Abby, my kitty, is 2 years old and she is mean. She hisses when she doesnt get her way and she actually hits other people. She is nice around me and my husband, but thats it. We want to get another cat and we are not sure if we should get a female or male. How long should we give Abby to get used to another cat. I was told about 2 weeks. What are some things that we can do to let her know that we love her just as much. I dont want her to feel unloved. Thank you much :)
2007-01-15 14:26:22 · 13 answers · asked by chrissys08 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
It would be best to get a young male cat. That is the least likely to cause issues. Let her continue to be the "queen" of the house.
Keep the cats separated for a week or so. Give them cat beds and switch them a couple of times a day, so they can get used to one another's smell. Introduce them in small bits. Introduce the "mean" cat to the new cat while the new one is sleeping. Let her sniff and hiss and get it out of her system without being a threat to the new one. Keep separate litter boxes for the cats, as well as separate food dishes at first.
Good luck!
2007-01-15 14:31:44 · answer #1 · answered by Meg M 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Has Abby been spayed? That could be part of the agressive problem. When you bring a new cat into a home that already has one you need to take time and use a lot of patience to introduce them properly so there are any hissy fits or sibling rivalry. Keep the new kitten separated in a room by itself. Abby will start sniffing around the door and eventually play footsies under the door. Its a good way for her to get used to the new scent. Then you bring the new kitten out for short visits and only when you are present. Keep a water bottle to squirt Abby if she make a run for the kitten. Put some of the new kittens used litter into Abbys litter box. Put a dab of vanilla a the base of the tale on them both. This neutralizes their scent so they both smell the same. And finally leave a towel or blanket out for Abby to sleep on. Also one for the new kitten. When they have used it enough times to transfer their scent onto the towel, rub the new kitten with it Abby's towel and rub Abby with the kittens towel. Different situations call for different actions so you will have to judge for yourself how long you need to do this. You will extend the "visits" each time and keep an eye on Abbys behaviour and reactions. It could take one week it could take one month but only this method will guarantee a happy existence between the two.
2007-01-15 15:49:45 · answer #2 · answered by Violet c 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you get another cat make sure you don't make the same mistake I did. I had gotten a male kitten about 6 wks old and my female was 2 years old. I did not know this but people say that when you introduce a new cat into a home with another cat you should slowly introduce the two cats. Well I didn't and it made my female upset to the point of her not eating so I had to take her to the vet and get a supplement so that she was getting the nutrient until she started eating again. Now my female is 4 yrs old and my male is 2 yrs old and they like to fight playfully but they love each other very much and they protect each other since we also have a male Chihuahua in the house.
2007-01-18 18:02:02 · answer #3 · answered by marylou6996 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good luck. Some cats just like to be only cats. Abby may be one of them. I would give it about a week, that's what it took my cats to get used to each other. Watch Abby carefully, she may get real mean and attack the other cat. You will need to give Abby lots of love and attention and maybe play with both her and the new addition together to show Abby that you all want to be a family. But don't be surprised if she never accepts the other kitty, some cats are just like that.
2007-01-15 14:37:38 · answer #4 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You'll have to wait to see what the doctor says after her spaying and PE. Sneezing may indicate and upper respiratory infection which is common in shelters. Antibiotics usually take care of it in a couple of weeks. Some cats are small, the average weight is about 8 -10 lbs. If you're concerned, you can speak to the people at the shelter and let them know your concerns so that they can relay them back to the attending veterinarian and he can be on the look out for the things you've mentioned. Do not bring her home unless you are 100% sure she is ok. They should not be adopting out an animal that is sick. Once she does come home, be sure to make an appointment with the vet you plan on taking her to so that they can become familiar with her. Bring all the paperwork from the shelter so they can enter it into their system.
2016-05-24 19:45:32 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The bestthing that you can do for her is to get another kitty that is either spayed or neutered. Male or female for a companion for her does not really matter. She will show the "new" cat that she is the dominant one, not them. There may be a few fights, but the trick is to introduce them to each other slowly. Start with the new arrival in a carrier. This will let them get used to each other with out someone getting hurt. Once they get used to the others smell , open the carrier . Don't forget to be present at all times during this process since a fight or two may happen. It may take some time, but they will learn to get along.
2007-01-15 14:40:45 · answer #6 · answered by shawn a 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ia abby de-sex. Animals work things out in there own time. They will get use to each other, Abby will show the kitten that she is boss at first, but they will get on. Just treat each cat the same.
2007-01-15 14:34:18 · answer #7 · answered by Billy Bob 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best situation for a cat that age is to get a younger cat (around 6 weeks old or so). That way her mother instincts can take effect and she will teach the cat all of her habits (both good and bad.) Its easier on both cats.
2007-01-15 14:57:41 · answer #8 · answered by Kikyo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You'll be taking a chance since she not too laid back and already thinks the house his hers. If you do decide to get a cat the best thing I can suggest is a SLOW, SLOW, SLOW introduction. One week in separate rooms, one week of exchanging scents on your hands to each cat, several days of sniffing noses through tiny crack in door (not big enough to get a claw through), and so on. Be prepared to separate them for longer if she gets really aggressive. Just so you know, she will most likely always be dominant. Make sure the cat you get is really, really laid back. I would also get male cat of about the same age so if she does decide not to like him, he'll at least be big enough to defend himself. They are probably going to have to fight it out a few times, which is normal. Finally, if in fact they don't get along, just put food and litter boxes in separate rooms and your current cat will probably ignore your new one, just make she still has her own space.
2007-01-15 14:40:11 · answer #9 · answered by Give life. Be an organ donor! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
females are very territorial and will fight over leadership if there is another female. i suggest a younger male. when the new cat is younger it will give both of the cats time to get used to eachother, while stilll letting the female be in charge
2007-01-16 05:43:56 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋