Trials & Tribulations or Integrating a Kitten with 2 resident cats

morgana

So we decided a kitten would be a good idea to add to our two cat household assuming a kitten would be easier to integrate with our two 8 and 10 year old cats.
We did some research about slowly introducing them to each other and keeping the kitten separate for a week or two.

So I approached a local rescue and were almost immediately given a contact who was desperately looking for a home for a kitten they rescued but couldn't keep because she didn't get on with their own cat. Pause for thought, you'd wonder? Naww, we knew we would do everything differently and it wouldn't be a problem :P.
So we went and met our little Sammi and the lovely lady who rescued her and she was happy to let us take her with us.
That is where the easy parts stops.

Kitten (about 3 - 3 1/2 months old) went home with us and was confined to one room in the house, the one least used by our two.
After day two we allowed the other two to see her from a distance. No interest at all, they immediately went away. Hmm. Most sites said there should be some interest, even hissing and growling. Not our two. They stayed outside. Feelings of guilt of how we could expose our two to such an ordeal.

So a strict separation policy was implemented as we wanted our two not to feel displaced or alienated at any cost. They got plenty of attention, treats and praise if they showed even the littlest interest in kitten.
Sammi ofc, as kittens do, was fearless and happily charged to any cat in sight without any caution or fear resulting in the immediate retreat of the cat in question.
More cat sites & books were consulted. We constructed a see-through barrier to keep kitten out but at least allow visual contact. Sammi was allowed to roam the house when the other two were outside. So scents intermingled.

Our two were outside most of the time, but at least their behaviour towards was unchanged and as trusting and affectionate as usual. Just a complete refusal to deal with kitten.
One month went by.

Feliway was purchased and put in the room where one cat tended to sleep (the elder of our pair, and the dominant one). After a few days she seemed more relaxed and confident.
The other one, huge in stature and timid in nature, immediately ran away as soon as he glimpsed the sight of Sammi, not helped by the fact she happily chased after him.

The barrier construction had to be re-engineered to stop a boisterous, clever and very determined kitten from scaling it on attempt one. Humans prevailed eventually.

We started to let Sammi outside and increased the contact to our two outside. Slowly they started to engage with her, putting their paw down so to speak. Our elder cat suddenly started to hiss and growl at her, telling her what is on and what not. Sammi started to learn the basic rules of cat interaction.

That was about 2 1/2 weeks ago, about 6 weeks after we took her home.

We started to allow them together in the house. Initially hyper, and too excited about the other cat in the house, she wouldn't leave them alone and getting told off in no uncertain terms now by our oldest who now was taking back the house.

After things, things improved rapidly. Even our timid big fella started to hiss and growl at her and not run out in panic the moment he saw her.

In the last week every day was an improvement. Sammi has stopped chasing the other two the moment she spots them, she has learned to leave them eat in peace and wait her turn.

So far, we still kept her in her room at night, we will now try leaving her roam at night as well. The last step in a long journey

And the point of the long story? Think long and hard before you decide to add another cat to a multi-cat household.
Be patient. And a bit more patient. Cats will do things at their own time and when and if they please.

I am very happy that things have now worked out. There were times were we thought they will never accept her. But we were determined to be patient and give them all the time they needed.

Now all signs are positive and we are confident that they will now get along and may even start to like each other in time. The first attempts of a nose-to-nose greeting have already been spotted

Not the best of pics, but all three are in it if you look closely

Pumpkinseeds

If it's any consolation I haven't found it much different introducing a 3 year old female cat to 3 adult male cats:D

morgana

After the first night of kitten freedom :P, no big disturbances were noticed. Kitten settled down at my feet and left the other two sleep at peace whereever they settled down .
So it's all good and we are now have gone from a 2 cat to a three cat household .
Hope you enjoyed my tales and it helps someone down the line in a similar situation.