I've decided to adopt an adult cat?

Question

Hello! I've decided to adopt a 6 year old female cat! I already have two 6 month old kittens (male and female) at home. (All three are spayed and neutered!!) I have a few questions...
1. Will the kittens be ok with the older girl, and will she be ok with them?
2. I don't like the name she was given. Can I change it, or is she too old for me to change it?
3. I think I need some litter box suggestions. I use the clumping litter and scoop out the boxes at least twice a day, put the clumps into grocery bags, and put them in the garbage. I find that I am running out of bags, and that the kitchen smells like urine. What works for you guys? How do you clean up/dispose of the clumps??

Thank you!!

Answer 1

get the flushable kitty litter, and please dont change a full grown cats name.

Answer 2

Congratulations on the new kitty!

1. Will the kittens be ok with the older girl, and will she be ok with them?

You may want to have someone else bring the new cat in. But after some hissing and spatting they should be all right together.

2. I don't like the name she was given. Can I change it, or is she too old for me to change it?

She should be fine. There is a neighbor cat who comes to visit my place a lot. Her human calls her Coco (which I really don't like:It's too common.). But from us, this kitty answers to Puddles because of the way he melts when we pet him.

3. I think I need some litter box suggestions. I use the clumping litter and scoop out the boxes at least twice a day, put the clumps into grocery bags, and put them in the garbage. I find that I am running out of bags, and that the kitchen smells like urine. What works for you guys? How do you clean up/dispose of the clumps??

Ah, the eternal litter problem. With 2 and 3 cats in my household, I use two boxes. And we get plastic bags from the grocery store. I tie them closed after I scoop the boxes. Alternately, you might want to get baggies that you can seal. And move the boxes: You may find that one of your kitties is missing his or her aim. If that's the case, scrub the area clean with bleach or Lysol. Lysol might be better because it doesn't make strong fumes.

Good luck!

Answer 3

First of all a BIG -cheer- for you for adopting a cat, and moreso an adult kitty! The world needs more people like you. =)

1: As someone said earlier, you'll have to go through introductions slowly, and get your kitties used to each other's scents and presence. Hopefully they will get along! Usually they will, once they realize the new kitty is not hostile and is not taking over their home, but joining it. The older kitty may even have a calming influence over your younger ones- teaching them how a "mature" kitty should be acting.

2. I have known plenty of people who changed their adopted cats' names, mostly as a sign of recognition that the cat is no longer in their former abused life and is reborn with a new name. I would not recommend changing your new kitty's name if she is used to it already- but if you feel you really, really want to, then get her used to the new one. Start calling her by her new name as soon as possible, and make good associations with it, like calling her name and petting her at the same time, or giving her a treat.

3. How often are you changing the litterboxes? (I mean entirely- not just scooping, but dumping everything out and changing all the litter). I suggest doing a thorough change every week, since three cats will produce a LOT of mess. Also, use plastic litterboxes (if you aren't already) instead of cardboard throwaway boxes, because with the cardboard, spills will soak into the boxes and the smell will stay. You can try flushable litter, which may reduce the amount of trashbags you're using and cut down on the smell a bit more. I personally like using Arm and Hammer's kitty litter- I can never smell ANYTHING. =)

Answer 4

First of all, GOOD FOR YOU for giving an adult cat a second chance and a good home!!! I applaud you for that! So many adult cats sit in shelters and rescues because everyone wants a cute ball of fluff... Never even giving some of these older guys a chance to live out their lives in a good loving home.

1. Will they get along? That remains to be seen. Depends on the temperment of the older kitty. Some cats don't mind younger ones around, some do. You will just have to try it and see.

2. Sure you can change her name. My cats all have several names and they answer each one to their own names. I've changed their names each several times over the years... and it has not presented any major problem. If you pet your new cat and do something it likes really well, and call it by it's name, you will have faster results in changing the name. Food treats and using the name will also help. Try not to use the new name in association with punishment or chastisement.

3. I would recommend visiting this site:
http://www.tidycats.com There is interesting and helpful information there about litter training, use of litter, what kind will work best for your situation and much more. Oftentimes, they give coupons if you sign up on their site. I use disposable kitty litter that I can flush down the toilet. I have my litter pans in the bathroom and it makes clean up a snap. If you are needing to get the smell out, whatever you do, do not use bleach or ammonia to clean (dog or) cat urine with. You will only exacerbate an existing problem. Use a natural odor destroying product such as citrus or vinegar to take the smell out. Mouthwash works well, as does baking soda. Then there are commercial products that you can use as well. I always recommend http://www.justrite.com and their kit for urine clean-up.

Another product you can use to get out urine smell that many veterinarians use is SIMPLE GREEN. I keep a gallon on hand at all times. It works on so many things...

Good luck with your new kitty! I'm very happy for you both!

.

Answer 5

1. the kittens will definately be ok with the older girl. it is actually quiet nice because they can learn off of her.
2.To change a cats name that is already 6 years old might be a little hard. What i would suggest u to do is give her a nick name with her original name, then slowly slowly use the nick name more. Then she will know who u r calling. Otherwise she wont know at all if u start calling her a different name straight away, and imagine u were adopted and someone started calling u a different name. All of your identity would be changed. strange don't u think? And a little difficult for the cat.
3.Do u have a garden? because the cats should know already to use the toilet outside. If not and u are living in a building, well i would suggest putting your garbage for your cat litter in your laundry area. lock the door. REally no suggestions for this one sorry.

Answer 6

buy nappy sacks or scented bags if u can find some. spray ur bin with freshener. the older 1 might like to mother the 2 little 1s and the kittens will want to play with her. good on u for taking on an older cat! i dont know if a cat will adapt to new name at that age but u can change the name if u wish .buy cheap rubbish bags and keep a good 1 outside in ur bin ,at the end of each day put the cheap bag with litter in the outside bin. try wood chip litter ,doesnt smell so much and u dont need too much of it.

Answer 7

As far as the litter box portion of your question: I have the LitterMain Mega automatic somthing or other litter box.... Best $100 I ever spent... It uses clumping litter and a few minutes after my cat leaves it send a rake across the litter to pick up the clumps and deposit them into a plastic comtainer uner the litter box.... highly recommended...

Answer 8

Good for you! I love cats. anyway, on question 1: It depends mostly on the tendancey of the older cat, is she receptive, is she rough, you could find that out from where ever you adopted her from. #2: It also depends on the cats history, if she's had that name her whole life she might not respond to a new name, but if shes had several names you might be able to change it with perserverance and quite a bit of time. #3: For the smell in your kitchen, we keep ours in the basement, and we only clean them twice a week it does save bags! Hope I helped! Congradulations!

Answer 9

1. Introduce them slowly and see how they react. Kittens may try to play with the older cats and some older cats don't take this very well. If badly, keep them in separate rooms while unsupervised.

2. Does the cat respond to the name she was given? If so, keep it. Otherwise, it's probably all right to change it.

Answer 10

Kitty will be fine, but introduce slowly. Follow the intro program on :Wouldn't it be nice if all it took to introduce a new cat to your resident pet were a brief handshake and a couple of "HELLO, My Name Is...." nametags? Unfortunately, it's not quite that simple, which means you'll need to have some realistic expectations from the outset. What are realistic expectations? First, it's recognizing and accepting that your pets may never be best buddies but will usually come to at least tolerate each other. Second, it's understanding the need to move slowly during the introduction process to increase your chances for success.
Cats are territorial, and they need to be introduced to other animals very slowly so they can get used to each other before a face-to-face confrontation. Slow introductions help prevent fearful and aggressive problems from developing. Here are some guidelines to help make the introductions go smoothly:

Confinement

Confine your new cat to one medium-sized room with her litter box, food, water, and a bed. Feed your resident pets and the newcomer on each side of the door to this room, so that they associate something enjoyable (eating!) with each other's smells. Don't put the food so close to the door that the animals are too upset by each other's presence to eat. Gradually move the dishes closer to the door until your pets can eat calmly while standing directly on either side of the door.

The Old Switcheroo

Swap the sleeping blankets or beds used by the cats so they each have a chance to become accustomed to the other's scent. You can even rub a towel on one animal and put it underneath the food dish of another animal. If there are more than two animals in the house, do the same for each animal.

Once your new cat is using her litter box and eating regularly while confined, let her have free time in the house while confining your other animals to the new cat's room. This switch provides another way for the animals to experience each other's scents without a face-to-face meeting. It also allows the newcomer to become familiar with her new surroundings without being frightened by the other animals.

Next, after the animals have been returned to their original designated parts of the house, use two doorstops to prop open the dividing door just enough to allow the animals to see each other, and repeat the whole process over a period of days—supervised, of course.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Avoid any interactions between your pets that result in either fearful or aggressive behavior. If these responses are allowed to become a habit, they can be difficult to change. It's better to introduce your pets to each other so gradually that neither animal becomes afraid or aggressive. You can expect a mild protest from either cat from time to time, but don't allow these behaviors to intensify. If either animal becomes fearful or aggressive, separate them, and start the introduction process once again with a series of very small, gradual steps, as outlined above.

PLEASE NOTE: When you introduce pets to each other, one of them may send "play" signals which can be misinterpreted by the other pet as signs of aggression. If that's the case, always handle the situation as "aggression" and seek professional help from a veterinarian or animal behaviorist right away.

Precautionary Measures

If one of your pets has a medical problem or is injured, the introduction process might be stalled a bit. Check with your veterinarian to be sure all your pets are healthy. You'll also want to have at least one litter box per cat, and you'll probably need to clean all of the litter boxes more frequently. Make sure that none of the cats is being "ambushed" by another while trying to use the litter box, and be sure each cat has a safe hiding place.

Try to keep your resident pets' schedule close to what it was before the newcomer's arrival. Cats can make a lot of noise, pull each other's hair, and roll around quite dramatically without any injuries. If small spats do occur between your cats, you shouldn't attempt to intervene directly to separate the cats. Instead, make a loud noise, throw a pillow, or use a squirt bottle with water and vinegar to separate the cats. Give them a chance to calm down before re-introducing them to each other.

LITTER: if you scoop your boxes, try to put them in the garbage outside.... or dispose of them in a local dumpster, etc.
Otherwise, they sell litterl disposal units at the Petsmart, etc, that actually seal the litter clumps in a tightly sealed container... this works well. but, i am cheap, so I buy the 40 lb plastic litter containers: I fill the empty last one with clumps till full then dispose of it. Works great, and seals very tightly.... for free!
And, thank you for adopting an older cat. Laure

Answer 11

Hi.. i love cats & kittens. Kittens are more fun but in the long run a cat is best although a kitten you can see it grow up & have more controll over its behavior & get to know what it likes or hates. An adult would be better to rescue though personally as everybody goes for kittens as they are cute etc & the adults dont get a look in & then in the future people get fed up after the kitten has grown up & put them back into a shelter. Its your choice but think of the cat more than yourself.... What is better- a kitten you can play with & have more controll but it will be lonely while your at school etc or an adult cat whch is used to being alone for short times & more able to look after itself when you go out?? An adult cat will be better if you have to leave it alone for time where as a kitten is more dependant on you! Which ever you choose good luck & hope my advise helped. I have cats myself- 1 i had from akitten who has now had her own kittens which we are keeping so didnt breed for money & another whch we rehomed at 6months. both are good.