I have two questions
We have an adult female cat about 2 1/2 years old now. We also just adopted a female kitten about 6 weeks old. They are both doing great, but the older cat hates the kitten. She dosent do anything to it, but she hides around the house and when she comes out she hides on top of stuff and watches it. If she does get near it, then she hisses and growls at it then runs away. Is there anything that i can do to help her get used to it?
Also we are renting a smaller house and the only place to put the litter boxs ( i have two now temporarily because the little kitty can not get it the box) in the bathroom, and they stink. I clean them out once or twice a day to help it. and I use the arm and hammer cat litter, and i have a air freshener in there, but it still smells. any suggestions would be great.
Answers:
I use Tidy Cat "Small Spaces" for Multiple Cats kitty litter.
That would help you immensely. Also get those air fresheners that soak up bad smells rather than the ones that spray and just put more fragrance into the air.
About them getting along, the cats need time to get to know each other. If you can, separate them in different rooms for a couple days, preferably with baby gates. This way they can come up to each other and smell each other and get used to things, without the older cat feeling invaded and threatened.
Good luck!
hi there, intorduce new kitty via carrier. leave new kitty in there for a short period so older kitty can investigate. do this several times a day for oh.maybe a week. all should be well
Give the older cat time to get used to the new kitten. As for the litter box, well, litter boxes stink! There isn't much you can do about that.
First - I have 5 cats in a small townhouse (no basement) and have 4 litter boxes. I use Fresh Step Cedar Clumping litter, clean them every two days and have NO odor problems. I've had cats forever, and have tried next to every litter out there. I LOVE this stuff.
Second, I've gone through your scenerio a number of times, and am going through it now. I have 4 older cats - 6 to 11 years old, and took the kitten of a feral cat about a month ago. She's sweet as can be, but is a typical (hyperactive) furball. One of the older cats tolerates her, and lets her play with his tail. The others, for the most part still hiss and spat, and occassionally swat at her. I've come to know this is normal, if chaotic, with a new kitten in the house.
Is there a chance one of your cats may never really "accept" her? Yea. My 6 year old is still not accepted by one of the older cats, but they live in a truce. It's a lot like siblings when you bring a new baby home. It gets all the attention, and the older kids are jealous. Give your big girl lots of individual attention and praise when she does good things. Time is your best hope for peaceful co-existance.
And, are they both nuetered? If not, leveling out the hormones might help.
Give it time, be patient, and love on them both. Cats are the best!
Good luck, and, seriously try the Fresh Step Cedar - it's great!
Hello, I thought I could help u with your questions. I have been raising cats for years and I have to say there is not much you can do about helping your older kitty get used to the new kitten. It will take a little time, but they will soon be best of friends. My advice is NOT to separate them. There is nothing odd about the older cats behavior. It is mostly a territorial thing. Soon she will get used to the little kitten, but if you separate them, it will only prolong your problem. As long as the older cat doesn't try to hurt the kitten, things will be fine.
As for your litter box problem, I suggest when cleaning the litter box, you could also scrub it out with a cleanerand rinse thoroughly. ( Don't use a lemon or orange scented cleaner, cats detest these smells) The smell may be getting into the plastic. Also scrub the area around where the litter box is kept. Next, try to use a cat litter that is scented for multiple cats. Then use the Arm %26 Hammer Cat Litter Deodorizer. This is what I do, and it keeps the smell to a minimal. Also, watch what you are feeding your cats. Sometimes the problem could be in the food. If your cat eats a soft food, or you are changing brands, the litter will smell awful very quickly. I really hope this helps you out. Right now I have one adult cat, and 4 kittens. This works for me!!
A quick fix for the smell is Zero Odor spray (available online or thru TV commercials - it really works!) the kids will get used to each other if you give them time. Having said that, while my 9 year old loves his 2 year old 'bubba' - the 6 year old girl hates him still and I've had him since he was born! I bottle fed him when his mom stopped feeding him at 2 weeks, and 'sis' has been jealous ever since they came in. The old boy plays with him and runs and acts crazy like a kitten with him, tho, and got used to him fairly quickly. Good luck, and have fun with that baby!
i have an answer to your first question you need to get them two different areas to play in and once the older cat is used to being alone put them closer and closer together hope it works
answer to your first question.cats are very territorial, your older cat is just letting the kitten know that your house is her territory. You just have to give your older cat time to get used to the new member of your family.
answer to your second question..Sounds like you are doing everything possible to keep the smell away. Cats urine has a very strong odor. you could try putting baking soda in with your litter. or train your kitties to go outside.
Our litter box is located in the laundry room, under the sink. My hubby has an extra sensitive nose to kitty smell, so I went to Walmart and bought "Gonzo Odor Eliminator". It's basically a bag of volcano rocks. Apparently, it has something to do with positive and negative charges. anyway, long story short, it is the most amazing product on the market (in my humble opinion) for eliminating bad kitty smells without perfuming the air with those cover ups (like Febreeze) It's the best $4.00 I've ever spent. You can't even tell that there is a litter box in there!
Good luck!
Litter sugestion. Buy Fresh Step and a thing if the kitty crystals. Mix them together and you'll barely notice. Also, it could be the kitten, have her checked for worms.
The two cats will ajust to each other over time. If they can't or won't, bathe both of them one right after the other and stick them in the same room until they get over it. Many times the new cat will smell different that the other one and this is why they don't get along. Bathing will make them both smell the same.
On another note, 6 weeks is way too young for a kitten to be in a new home. They need to be 12 to 16 weeks to properly ajust. keep a close eye on it and make sure it eats kitten food. Also, you should continue to feed it kitten milk replacement until it is at least 10 weeks!
As for the behavior, it seems pretty typical. Cats are not naturally pack animals, so new additions are not always welcome. But as the new cat is a baby, they may grow to get along. Sometimes the best you get is tolerance.
Just keep doing what you are doing, providing plenty of love to both of them, and spending time with both of them. Play with the kitten to help expend energy that she may be using to harass the older cat. And make sure to give the older cat plenty of places to perch. Being able to get on different levels makes the house seem much bigger to the cats, and helps to prevent problems.
Remember, don't be impatient. Your older cat did not ask for a roommate, and did not get to pick her. Give her time to adjust. As the kitten gets older, you may find that they get along much better.
Sounds like you put them together too soon. The older one feels threatened by the 'newbie.' And, they're both females! I found out the hard way too!
The new kitty should be kept alone in a room. After about a week, the older one will sit by the door, even sniff at it. This will help familiarize her to the newbie's scent. After that, put the newbie in a carrier, and let them smell each other, for short periods. You'll be able to tell when they're ready to be buddies..in about another week. Another good thing to try is to pet the newbie, then pet the older one, and vise versa. This is another way to transfer their scents also.
Be sure to let the older one do all the things she normally does, but don't spoil her..act in a matter-of-fact, calm way, but be assertive, like in a, 'this-is-how-it's-going-to-be' manner.
I use Tidy Cat..multiple cat, clumping litter..litter liners too, and I add baking soda to the litter. 'Febreze' spraying the area really helps too, but, to be honest, you can never really be completely free from odor when you own cats. My breeder has an air-filtering system in her cattery, and has a cleaning lady scrub it down, but it's not 100%. Maybe 'love' is odorless!
Sounds like you care; that's the important thing!
Good luck!
Smartycat
hi tj,
1. one way u could try is to wash ur kitten clean of all outside(or new) smells and then dry her with something ur other cat sleeps on or something with ur smell on it. this may help.
2. i use a litter box called PiPi which has a plastic mesh affair that drains the pee away from the litter and i find with two adult cats i only empty the pee twice a week (poo when they do it) and my litter lasts months(i use recycled paper)
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