I finally got my new kitten, about 1 1/2 months old … very tiny. I thought my 8 month old would get along fine with him since she’s very passive and mild-tempered, but when they first met she started hissing … I’ve never heard her hiss before. I’ve had to lock her up in my study … she also keeps going after the new kitten’s food. Also, the new kitten hasn’t eaten or drinken or gone to the bathroom all day. The owner I got him from says he knows how to use the litter box and I’ve shown him where it is several times … but nothing. He’s just so so tiny, I’m afraid of him not eating, drinking, or going to the bathroom. When should I start getting worried?
Congratulations, LittleBuddhaTW! I was wondering how you were making out with your search for a new addition to your family. There are a lot of websites that talk about introducing a new kitten to an older cat.
The key is to shower more attention to your older one. Give the younger one attention, but at this age he just wants to walk around and wander. He doesn’t know what “attention” is like your older one does.
Here is just one website I found by typing “introducing kitten to older cat” in goodle:
moggies.co.uk/html/introduction.html
[Edit: added later]
Bathroom: You might want to use your finger to rub the little guy’s belly and bum to get him to go to the bathroom, though you say he’s toilet trained, he could just be too scared to go. Or put him in the litter box until he goes. If he comes out, put him back in.
Eating: You are feeding him wet food, right? Is the food you’re feeding him the same food he was eating before you took him? If he doesn’t eat, you can buy canned milk food, just add water. Maybe he would prefer to drink instead of chew.
He could be scared, that’s why he doesn’t want to eat. Try separating your cats for a few hours so he can eat. If he gets hungry, he’ll eat. When you’re not home, separate them. When you have time to supervise, then let them run around together.
The young one doesn’t know what enemy is, so he will always want to go near the older one. But the older one will hate that, so always watch them together. Just make sure the young one is safe from the older one’s attacks!
Thanks, 914. I’m more worried about the new one not eating or drinking anything, though. He hasn’t touch his food, water, or gone to the bathroom all day.
Your older cat is just being territorial. She was there first and she is going to let your new kitten know it. It will take a bit of time, but she’ll come around. Though expect her to snap and hiss from time to time in the future at her still when she is out patroling. Other then that, they’ll clean each other, sleep and curdle next to one another and play. The territorial instinct is something cats never loose. Give them both equil amounts of affection though, things will be fine.
Your kitten will go eat and go to the bathroom once she feels secure. She just has to feel the new environment out. That is something that may take minutes or a few days. It all depends on the feline. Your eight month cat won’t stop eating her food though. She is still a kitten in some ways and food presented will always be her food to her first. The youngest will eat along with the older once she allows it, but untill then, she will wait and eat after. A good trick is to put a small amount in another dish when you open a new can and serve it the older cat. That way she will leave the kittens food alone.
Good luck and have fun with the little ones!