I need new kitty help!

[WillParkinson]

As some of you are aware we adopted a kitten. Well, there is a long story involved but we didn't get the kitten that we originally wanted and, instead, got his brother.

The kitty is 4 months old and VERY affectionate. Almost a little too much. Seems that he has adopted Misty (our dog) as his surrogate mom and has tried to suckle from her. Misty ain't having none of that, though. That isn't the main problem, though...

I thought that Cat (our oldest) would be the one to have the problem with the new addition. To a point Cat is actually behaving very tolerant as long as new kitty respects the personal space issue.

Our problem is with Star. Star is always very loving and affectionate but right now she seems deathly afraid of the kitten. We brought Cider into the house on Saturday night and Star hid under the couch and wouldn't come out.

Sunday we took the kitten to meet my mom and just before we left we found a pile of poop near the door. I can't swear that it was from Star but I'm fairly sure it was.

Is this normal? Should Star be behaving this way? Will she eventually get used to the kitten and go back to her litter box trained ways?

Suggestions? Thoughts? Help!

[bamademo]

1. Yes...

There's always some initial jealousy and fear. Try putting them together in a room with some cat toys and playing with them both. Also, give Star some catnip.

[MissMillie]

2. Recently had the same trouble

Though it was the kitten (Cosmo) who was leaving the poop around.

It turned out that one of the older cats (Siouxsie) was keeping Cosmo from getting to the litterbox.

Solution: a second litterbox in an entirely different location. That way if Siouxsie was guarding one box, Cosmo could still get to the other.

[Catfish]

4. Good suggestion

When introducing a new cat or kitten, I've found that a separate litterbox is helpful. Sometimes even another food bowl and water in a "safe" place is good. This allows the newcomer or the scared cat to be able to not have to share at first. Good luck!

[Philostopher]

3. Well, here's the 'tried and true' protocol for it:

http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/catintro.htm

I didn't read the whole article just now, but I have heard that some folks have had good luck even if the cat already has been introduced, as long as you don't let things get too out of hand.

The first 'new cat' we brought in, Doodle, I knew nothing about introduction protocols -- we gave her a bath and dropped her in the middle of the floor. It was six months before Tink, the cat who owns our house that she allows us to live in, got over it.

Cat #3, Gord, got a slower introduction and Tink got over it much faster.

There aren't any guarantees even that this will work, but it sounds like you brought the kitten into a house that already had cats who were sharing it, so your odds are probably better than ours were, dumping a kitten on a cat who'd had the run of the place for over a year and a half -- and things did eventually settle down here.

She took the addition of the dog much harder, even going to the extent of developing a nervous bladder problem for a while. She and the dog still have their moments -- but they're better now, and she's fine.

[grannylib]

5. Had similar problems..

When we got Babycat (Layla) our big kitty, Rio, was NOT happy about this little interloper. We kept Layla in the bathroom for about a week with her own litterbox and food dishes, only letting her out when we were around to monitor Rio's behavior. We let them get acquainted by paws under the door for awhile.
Rio still, after a year, gets a little jealous of Layla, but they mostly get along fine now. Layla is much more playful and I think keeps Rio young (Rio is 12 and Layla is 1) but we can tell when Rio needs some solitude, so she is allowed to take refuge in our bedroom, which is off-limits to Layla.
This seems to work fine.

[pansypoo53219]

6. a lot of cats scared of little kittens

I lost my 10 year old male in April. My female is now gonna have to get used to 2 kittens Basil and sybil. they have their own room with their own litter box, food and water bowls.
it is just gonna take time.

[foxy]

7. I'm sitting at my cousins and his cat is mad at me and poo'd in the corner

Any time this cat gets mad she does something like that to let you knnow. So yeah I guess it is pretty normal for them to show their feelings somehow. It shouldn't take to long for them to get used to each other and be playing around together. Good Luck.

[dofus]

8. The general rule about litterboxes

is that you need one per cat, and perhaps one additional one if you have five or more cats.

If a cat consistently pees or poops in a particular spot outside the litterbox, you can cover that spot with aluminum foil and they'll quickly avoid that place. Hoperfully they'll start using the box again. After the foil is removed, they generally continue to avoid that spot. It also works to put foil on surfaces you don't want them to scratch. Again, it usually needs to be just a temporary measure.

[WillParkinson]

9. Thanks all!

I thought for sure Star would love the kitten if, for no other reason, she likes to cuddle and snuggle and Cat won't do it under normal circumstances.

I hope that the time comes when they all get along (or at least tolerate each other).