Thread: How to integrate a second kitten

Phew! So pleased for you all - and there are those pictures of the girls I asked for a couple of weeks back, hurrah! Looks like you're almost home and dry....well, you will be when the builders have finished! (doing a happy dance for you right now!)

That is so cool! I am really happy for you all.
I remember how delighted I was when a newbie finally cuddled up to the older cat, grooming and touching noses… like you say, it’s like watching a baby’s first steps.

I think your Wicca scores high on EQ. She has oodles of social skills. You and Freyja are lucky to have such a clever little diplomat around!

We too noticed our cats’ attitude towards us humans changed each time a new cat arrived. They become less of lapcats and more oriented on each other. Over here, the newest arrival has always been the most people-oriented. I suppose it’s only natural.

Really looking forward to seeing many more pictures of your gorgeous girls together!

Another update on progress and a question if I may...

Litter trays - two down in the kitchen, they both use both trays - happy to share. Freyja even covered up one of Wicca's little parcels at the weekend (odd, as she doesn't usually bother covering her own up, but there you go).

Water bowls - two water fountains on two floors mean that they can easily share, and seem happy to do so.

Food bowls - Separate food bowls but they are now both at the same 'feeding station' in the kitchen. Freyja is naturally a grazer but Guts scoffs her grub and then hunts down Freyja's so she's also taken to ramming as much in as she can. Now the bowls are side by side, the gorging seems to have calmed down which is a relief. They share a bowl of kibble to graze on all day - both get a look in so that's all good.

Bedding - one giant Tigga Tower large enough to easily sleep three giant MC's, so there's plenty of room for both of them. Freyja's now happy to share her platform with Wicca (although to be fair, she's had no choice) and they curl up and keep each others noses warm. Very sweet, and such a blessed relief! The've even shared the igloo at the very top of the tower.

Playing - hanging out together most of the day and parts of the evening; Wicca likes a cuddle when we're home and Freyja's taken to hopping back up on the sofa to sit next to us, whether Wicca's on a lap or not (so nice to have her do that again). They chase each other round the house (in DM's by all accounts) and enjoy a bit of mischief together (what with Wicca's kleptomania and Freyja in awe).

So I'd see it's almost Utopia here now. Neither cat is even slightly peturbed by the blasted dehumidifiers and they both quite like being blasted across the room by the industrial (cat safe) fans.

The only concerns I have left are:

1. Freyja is still grumpy, very easily irritated and much more aggressive than she ever was before Wicca arrived - is this likely to be the way things are, or will this also calm down in time?
2. No matter how much fuss and attention Freyja gets, she still has a hissy fit (literally) if you try to fuss her after Wicca's had attention - what might cause this? Is it simple jealousy? OH thought it might be that she was cross we were playing with HER cat - could that be true?
3. Is there anything I can do to help Freyja get back to her old self? I accept that we'll get less attention than we used to now she's got a playmate, and I'm fine with that; but it doesn't suit her to be cross and aggressive.

Any thoughts? Am I being impatient? I'm pretty chilled about the whole thing - I know that cats can pick up on that kind of thing and I'm genuinely so relieved that we've got this far in the first place that if this is Freyja's 'new personality' I'll accept it, but I just want to make sure I'm not doing anything to aggravate it. Or whether I can do something to help.

1 I think in time she will calm down more,she is still trying to prove a point.Just ignore
her irritations,she is most probaly trying it on for attention,goody goodies don't get noticed first not even amoungst us two legged people.

2 Hissy fit after Wicca has had attention,I would say still jealousy,even now after three years if my breeder friend walks in & speaks to one of the babies first he hisses at her,doesn't apply to the other three only to the two others that she bred,if she has touched one of them he hisses & walks out.We think it is because he isn't getting the attention first from "nannie"& wants to prove a point to make sure next time he gets the attention he thinks he deserves.

3 Give it time,it was not that long ago you didn't think things would be this good.

I don't think you are being impatient,like us all we want everything to be just right yesterday,I bet in six months you will be wondering if all this other really happened...

I hadn't thought of it like that, Candes, and I'll definately give it a go. Wicca does seem to go out of her way to annoy Freyja; reminds me of me and my lil sis when we were kids and I've got some sympathy for Freyja! I also sometimes think that Wicca jumps from my lap to OH's every few minutes just to wind Freyja up, but I suspect I'm crediting cats with a bit too much strategic thinking!

Originally Posted by candes

Just keep the youngin from annoying the heck out of Freya too much. Freyja will appretiate you gently scolding Wiica for palying too much or too rough with her. "Oh my mommie the protector". It will make her feel more "important". If Wicca won't listen then she gets some "time out" until her kitten energy winds down a bit. This will calm down Freyja a bit too. And gives you both some queit snuggle time. Just do what you can to keep the house calm and quiet.

Now, I'll be honest, I read this and thought "surely cats really don't think like that", and was pretty cynical. However, if I'm not prepared to listen to advice I shouldn't ask for it in the first place and so far all advice given has been sound. So I put my cynicism to one side and when the first opportunity presented itself, I gave this a go.

Freyja was lolling about on her TT platform and Wicca was in the basket below, and decided that Freyja's tail looked like a great toy to sink her teeth and claws into. I watched Freyja's ears and tail move into 'not again' mode and made a point of telling Wicca off, moving her paws away from Freyja's tail. Had to do this a few times and eventually she stopped. I then scratched Freyja's head, expecting her to flatten her ears and make her funny little warning meow, but it never came - she let me scratch her ears and leaned into my hand.

Second opportunity: Wicca fills her face from her own bowl and before she's completely cleaned it out, she knocks Freyja out of the way and gets stuck into hers. So I picked her up, told her off and put her back in front of her own bowl. Did this a couple of times and encouraged Freyja to carry on eating each time. Stroked her head - no aeroplane ears, just a slow blink at me.

There's been another couple of occasions where I've moved Wicca or 'stuck up' for Freyja and it could be coincidence but for the last two days she hasn't hissed at me, she hasn't been cross when I've tried to fuss her, and instead she's jumped up on the sofa to sit next to me, and let me stroke her for nearly an hour today. So this weekend, it finally feels like she's back. After letting me fuss her for all that time, Wicca sprawled out next to her and when Freyja got too hot she got up, turned round and then gave Wicca a really loving grooming round her face, ears and ruff. Wicca just purred.

I am one happy MC owner.

Wicca’s behavior toward Freyja is so much like Minnie’s toward Monty. She tries to steal his food and he gets intimidated. So I do what you do – I place myself between her and him so that he can eat in peace. He clearly appreciates it… and what’s more, Minnie gets the message (she’s a clever little thing she is). Gradually, she’s becoming less of a tealeaf.

Funny thing happened the other night. I had bought a tin of sardines in water. First, I drained the tin and poured the water onto a plate for the Coonies. When they’d lapped it up, I took a fork and put some chunks of sardine on the plate. They gobbled it up. Then I tasted a chunk of sardine… mmmm, tasted good! Gave some more to the furries. Ate some more myself. Then I heard giggling. I looked up and saw a couple of teenagers peering through our kitchen window at the crazy old cat lady sitting cross-legged on the floor sharing food out of a tin with her cats.