LoveToKnow Cats:Custom Cat Fighting and Rivalry

I understand your concern. You never know how a cat is going to react to a new addition in the home. We have had three female cats at one point (one passed on two years ago due to old age). They all got along well together. However, I have also had females fight with one another and with other males.

What I would look at more than the sex of the kitten is the personality. For example, if your current cat is very docile, then you wouldn't want an overly aggressive kitten that will bully her. Or, if she is aggressive, you'll likely want a docile kitten that won't provoke.

Even if your cat is good with humans, sometimes they react differently to a new pet in the home and you can expect an adjustment period no matter the personalities.

When you bring the new kitten home, isolate him or her into a separate room for at least a week. Preferably, this would be a room where the litter will be located in future, so kitty can grow used to where this spot will be. Also, make sure you have a separate litter box and food and water bowls for each cat.

After a week, put the kitten into a small crate and take him/her into the main part of the house where you spend most of your time. Leave the kitten inside the cage for one hour. During this time allow your older cat to sniff the cage and so on.

After an hour, open the cage door and allow the kitten to come out at will. At the first sign of aggression from either the kitten or the adult cat, place the kitten immediately back into the crate. Leave her there for another hour and attempt this again. Try no more than three times in a single day. If, at the end of the day, the cats have not tolerated one another, then return the kitten to the isolated room.

Be patient. It can sometimes take a couple of weeks for the cats to grow used to one another. Also, never leave a kitten unsupervised with an adult cat, even if it seems they are getting along. The only exception would be if the cat were the kitten's mother, of course.

Hope this helps. Good luck with the new addition to your family. - posted by:LoriSoard

The good news is that at least one of the cats tolerates the newcomer. There are several things you can try to get the male to accept the kitten. While they may never be best friends, they can at least learn to tolerate one another.

Here are the steps I'd take:

1. Isolate the kitten in his own area for minimum of one week. This should ideally be the place where you keep his litter box. People can go in to play with kitten, but kitten doesn't come out for one week. This is a necessary step to get the other cat used to the new smells of the kitten.
2. Make sure you have a separate litter box and food and water bowls for each cat to avoid territorial disputes as much as possible.
3. After one week, place the kitten into a crate and bring him into the main living quarters of the house where you spend the majority of your time. Leave him in that room inside his cage for an hour. Let the other cats sniff the cage, hiss, whatever they need to do.
4. After an hour, open the door and let the kitten come out on his own. Watch him and the other cats carefully. Any aggression on either side and he goes right back into the cage for another hour.
5. Repeat this up to three times each day. If the other cats still try to fight with him after three times, take him back to the contained room and try again the next day.

It is a long process, but worth it. Be patient. It can sometimes take two weeks for a cat to accept a newcomer. Good luck! - posted by:LoriSoard

I'm assuming that the Blue Cross is an animal shelter of some sort? Likely, their fear is for the kitten. Because it will be so much smaller than your other cats, they could potentially injure a kitten were they to fight (even play fighting) with it.

However, that does not mean you can't have a kitten. You just have to take some precautions to protect him or her. I've successfully added kittens into a household with full-grown cats many times. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Introduce the new kitten gradually. It is best to have a separate, contained area for the kitten. This is for the kitten's safety, so the kitten can learn where the litter box is kept and for the protection of your home. We have some great articles on this site about introducing a new cat to your present cats.

• Never leave the kitten unsupervised with your older cats. A kitten won't be a kitten forever, so this is an important precaution that only lasts until the kitten is a grown cat.

• Observe the cats and kitten closely when you are at home and leave them out together. Even if the older cats have been behaving perfect, still be cautious until the kitten is grown.

• Kitten-proof your house. You're used to adult cats. Kittens are crazy, but in a good way. They sometimes chew cords, climb curtains and find places to hide.

Good luck. I think that you can mesh the kitten and your grown cats as long as you use patience and diligence. - posted by:LoriSoard

It sounds like you have a territorial cat on your hands. Your best bet is to isolate the cats from one another for about a week. I would put the new cat into a contained area with her litter box. This will also teach the new cat where the box is located. This is especially important with a feral cat. It will give the older cat time to get used to the new cat's scent.

Then, when you are ready to introduce them, place the feral inside a crate and bring it into the main part of your house where you spend the most time. Leave her inside the crate for about an hour. Let the other cat sniff around the cage, hiss or whatever she needs to do.

After an hour, open the door and allow the feral to come out when she feels comfortable. If the cats begin to fight, return the feral to the cage immediately and leave her there for another hour and repeat process.

Try no more than three times in a day, and then return the new cat to the contained room. You may need to be very patient. It could take up to two weeks of doing this process daily before the cats begin to co-exist.

They may never be best friends, but your goal is to get them to tolerate one another. - posted by:LoriSoard

You have a couple of options. First, you can try keeping the cats separated until the kittens are found homes. This will likely mean containing the pregnant cat, which is a good idea anyway as she may look for a hiding place to have her kittens.

The other solution is to find a no kill shelter and take her there. If you take her to a shelter that only allows a certain amount of time before euthanizing, then you risk her and/or the kittens being put down. If you ask at the local pet supply stores, you will likely find the information for no kill shelters in your area. - posted by:LoriSoard

I can understand your concern. This is not a good situation at all and your female cat is likely to start having accidents if she is not able to go to the litter box in peace.

There are a few steps I would take:

1. Get separate litter boxes, and food and water bowls for each cat. Place these in separate areas to avoid territorial issues.
2. Contain the male cat for a minimum of one week. Ideally this would be where you plan to have his litter box located permanently, such as a bathroom or laundry room. He is the one that should be contained, since he is being so territorial. This will allow him to get used to the other cat's scent and learn that she belongs in your home.
3. After one week, place him in a cage and bring him into the main part of your household. Leave him inside the cage for one hour and then open the door.
4. If the cats begin to fight (no matter which cat starts the fight), place him immediately back into the cage for another hour and repeat.
5. Do this no more than 3 times in one sitting.
6. If they do not tolerate one another, then back he goes into his contained room until the next day, when you will repeat this process with the cage again.

Be patient. It can take several weeks for the cats to adjust. Some cats are more territorial than others. They may never be best friends, but you should be able to teach them to tolerate each other. Please don't feel you are being mean to the male cat, either. You are doing this to bring peace to your household. This is best for both cats, because it will prevent injury. You can certainly go into his contained space and give him as much attention as you wish. He isn't being punished, just taught.

Also, if he does not attack the female, praise him. Cats respond very well to praise. Good luck! - posted by:LoriSoard

Cats often play with one another in a way that can seem aggressive to us. You may even hear them growling or yowling. Unless the cats are harming one another, or the behavior is constant, I wouldn't worry too much about this.

We have two females, not from the same litter, that pounce on one another from time to time. They have never harmed one another.

However, if the cats are harming one another, you can try separating them the instant the fight starts. Just place them in separate areas in a sort of "time out". This will allow tempers to calm. Cats experience some of the same emotions humans do, so modifying their behavior can be similar to modifying a child's behavior. - posted by:LoriSoard

Poor Laney. It sounds like she has really been through a turmoil in that other household. I'm so glad she now has a loving home with owners her care about her physical and emotional well being.

A couple of things. First, it sounds like she has been taught that she has to fight for the food. You may not ever be able to break her of this behavior. It might be best to feed her the canned food in a separate area in the mornings for both her sake and Shyla's.

I am concerned about the amount urine she is producing and her extreme thirst. This can be a sign of several health problems, including diabetes and renal failure.

I would advise that you take Laney to the vet and have him test her for these problems. He will likely run some blood tests to make a determination, but you might also want to take in a fecal sample. Call beforehand to find out what samples the vet might like to have available for testing.

Hope she is okay and that she feels more secure once she is eating in her own safe area. - posted by:LoriSoard