Thread: How to integrate a second kitten

Thanks everyone for your advice. Thought I'd give you a bit of an update...

So, since her arrival, Wicca has adopted the dining room as her base of operations; it took a bit of coaxing but she's sussed where food and litter trays are and happily uses both as when necessary. This morning I'm working from home and she's venturing out into the larger part of the house, with regular brief visits to the study where I'm based. She's incredibly playful and super affectionate - not sure she's up to Candes's Loverboy levels but she's certainly more demonstrable than Freyja was when we first brought her home.

Freyja, locked herself in the top floor of the house - two floors away from food and litter tray, and a floor away from water. Saturday night I brought a tray up to our bedroom and some kibble as it was clear Freyja wasn't going to leave the bedroom and as she HATES to be shut out of our lives I had no intention of locking her out of our room by putting Wicca in with us. Sunday morning, tray and food went back down to the kitchen (the kitchen is next to the dining room, so food and toilet facilities are on the same floor as the room Wicca has adopted). Since Sunday morning, Freyja - to my knowledge - hasn't eaten anything. She may have used her litter tray since it's been back in the kitchen, but I'm not sure about timing.

I expected this hissing, growling and anti-social behaviour, but I didn't expect Freyja to isolate herself in part of the house. So today, we've shut the doors to the top floor rooms to force her to mooch about in other parts of the house. We're not forcing the two cats together, just cutting off the places Freyja can hide to avoid Wicca.

With all the hissing and growling, Freyja hasn't given us the impression that she'll attack Wicca, but she's tried to box me several times when I've decided to fuss her regardless of the growling - not sure how best to manage her when she's in that mood, but I wanted to show her that nothing would make me love her less, even growling and hissing at me. I realise I maybe crediting my puss with far more emotional intelligence than a feline deserves though! Whilst Wicca's been invading the study today, I've noticed that Freyja's hissing and growling has reduced considerably (at least at Wicca; I'm still getting it in the neck though) so I think that must be a good sign. And Freyja's not angry 24/7, either.

So I'm not worried that Wicca's going to be beaten up, and I'm much less worried about the abuse directed at me, especially after reading some of your experiences, as I suspect that this will pass. What bothers me at the moment is Freyja locking herself away and not eating, so I've brought some food into the study today just to make sure she's put something away, but I figure if I keep doing that it'll make it easier for her to avoid the bottom floor. And I'd like to let her out in the garden as she loves it out there and sees it as a treat, but I'm worried that she'll get the wrong message (i.e. that she's not wanted) or that she'll try and leg it over the fence.

And the smell of damp is still here, with no loss adjuster arriving until Wednesday now. Fortunately, the study ceiling hasn't bowed any further, so I'm optimistic that it won't collapse! Whilst squashing both my cats under a fallen ceiling might resolve one of my immediate issues, it's not got much longevity!

Fortunately, the study ceiling hasn't bowed any further, so I'm optimistic that it won't collapse! Whilst squashing both my cats under a fallen ceiling might resolve one of my immediate issues, it's not got much longevity![/QUOTE]

Oh Karen that bit made me smile,I do feel so sorry for you but to still have a sense of humour must help.
You might find that Freyja is blaming you on two accounts,not only have you brought a new funny four legged furry thing in but you have also spoilt her house,she is most probaly feeling insecure about her surroundings as well,the smell she associates with home has gone & the replacement odour leaves a bit to be desired.I am sure the other will work out though,when our two ganged up on the two new babies Bruce was really awful to them & us,Merl would hiss & walk past but Bruce snarled & hissed like a wild cat & if I spoke he would hiss at me & walk away,he didn't go off his food but gave up coming for cuddles,I really did begin to wonder if we had done the right thing,he eased out with me though by being allowed to come to bed with me on his own for a special half hour at night,no one else allowed in,I just sat on the bed & done crosswords & eventually he came & laid down near me & then he laid across my legs & from there he got better with me,I always kept just talking to him during the day but didn't go in for cuddles & it was nearly a couple of weeks before we got back onto the same footing as before,did take a bit longer to give up on babes but now he is fine,he came down to bed a couple of mornings ago & Shims gave him a head & ear wash,now Bruce waits for Shims & goes & puts his head under him to have his daily clean,it will happen.....

Really good advice from Jackie again. Yes the damp smell in your house can't be helping much either, it's easy to forget how much animals can be affected by smell. It's early days yet with your new babe, so I'm sure things will improve. Good luck Karen! xxx

Originally Posted by jckkerrison

the smell she associates with home has gone & the replacement odour leaves a bit to be desired.

Right on... I wouldn't be surprised at all if the strange smell also has an impact.

Freyja’s hiding away must be very unsettling for you.
A cat whose territory is being invaded can feel upset and threatened. But the newbie is far too busy checking out her new home to be bothered by any hostile behaviour. They often act as if they don’t even notice the other one’s hissing and growling!
I get the impression that Freyja, for all her playfulness and sweet antics, is in fact a far more timid kitty than she seems to be. You said yourself she wasn’t all that affectionate at first. Possibly Freyja is the insecure one whilst Wicca is the confident one – different personalities, just like people.
But if Wicca really is the outgoing and affectionate type, she’ll be looking for a playmate soon. And then she could very well start making advances toward Freyja and try to win her confidence.
I think you’re doing well by giving Freyja lots of attention in the meantime. Also some extra-special food, treats, or a new toy might help her feel better.
Hang on in there and keep us posted!

Originally Posted by Antonia

I get the impression that Freyja, for all her playfulness and sweet antics, is in fact a far more timid kitty than she seems to be. You said yourself she wasn’t all that affectionate at first. Possibly Freyja is the insecure one whilst Wicca is the confident one – different personalities, just like people.

Thanks Antonia, and yes, I've started to come to the same conclusion today - at one point Wicca ventured into the study, squeaking away to let us all know she was on her way, and Freyja hopped up onto my desk and hid behind my laptop screen, hissing and growling over the top of it - she'd literally taken the high ground, but still hid to threaten Wicca, and I wondered then if Freyja's more insecure than I initially gave her credit for - guess she'd got quite confident when it was just me, her and OH.

And Jackie, Antonia and Howlinbob - that's a really good thought about the damp smell; it didn't occur to me that Freyja might be affected by that too; she seemed to treat the whole flood as an adventure as she had several new faces to flirt with before we got back, and I just didn't give it a second thought.

My breeder's suggested locking them both in a room with Feliway and leaving them to it - I'm not sure I'm quite brave enough for that yet but it might be worth a thought by the end of the week. Where can I buy cat-shaped boxing gloves??

I think I might have had a break through tonight - I blackmailed Freyja into entering the kitchen for food, putting the food high up so that Wicca couldn't nick it (man, that kitten's got an appetite and she has absolutely NO manners either - the only thing she didn't do after stuffing her face was belch and wipe a paw across her gob, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time...) and whilst I had to stroke her and talk to her, she did actually eat. I made a point of feeding her first, and she curled up on the breakfast bar for a bit, so I got out a teaser and we had some larks in the kitchen. Then I decided to get Wicca's food out and Freyja started jumping up the kitchen worktop for some of that, so I put the bowl down on the floor and she tucked in merrily, then wandered around re-sniffing the kitchen. She even warily wandered into the dining room but left again without incident. She's hissed and growled at Wicca since as I brought the poor little mite up from the dining room to join civilised society in the lounge, and after a quick explore round the room Wicca decided to head back to the dining room again.

Can't tell you what a source of relief it is coming on this forum and realising that this is - sadly - perfectly normal. Did all of you stress out about it or am I just being incredibly soft?? In any case, thank you, I'm grateful for the advice and patience!

Originally Posted by FreyjaRoMaine

I made a point of feeding her first

Funny you mention that... when handing out treats, we always make sure to give Tatja the first treat, then Monty, and the last one is for Minnie. Perhaps it's just symbolical because Tatja has had to tolerate two invaders and we want her to feel she'll always be our First Lady. But I suspect in reality the cats have a very different pecking order where Minnie is Top Cat and poor old Monty is Bottom Cat.

With all due respect, I am not keen on the suggestion from the breeder. It would make Freyja feel even more insecure and abandoned if you locked her somewhere she can't run to you for comfort.

And yes, we were stressed out as well when introducing the newcomers... I even had a very long talk about my fears with Minnie's breeder before taking Minnie.

But I understand there's already developments with Freyja and Wicca. That is interesting. Don't expect the hissing/growling to stop suddenly... it's a gradual process.

Originally Posted by FreyjaRoMaine

Did all of you stress out about it or am I just being incredibly soft??

Stress out?? Oh, boy, did I ever!! It had been something like 10 years since the last kitten introduction and Alice was such a wee thing compared to Hobbes. He was growling and hissing like a cat possessed and I was convinced that they would NEVER get on. True to form, after a couple of days Alice was Hobbes' BFF.

Then I remembered the problem I had when I lived in a flat in London and introduced a new male Burmese kitten to our older Burmese lad. I really DID think we'd have to re-home the kitten - it was open warfare until we realised that perhaps they actually needed a litter tray EACH (Sim'lar the kitten used to prevent Oosa from using the shared tray - putting the second tray in was a real lightbulb moment). It took several weeks for them to shake down together - our fault in a way for not knowing how to integrate Sim'lar and of course there was no internet back then to consult. In the finish, they became close buddies and Sim'lar mourned dreadfully when Oosa died.

So, honey, no.......you aren't being incredibly soft - despite the fact that I "knew" Hobbes and Paddy would settle down together, I still worried for the first few days.

Oh, and as for Wicca's table manners.........Paddy is exactly the same (and a dreadful thief to boot - we dare not leave any food of ANY kind out or the Brown Cat Burglar will have it away).

Hugs, Pam

I know a couple of you have posted support and concern in another thread and I just want to say thanks again to everyone. Not been an easy week - between having a difficult time at work, a house that feels grimy because I can see the water damage, and the kittens not getting on it's been interesting. I know there are two schools of thought about integrating an additional cat so I had to choose between 'letting them get on with it' or putting Wicca in a separate room for a few days. I opted for the first option as it was also was a couple of friends and my breeder recommended.

So, here we are a week and one day later and I am happy to report that hostilities have calmed considerable. Don't get me wrong, we're not at the stage where we could call the girls 'friends' but the hissing and growling has ALMOST stopped; occasionally Freyja will hiss at Wicca but it's become more of a rarity, and there's next to no growling. Freyja is spending less time stalking Wicca, and now seems genuinely more curious about her than threatened by her.

I'm now not so sure that Freyja was ever deliberately trying to stop Wicca getting to food bowls or litter tray - I didn't see it myself and as OH has been quite dejected about the whole week and needs to be reminded sometimes that the hissing has gradually reduced, I'm not sure that he didn't read more into it.

We're not yet at the point where they'll play together, although Wicca tries to play with Freyja. Freyja tends to treat her with contempt most of the time and doesn't respond or react, which is another positive sign I think.

Now when Freyja chases Wicca around the house, there is no hissing, growling or extended claws, and Wicca will often chase her right back - again, aside from thudding fluffy shovels on the stairs, there's no noise to speak of. Although we have heard the MC chirp when they've been chasing each other which I think must also be a good sign.

And instead of creeping up close to grown and hiss, Freyja tends to creep up close to have a good sniff. When Wicca reciprocates, Freyja seems to let her.

Last night we went out for a few hours and because the aggression seems to have passed decided to let them get on with it - hence the reason we only went out for two hours though! And it was a relief when we got home to a) find Wicca intact; b) that they seemed to have existed in the same room without a fight and c) that Freyja did what she normally does when she's been on her own for an hour or more and trotted down to the kitchen to greet us.

We've had two major breakthroughs this morning when we first saw Freyja lounging about on our bed and Wicca hauled herself up to join her - they were both lolling about in quite relaxed poses and were only about 4 inches from each other. Wicca decided she wanted to play with Freyja, who wasn't in the mood, and just shifted her face a couple of inches further round rather than jumping down off the bed and out of the room. And right now, they are both sharing the Tigga Tower, albeit on separate levels. Not something I thought we'd ever see a week ago.

Litter trays and food bowls are now all back in the kitchen, although being kept separate for the time being - we'll see how things go before we decide whether to move things together.

I can't describe the cats as friends, but it now seems likely that they will at least get on, so watch this space... who knows what will happen in anther week. Freyja's not her old self yet but we've seen glimpses of her over the last couple of days. No real idea what's changed to make her more relaxed with Wicca - could be double-dose Feliway, could be Zylkene, could be time, or all three!

How nice to see an update from you!
I already suspected you needed to take some time out, for all the reasons you mentioned.

And what progress the girls have made! The way you describe it, it reminds me very much of how Tatja got used to Minnie… with Tatja's hissing and walking away gradually subsiding until it became more like ‘going through the motions’ than real hostility.

Wicca tries to play with Freyja...
Reminds me of the way little Minnie kept trying to coax Tatja into playing and cuddling… and eventually succeeded.

Thanks for the update. This is all very good news. I think by this time next week you will have two happy girls who enjoy each other’s company!