to.

The kitten (Ally) didnt give the sock a second thought, she barely even looked at it. But Jake (the main cat) sniffed the sock for a few seconds but didnt look very happy.

SO we continue this.. and for the first few hours or so they meowed at each other through the kitchen door. Ally is permanently locked in there. Which by the way, was Jakes favourite room (but we have nowhere else for the kitten to go since she freaks out if she doesnt have 100% constant company). So Jake is now spending his days in one of the bedrooms. In a general sad/depressed/angry mood.

We decided 2 days ago, that it was time they met. I read we should leave them for a full week, but it was only 2 days short, and we were getting worried about Jake.

THe first introduction (which lasted 10 mins) didnt go too bad. Jake just sat and stared at Ally while she played with a teddy.

So we thought maybe another meeting that night wouldnt be any harm. Only this time Jake started hissing and spitting at her. But she seemed very oblivious to this.

Now after this, any time Jake smells something that Ally had he attacks it and hisses at it.

Probably for the worst, we introduced them again the following day and it just got worse. Now Jake tries to get out off our arms to attack Ally. Before he just sat there hissing.

And as of this morning, Jake has started attacking people if he smells Ally of them. And I mean violently attack. He sits in his room and wont let anyone touch him, he wont play with his favourite teddy anymore. He spends a good many hours sitting outside looking up at the kitchen door. And he just looks so sad. He doesnt cry at the door to get in or anything. He just sits there.

My mother is really upset about the whole ordeal. She only got the kitten for Jake in the first place.

babychuckles

If jake is now 5 months old and his soccer balls are showing then I would get him neutered as it usually reduces their animosity towards other cats and kittens.
also its only been a week and often can take three or four weeks for felines to chill out with each other.

gambler31

Thanks for the reply.

We are considering getting him snipped. But that really is a last resort. It just seems a bit extreme. And yeh we guess he's about 5 months old. Emm this is going to sound really stupid, but I genuinely dont know- how can I tell if these "soccer balls" are showing? Like am I going to have to go feeling or will it be visible?

And are you sure it will improve if we give it another few weeks. I mean hes getting worse with every encounter. If he was just being hostile we wouldnt mind so much, but the fact hes visibly sad/depressed and is isolating himself has us all worried.

BTW: this isnt going to have any lasting effects on Jake. I mean at the end of all this hes gonna be himself again?

babychuckles

^^^We are considering getting him snipped. But that really is a last resort. It just seems a bit extreme. And yeh we guess he's about 5 months old. Emm this is going to sound really stupid, but I genuinely dont know- how can I tell if these "soccer balls" are showing? Like am I going to have to go feeling or will it be visible? ^^^

Firstly best to say I am not a vet: but when ever my male kittens have hit 5 months and their balls are showing I get them neutered. Some males do need to be 6 months for their balls to show/drop. you will be happy to hear that you wont need to be feeling for them but I have had a lot of kittens through my life so I have a slight advantage!! You could ring local vets and see if they could check for you for free and ring around and ask what is the cost of neutering if he is ready to be done. Costs vary so its good to ring around and check.I would not recommend using a large animal vet ie cow vets but im assuming you are in range of a small animal vet and can contact them for prices.

^^^And are you sure it will improve if we give it another few weeks. I mean hes getting worse with every encounter. If he was just being hostile we wouldnt mind so much, but the fact hes visibly sad/depressed and is isolating himself has us all worried.^^^
All cats are different. so maybe for the moment i would keep them apart and not let them meet but would bring an item of clothing out to him with her smell on it and just let him go nuts on it till he realizes its a permanent fixture. of course if its not improving the chance is that you might have to rehome her. but only you are able to judge as you are dealing with the stress of it all. there is a product called feliway in spray form and plug in. vets sell it but i believe its cheaper from off the internet sites but i cannot recommend any as ive not ordered it from the net myself. i saw it in a large pet store today and of course cannot remember the price petstop were selling it at but they might like for eg maxi zoo have a web site.
I usually blow a quick breath of air into my cats faces if they are beating up on me not to mind each other as its not harmful but they dont like the senssation so it might be a way of stopping him when he goes for you or her. again all cats are different and only you know whats best for ye all.

^^^BTW: this isnt going to have any lasting effects on Jake. I mean at the end of all this hes gonna be himself again? ^^^
I have had 4 male kittens neutered recently the first two are as happy as clams still chasing mad around the place after everything and were happy cats before the op and are still just as happy. the other two were semi tame/semi feral and since the op have calmed down thankfully and are plesant to be with now. so in my opinion it has major benefits for calming.
Like any op that needs an anaesthetic there is a slim chance that a cat can die under the anaesthetic but it is a slim chance that it would. a good vet would mention this and of the lads i got done they all were healthy going into the op and all healthy minus nuts coming out.
^^^^It just seems a bit extreme^^
If a cat is not neutered it will wander for miles mating with everything it meets and fighting with every other unneutered tom and will unfortunately end up getting either badly beaten and badly bitten and bitten results in a shed load of bacteria which result in abcesses and unhappy and sore cat. likewise it can be infected with aids and or lukemia by mating and fighting so although like one of my older neutered toms whose territory is crossed by a lot of other cats he still puts up the show of big bushy tail and yeowling the fact that he and them are neutered means that so far no one fights just screams at each other. so for the sake of stopping him wandering for miles and days and then getttin sick its another reason for getting him neutered when the balls come down.
Hope this makes sense at this hour of night.

BC

gambler31

Thanks for all the replies babychuckles. We'r going to take your advice and take Jake to the vet and maybe discuss our options. TBH Im not sure about "small animal" vets since we've never had a pet- so never paid much attention to what was on offer locally. Though Im sure google has the answers for me. And if it can fix this problem then travelling (for the right vet) isnt out of the question. Though I have to be honest- its worrying to think that its not a 100% risk free operation. We'd never forgive ourselves if anything happened to him

gambler31

Small update: This morning the two cats caught sight of each other [long story]. Normally when we introduced them Jake was held very tightly so he couldnt get loose while Ally went about her business. This time Jake was on the floor and had nobody restricting him, from what I was told, Jake just sat there very calmly and stared at her and didnt hiss or anything. But Ally lunged at him and started hissing. THen jake went to lunge back when he was grabbed and he went into attack mode again.

Im so proud off Jake, he kept his cool until he was provoked. But Im really shocked at Ally. All this time she never passed any remarks off Jake ever, even when he was hissing and going crazy to get at her. She just acted like he wasnt even there.

babychuckles

Im guessing that jakes problem might be that while he was being held from investigating the newcomer it upset him as like all cats curiosity is deadly with them.
so that was good that he didnt want to eat her when he was loose with her.
re her attacking him: Ive had a lot of smallies and every one of them hiss spit and try attack if possible any thing that surprises them including people eventhough we are like 10000 times bigger than them. Even their own siblings can cause them to try and make themselves as big as possible and hiss and go for each other. all kits do this so its normal that jake would defend himself
So the question is are ye going to let him loose and let ally get used to him in her space and visa versa? id be for letting them get used to each other without picking jake up. you could pick ally up and carry her around and let jake sniff her on your lap and even if he hisses which he will just say no to him and he should get used to her. letting her off the lap for a wander around without restraining him is good and if he wants out of the room then let him off by opening the door but dont pick him up or he will not be happy im guessing.
re the risk of the operation it is a small risk but the op on a kitten done at 5 or 6 months is usually less riskier than on an older cat and recovery from the op is faster for a boy also.
BC