Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/6 year old male cat

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 7/20/2008


Question
I BROUGHT A 6WEEK OLD MALE KITTEN HOME AND MY 6 YEAR OLD CAT SEEMS TO BE VERY MAD WILL HE ADAPT TO THE KITTEN.

Answer
April,


You can't put a new kitten in with a resident cat and have them get along. You have to go through an introduction process slowly. You can't rush it or you will have behavior and personality problems that are going to be hard to correct.

I am attaching a couple of links on how to go about the introduction process correctly:
(copy and paste, or type the whole links into your address bar)

http://www.messybeast.com/first-impressions.htm

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=cattocatintro...

A 6 year old cat is set in his routine. Putting them together without doing the proper introduction process can traumatize the kitten and can affect his personality and behavior, and it may stress the older cat causing behavior problems like peeing inappropriately, or being aggressive towards the kitten and you.

Getting a single kitten as a companion for an older cat is not really a good idea. You have a 40 year old (in human years)  cat and you brought him a 5 year old (in human years) for a friend. Ideally you need to have 2 kittens when you have an older resident cat. The kittens can play with each other and burn off energy and not annoy the older cat by trying to play with him or cuddle with him. The kitten needs a friend to play with, cuddle with, and comfort him in this scary new world. Most older cats, especially males, do NOT like kittens. Probably because of their smell and energy level and this is not fair to the kitten, and it is very stressful and frightening to him.

It can take 2 to 4 weeks (or sometimes even months) for them to get along. Alot of times they will never be 'friends' and the best you can hope for is acceptance by the older cat. In fairness to the cats involved, if you don't have the time or desire to do it correctly it might be best to not have a new kitten right now. But with time, love, and patience, things should work out.

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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