The older cat is about 3 yrs and she hasn't drawn blood, but I am concerned that she will harm the kitties one day. She lunges at them or will bite at them. The kities don't seem to mind as they have no problem walking by her or even trying to play with her. The kitties also eat out of the older cat's bowl and she doesn't seem to try to stop them when they are doing so. How can I make sure that the older cat won't hurt the kitties? The kitties are about 7 weeks.
2007-08-13 06:58:13 · 7 answers · asked by thisjustforyou 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
I remember when I brought a stray in one time and my current cat of 9 years did not like this one bit. She hissed and would sometimes swat her paw at the stray. All you have to do is just scold the cat and sometimes give a swat. But do not interfere too much because it is only natural, especially for cats since they are territorial animals. Give it a couple weeks and your cat should lighten up a bit and soon your cat will accept it. Just scold, give a light swat on the behind and tell the cat no or stop and after a while the cat will get used to it. Mine did and they were soon inseparable. And was neat too because since the stray was a small kitty my big cat would always circle around her when sleeping keeping her close. Just need to sometimes show punishment to show the cat it is not ok to do that and eventually your cat will get use to it and accept it. Cats are very egotistical animals; they think they own everything especially if they live in the house and when newbies come in they see they are not the only one in the world. Cute little furballs!
2007-08-13 07:11:14 · answer #1 · answered by Fallen 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Slowly" and "Patiently" are the operative words! Although sometimes cats will get along swimmingly in just a couple of hours, you should not be surprised to have a battle on your hands if you try to introduce your new cat too quickly. The time you spend on this all-important process will be saved exponentially by not having to break up conflicts every day. Also, the first couple of weeks can set the tone for the relationship for a long time to come, so "getting it right" the first time will save a lot of hassles later on. The Steps to Take Set up a comfortable "safe room" for New Cat. Put her food, water, litter box (not near the food), scratching post, toys, and bed or other sleeping mat there. Expect a great deal of "hissy-spitty" behavior through the closed door from both cats. This is natural and normal; they are just starting to explore their "pecking order." Scent is very important for cats. Let each of them smell the other indirectly, by rubbing a towel on one and letting the other smell it. They will soon accept the scent as a normal part of the house. Once or twice, switch roles. Put New Cat in the normal living quarters, and let your resident cat sniff out the new cat's Safe Room. After a day or so, let the two cats sniff each other through a baby-gate or through a barely-opened door. Gauge the rate at which they seem to be acclimating to each other. When you think they're ready, let them mingle under your supervision. Ignore hissing and growling, but you may have to intervene if a physical battle breaks out. Again, take this step slowly, depending on how quickly they get along. If they do seem to tolerate each other, even begrudgingly, praise both of them profusely. Make their first activities together enjoyable ones so they will learn to associate pleasure with the presence of the other cat. Feeding (with their own separate dishes), playing, and petting. Keep up with the praise. If things start going badly, separate them again, and then start where you left off. If one cat seems to consistently be the aggressor, give her some "time out," then try again a little bit later. The introduction can take from two hours to six months, so don't be discouraged if your cats don't seem to get along well at first. Often the case is that they will eventually be "best buddies." :) Granny<3
2016-05-21 07:41:21 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had the same problem when I introduced my older male cat to an 11 week old male kitten. She's most likely biting them to assert her dominance and she most likely will not hurt them. Since the kittens are little, don't let them roam the house on their own. Only while you're there supervising should they be let out. After a while they should be fine. My male cat is actually taking care of the kitten. I would also move the kittens food away from the older cats food even though she doesn't mind it, you should still keep it seperate. When your older cat is ready and thinks her dominance has been asserted, she will probably start taking care of them by cleaning them.
2007-08-13 07:46:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
we had the same problem. when the old cat is by the kittens they fight and bite each other we just brake them up all the time and soon the other cat will tolerate the kittens and after a while they will be kitty friends
2007-08-13 07:07:06 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Keep them apart while you are not there. Don't worry too much, it sounds liek the situation between my cat and the new kitten. Things were getting quite rough at first, but now they are best friends. Supervise them while the new kittens are still so small, in order to intervene if things get too rough. In 3-4 weeks they will be inseparable. Playing rough now is part of the game, she needs to establish her hierarchy. Just don't leave them alone together while they are so small.
2007-08-13 07:06:34 · answer #5 · answered by cpinatsi 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Get a water bottle, not one that had anything in it like Windex. Fill it up with water, put the nozzle on stream. When the cats start fighting, spray all of them, preferably in the faces. Cats hate water in their face and will break the fight up right away. Don't put lemon juice in the water, as it can sting and burn their eyes.
Don't try to break up any fights with your hands, not a good thing to do as you could get scratched or bitten. The water method is very good and works like a charm.
When you are gone from the house. Keep the kittens and the older cat separated, in separate rooms. It will be better and safer for all of the cats.
I hope this advice helps!
2007-08-13 07:30:14 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
my vet told me when I had one of my cats in the hospital for a long time, that to reintroduce my kitty back into the household of two other younger kitties to put a drop of scented perfume on my finger and tap it on all kitties heads, I did and they all got along from that point
2007-08-13 08:47:55 · answer #7 · answered by katie d 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋