New kitten!

SillyMangoX

So many regular forum posters will know I rescued. Four 3 day old kittens that were handed in to the vet to be put to sleep. I bottle fed them for a few days then handed them to an amazing fosterer who has been doing the hard work since! Unfortunately one kitty (the runt) passed away, I suspect something like a liver shunt but who knows!

So anyway, they are starting to wean now, and the fosterer can hold onto them for another 2 weeks then they will hopefully be off to new homes. The foster is keeping little tux, and will be handing Shelley and dude over to me until they get new homes (or I can convince the parents to let me keep one!).

When i had them here first, my two resident cats were less than happy, cream in particular was very growly and just and put out with all of us, I would imagine because of the sudden appearance of these fluff bundles taking over all my time. So I was wondering what would be the best way to introduce the kittens into the house hold without too much upset? I'm planning on topping up the feliway diffuser and cordoning off part of the upstairs sitting room as ''kitten zone" and won't be along my cats unsupervised access up there. I plan on swapping beddings for a few days before actually letting them are each other again. Kittens are in a foster home with 3 adult cats so are used to being hissed at and hissing back!

mymo

Sounds like a good plan so far!
We have one older cat that seems unfazed by kittens or dogs coming into the house (he was a nervous cat until first dog came along that seems to have given him more confidence) the other cat growls at the kittens or cats but not dogs.
As you may know I have taken in a few last summer and Mouse stayed, but even now 6 months later One adult cat still grows if she tries to play (at first he growled if he even caught sight of her).
We resorted to feeding and petting him up on a windowsill she couldn't reach anytime she was annoying him, small bits of food and allowing him places to escape, never leaving them alone etc. We used a dog crate when she first arrived (but then she was only about 4 weeks and 250g so tiny), later if she annoyed him we removed her for a while. Now we just ignore it, he's only ever slapped her, never really tried to get at her, more avoid her and warn her to stay away.

Strangely the other cat who is 13 next month didn't bat an eyelid, isn't keen on her overly affectionate ways at times but does tolerate with a disdainful look and even joins in the play sometimes (likes to sit until a small table in a corner to reduce angles of attack ).

I think you are going about it right, watch for signs of stress in older two, or aggression, but it will take time.

Good luck, with persuading your mother, my daughter managed with me even though we now have 9 pets!

SillyMangoX

And how exactly did your daughter get around you? :P

I've won around my mom now that she's seen they are amazingly cute, but she knows my dad won't agree! Spent the day cleaning the house and cooking dinner to soften him up

mymo

You don't seriously think your dad has any say do you? :P

(I'm too soft it was easy persuade me)

SillyMangoX

mymo wrote: »

You don't seriously think your dad has any say do you? :P

(I'm too soft it was easy persuade me)

Oh unfortunately my Dad is the boss in the house (after the cats!). He comes from a farming backround and would have no problem.. lets say'disposing' of the kittens

Nody

Well for starters keep the kittens closed away in an area that is not a primary used area today (bedroom is a no go for example) that can be closed of completely (i.e. door). Secondly start to feed your existing cats outside the door (and the kittens on the other side) to make them start to smell each others scent. This will usually take a couple of days depending on your cats use to change (our first foster cat took 2 weeks to introduce and 2 months before accepted; our latest took 2 days to introduce and less then a week to be accepted). Then you need to start to let the kittens roam around a bit; now normally the kittens are the once who don't care and your existing cats are the once that will run and hide (may look funny but your cats are the once who're losing territory and routine here which upset them) for a few hours a day. If you can make it around the same time it will help (basically time sharing the area which cats do normally). You can then slowly extend the time they roam and share and start letting them see each other (if you can have a baby gate or similar to stop physical contact but allow sight and smell that's perfect) and slowly work it through. It can take months and if you try to rush it you're likely to have to start over from square one again so take your time.

tk123

SillyMangoX wrote: »

He comes from a farming backround and would have no problem.. lets say'disposing' of the kittens

OT but we had an older teacher in school who wold tell us anecdotes.. one of them went....
"I remember me Mammy saying to me and I was drowning the kittens in the river, you've the makings of a teacher in you!" :eek:

It sounds like your halfway there now to reuinting the kittens with their Mama... ...ie you lol :P

SillyMangoX

I'm just so happy I decided to start a thread on this, if its okay with the mods!!

So my little boy will be 6 weeks on Wednesday. He came into my life when he was 3 days old, handed into the vets with his 3 siblings in a paper bag to be put to sleep. The vets just said right well these guys are going to be put down, any volunteers to hand raise? And I jumped at the chance! So I kept them for 3 days but unfortunately I had to move away from home for a new placement so they couldn't come with me, so they went off to a foster. I initially said no way would I want to keep any, but when I next went to visit they has open eyes and had started to purr. I fed my little guy and instead of crying to get back to his siblings he started purring and fell asleep in my hand. Then I just knew I couldn't part with him!
So then the convincing of the parents started, which started out as a firm and definite NO! from my mother. I didn't want to risk asking my dad because my mom said she asked him if I had tried him yet and he said that he would have no problem getting rid of the kitten! But I just kept bringing it up in casual conversation with my mom on how things will be when he gets here and all that, to the point where I was really starting to annoy her When we went to visit the babies on Friday, I could just tell that she would give in, once she saw them as fun cute kittens and now screaming furry fragile blobs! So I just said to her 'look he likes you, we'll have to keep him' (he was playing with her shoe laces) to which she said your father will never agree. Which meant that she had given in as it was no longer a no
And how wrong she was about my father! Just today I was in the car with him for 2 hours as he was dropping my to my placement for the week, and I just said 'if I ask you something will you hear be out before you say no', and went on a big speech of all the preparations and everything I had been thinking about for if we got him, and how he would cost no extra as we had all the stuff from our own two cats and all that. I was expecting him to just say a straight out no, but he said 'we'll see' which is a yes in my mind! So we just sat in silence for a few minutes, then he said that the kitten can be my birthday present!!! (what a present for a 21st!!)

So that is the story of the newest addition that will be coming to our house He should be here in 3 weeks time when I finish my placement. At the moment, he is named Dude, as he was the chunkiest and best feeder of all the kittens when we first got them. The name really suits him, but I think I would like to rename him something that matches with my current 2 cats names, Peach and Cream! Has anyone any suggestions?

I'll add photos to this thread of him as he grows up





Being beaten up by his sister!!

ABajaninCork

He's cute! I'd stick with the name Dude. It does suit him...

anniehoo

Sorry Silly but i've merged your new thread with your one from yesterday as it's on the same topic.

Delighted that your Dad said yes, he's one lucky kitty. Dude is a brilliant name for him i'd stick with it too.

SillyMangoX

anniehoo wrote: »

Sorry Silly but i've merged your new thread with your one from yesterday as it's on the same topic.

Delighted that your Dad said yes, he's one lucky kitty. Dude is a brilliant name for him i'd stick with it too.

No problem, I actually forgot about this thread, doh!!

bluecherry74

Congrats Silly. I think Dude is a fab name, he's bound to grow up with plenty of attitude with a name like that.

mymo

All I have to say is awwww, and yay!

hdowney

Yer dad rox. Dude is sososo cute I want another one now

SillyMangoX

I asked my mother today did dad say anything to her, she said he was feeling sorry for me and wanted to make my day! Still have no idea why he was feeling sorry for me, I was hungover though so if being hungover and looking miserable gets me kittens, I should drink more often

keaves

I just put "peach cream" into Google and the first search option it gave me was peaches cream and Jam!!!

my votes for dude to become Jam!

SillyMangoX

Haha jam is cute! My mom thinks we should keep his name seperate from peach and cream cos he isn't their sibling so I think dude shall remain dude! Unless he turns out to be a girl, then we may have problems!!

Themadhouse

SillyMangoX wrote: »

Haha jam is cute! My mom thinks we should keep his name seperate from peach and cream cos he isn't their sibling so I think dude shall remain dude! Unless he turns out to be a girl, then we may have problems!!

He's not sexed yet?! lol! Stick up some pics and we'll do it.

SillyMangoX

He is, we are almost 100% dude is indeed a dude, but kitten balls are so tiny it's hard to tell!! It looked like 2 boys and 2 girls in the litter, but one boy passed away so dude has been bullied by his sisters

Themadhouse

Slit for girl, dot for boy. Bigger distance between bum and wee hole for boy. But his scrotum should be developing now. Also boys have bigger heads in general as they grow.:)
Generally first instinct is right.

SillyMangoX

I should be visiting them again this weekend so ill have another peek under the tail now he's a bit bigger! I don't even have him yet and I already love him

Themadhouse

He should be bigger than the girls, they tend to take off at about 5 weeks old and over take the girls in weight.

SillyMangoX

He was always the biggest in the litter from the beginning, but it doesn't stop Shelley and Tux beating him up!

sparkle_23

Pumpkin is a pretty cat name Can't wait to see more pics of the lil dude! :cool:

SillyMangoX

The foster just sent me this picture and a message saying Hi Mom!!

This made me so so happy

SillyMangoX

5 days until my baby comes home, this week is going to drag so much!!!

snowgal

the cuteeeness! I wanna squeeze her! Im sure you cant wait, I was the same when Tigger was a kitten. She is big and bold now, nearly one, it went so fast! enjoy the madness, its class...

SillyMangoX

Tomorrow is the big day can't wait to bring my new bundle of fluff home, tomorrow at work is just going to absolutely drag!!

mymo

Look forward to lots of cute pics tonight!

SillyMangoX

Dude is home! Peach gave him a great sniffing but otherwise un reactive, cream is very upset, all growles and hissed

SillyMangoX

Having an explore







Concked!