We already have a cat, and now we got a new one, but our cat doesn't
like him. Does this mean, we have to give up the new kitty?
No - what it does
mean, is you have to be patient - really patient. Cats are not
herd animals nor pack animals, they are loners. Your Kitty has
his terrain, and is not happy about a newcomer trespassing on it -
i.e., you, and your house. It will probably take a few months,
even as many as four or more, for Kitty to get used to the new one.
How do you help
them adjust? Make sure you still give your current kitty all
the attention it is used to getting, and maybe even a little more so
now, to assure him, that the new kitty's arrival will not harm his
relationship with you and the rest of the family. And should
your kitty, scratch, growl and hiss at the new kitty DO NOT scold
him - that just proves his point - the new kitty equals problems
with him.
Do not force your
kitties to greet each other. Let them do that on their own,
and talk lovingly and reassuringly to both kitties, when you do
catch them greeting each other. And again, if growls and
hisses and so forth are produced, just separate them for the
moment. Do not worry, they will eventually work it out.
They have to get through the I hate you stage to move on to the
coveted, I love you stage.
When we first
brought in a new kitten to our kitty's domain it took her four
months to come into the living room. Then a year a so or
later, when we got a new kitten, it took her only a week to come
back to the living room, and with our newest addition, she never
left the living room. She adjusted better and better each
time, as with each new arrival, she learned her love and attention
would not diminish.
You can use these
same techniques introducing Kitty to a new puppy as well.
In fact our Kitty
who do not leave the living room with our newest kitten, did hiss at
the new kitten, but she did not behave so aggressively with the
puppy.
Now, some cats
will be hateful to other cats or dogs, as they are the jealous
type. I do have one cat like that, she growls and hisses and
swipes at any of the other cats, that come to me. But she
coexists with them, far better than rivaling siblings, and believe
me I know - I have five cats and only two children, and I'll take
the cat spats over the kid spats, any day!
It is not a constant fight, she just gets rivaled from time to time
if the other pet gets to close, but then she leaves afterwards, and
the spat ends. It's as quick and as simple as that.
Do you have ANY
questions, or need help with Kitty? Feel free to email me
here:
I
Need Kitty Help!
To yours and Kitty's purrfect relationship! God bless!
In His Joy,
Seqkat
>^..^<
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