Expert: Ali - 12/10/2008

Question
QUESTION: I've always had cats since i was little...grew up with 4 in the house. when i got older and moved out my mom kept 2 and i kept 2. almost as soon as i moved i got 2 dogs, and all the animals adjusted just fine on their own. i lost my older cat cuddles died about 2 or 3 years ago now, so my other cat prissy(miss priss)who is now 17 almost 18 is living the pampered life. Now just over a week ago i found out that the stray that had been hanging around had 4 kittens under our home. by the time we realized they were there they were about 6 weeks old, just ready we figured so we took them in. now they are all dewormed and treated for mites and everything so we have been working on getting them socialized with our little fur family, but miss priss hasn't been very friendly even though she was raised with cats and always had them around...she even got out once about 6 or 7 years ago and was gone for like two months, so needless to say she was pretty wild when she returned, she put all the other cats back in there place and then life went on like she was never gone...she really is so friendly, but with these kittens i am nervous, so we started slow, by first having them in their own room then we moved them out to the living area where we would keep them crated in a dog kennel and everyso often through the day we would put our old cat in our bedroom, which she doesn't mind,...and let the kitties run free to get their scent everywhere then we would bring out the old cat, let her do her sniffing, but it was like she was on the prowl, eyes wide open everytime, and hiss at them through the kennel door. one even got loose a couple days ago and ran in a corner and instantly she was on her hissing and growling, so we have been pretty cautious since then. she never swiped but she is not a small cat so we want to be careful, even clipped her claws nice and short so there would be no accidents. but as of right now i am kind of at a sand still...i dont want to have to alternate the cats from room to room all the time, but i dont know what my next step should be. Prissy is such a loving cat with us and even the dogs, i am just worried that she has become possessive of us and would hurt the kittens, them being so small....any advice would be greatly appreciated. i also have a small concern, i know she is 17, but everytime she hisses she coughs...do you know if that is something to worry about or common giving her age. i plan to take her to the vet but he only comes around every 2 or 3 weeks ....i live in a really small somewhat isolated area so i was just wondering giving your experience if you think it would be good to make the long drive with her or wait till the vet comes back...thank you, i really look forward to hearing your view on my situation. if there is anything else you need to know about her behavior, or anything else please dont hesitate to ask...thx again...

ANSWER: Robyn,

Improperly done introductions with new cats and kittens can cause aggressive behaviors and issues like house soiling. I would suggest that you read up on my previous answers regarding new cat/kitten introductions as these answers will help to provide you with basic information when it comes to properly introducing these kittens to your elderly resident cat. If after reading my previous answers on this subject you would like me to clarify one or more points I would be happy to do so. As for your kitty's cough this is something that should be addressed by a vet as soon as possible. Your kitty is roughly 84 going on to 88 years old in human terms so small health concerns can turn serious quite quickly.

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QUESTION: well i have read the basics on indroductions, but i was still curious as to weither or not the methods i am using seems like they will work. they had their quarantine period and now i have them crated in the main living area and i still separate the older cat from them when i let them roam. she seems ok when the kittens are in the crate, she even seems to not be bothered by their sounds and playing and she will sniff them as she walks by letting out an occassional hiss and moving along, but when they are out and she is aware of it, she looks for them and when she spots one and gets too close she lets out a big hiss and her eyes get huge. i dunno, just curious i guess if we are doing something wrong or there may be another approach we could try a this point, and is kenneling them in a common area a good idea so she can see them when she feels curious, or is the face to face contact through the door maybe to much stress on my older kitty. also, as for the feeding on either side of the door, is that crucial in the introduction, cause my older kitty has her place on the table by a window where she eats and i dont want her to feel like she is being demoted by eating on the floor, what else could i try?

Answer
Robyn,

I'm not sure that getting kittens was the best option based on the age of your resident cat and the fact that her habits and routines are somewhat set. Crating the kittens isn't the right solution in this case, if your older kitty isn't willing to accept the kittens you may have to consider rehoming the little ones to avoid stress and unnecessary anxiety all around. If you have had a 2-3 week isolation period with the kitten in behind a closed door then you should be able to allow the kitten out provided that your home is kitten proofed. There may be some initial grumbling as hierarchy is determined, but it shouldn't be anything serious. You could also try a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy with your older cat. The remedy is a blend of flower essences designed to calm and reassure and it is very safe. This remedy is used by vets and pet parents worldwide to treat anxiety, aggression and fear based issues. I would recommend a dose of around 5-7 drops of Rescue Remedy in a fresh bowl of water each morning, you don't have to worry about whether the kittens get any or not because it won't hurt them. You can usually find Rescue Remedy in natural health stores, naturopathic pharmacies and in some mainstream pharmacies in the section with vitamins and supplements.