Possible New Cat!!!

[Sevaede]

Well, I'm here to just welcome a possible new cat in our household. He's a black long hair, and he's been a stray for a while. Any name ideas if we keep him? So far we have Paul, Germain, and Thomas. We want to try and keep him, but my dad does not enjoy too many animals, and we already have 2 cats and 1 dog. Should we seperate the animals until the new cat goes to the vet? He looks healthy, and our ballet teacher(who showed us the cat) would have noticed something probably. Thanks for your advice everyone!

I would definitely seperate the new pet from the others until they get acclimated to each other, as well, and not just until he goes to the vet. We wouldn't want him to have to go back to the vet after meeting the other kitties!

[moosmom]

Cubby's Mom,

DEFINITELY keep him separated from your other cats till he's checked out by the vet. Also, you need to gradually introduce the new cat to the old residents. If you don't know how, see the link:

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...troducing+cats

Here is some more suggestions on gradually introducing your kitty.

1) keep it separate for a few days..
2) put an item of clothing, bedding or other that has the smell of your other kitties and then place a piece of material that the new kitties has around your regular ones. This give them a preview of who has just joined their home..

3) Feed the new kittie separately for a week or two to prevent aggression from the others.

4) Make sure you give your regular kitties more love and attention than usual and certainly more than the new one..

[catmandu]

How About Midnight Louie After The Famous Cat Sleuth Of Los Vegas.
Or Tubby 3?

[Cubby'sMom]

Thanks everyone! Were going to take him to the vet in a little while. We've kept the cats seperated so far by keeping one cat on either side of the house. I'm gonna use all of these suggestions lol I really want to keep this cat. Yeah, I've been giving Cubby alot of attention, and I slept downstairs with him because the new cat was upstairs with my sis. Catmandu those are some nice names I'll tell them to my family! Any more names? Thanks again everyone!

[Cubby'sMom]

Well, I'm not so sure if we'll be able to keep the new cat, who we named Henry by the way. Cubby and him met, and it didn't go so well. Cubby, was fine, just a little shocked at having another cat in the house. Henry on the other hand was freaking out. He was growling and hissing and swiped at Cubby(the cats were being held by my mom and I, so no injuries on the cats' part). After that my mom scolded Henry. Then the cats met on accident again and my mom took him to the sink and put water on his neck. We have no spray bottle yet, so that will have to do. We all really want to keep Henry, but if he acts this way toward Cubby, we will be forced to give him back. Any suggestions on what to do now?

[Catty1]

I think you introduced them too soon.

When I brought Cole home, he had his own box and everything in the bathroom, and I kept the door closed. You can use a cut-down cardboard box as a temporary litter box. Use the bathroom, or a separate room.

Let the kitties get used to sniffing each other under the door, and maybe playing "pawsies".

Remember, this is new for both kitties.

Just a thought...instead of putting water on the cat's neck, how about just putting water in your hand and flicking it at the cat? I think by the time you get the cat to the sink, they've lost the connection as to why they are there.

Keep them separate for several days yet, and bar all 'accidental' meetings. And when they do meet in person, let them loose but supervise them. When they were held, they probably felt trapped as if they couldn't get away from the other cat. They have to sniff and swat things out on their own.

Sorry to be so long about this...

Catty1

[krazyaboutkatz]

You need to introduce them slowly. Some cats take more time to accept other cats. I would also only let them briefly meet while they're being supervised and when no one is home they should be kept apart. I've also heard that you can dab the same scent on them like vanilla so that they'll smell the same and this may also help them accept each other more easily. Good luck.

[moosmom]

Cubby's Mom,

You need to do a little homework on reintroducing cats, or you need to read the posts in this thread.

You went about introducing Henry and Cubby all wrong. If you want them to get along, listen to the advice you're given. I'd hate to see another cat wind up at a kill shelter simply because their owners didn't do their research. I'm sorry I'm being a little harsh, but I get SO tired of people not listening.

Put Henry in a room by himself with his food and water and litterbox. Take a towel and rub Henry down. Take another towl and rub Cubby down. Allow the cats to smell each other's towels. After a COUPLE OF WEEKS (not hours), stack baby gates in the doorway of the room where Henry is. This will give them a chance to get acquainted and be protected at the same time. After ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS, allow Henry out of the room to explore, standing by with a squirt bottle filled with water.

Hissing and growling is normal behavior. Unless there is SERIOUS fur flying or bloodshed, let them be, just supervising them. Do not allow Henry to roam free unless you are home. (at least for a while). You'll also need to add a litterbox (one per cat, that's the rule). This way there won't be any potty issues.

Please follow these instructions. Remember, introductions don't happen overnight. It takes alot of patience and love.