Cat intro nightmare

[Edlock]

Dear all

Following the death of our beloved cat Alfie, we decided to get a replacement both for us and to keep kippy company. Kip and Alfie were brothers and lived quite happily together for 3.5 years.

We read all the bumph about introducing kittens to cats but weren't really to comply with it due to the layout of the place and the hours we keep. We decided to chance it and it has been awful.

Kippy took one look at jake and ran a mile. He spent the last three months sleeping outdoors and only coming in for food at dead of night. Things are better now but jakey can't help himself when it comes to jumping on Kip or chasing him in the garden. Kippy has gone from a lovely happy boy who loves sleeping and being made a fuss of, to a nervous wreck who slinks about waiting to be attacked and rarely putting up any sort of a fight.

We realise that we mainly to blame for this situation and would have let kippy be an only cat if we had known what this would do to him.

My question is when do we throw in the towel ? It will be awful but we are starting to consider re homing jake. How long do we give it ? Or can anyone suggest any ideas. Jakey is only really playing but kippy hates it. He doesn't seem to mind jake if he leaves him alone.

We just our cat back and to have a peaceful home again.

Please give your experiences good and bad

Beat wishes

Ed

[Shelley123]

Hi Ed,
sorry to hear about your problems with Kippy and Jake.
No one is to blame it's just one of those things, the cats could of got on realy well, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
Is there someone in the family or a friend who would be willing to rehome jake ?

[angieh]

I agree with what Shelley has said ...... you really can't prejudge how well cats are going to get on together and you are not to blame.

I'd go ahead with trying to find jake a new home, if at all possible. Good luck with that and I hope that kippy settles back in his home again.

[Feliss]

I think there might be other things you can try before rehoming. Sounds like kippy's confidence has taken a hit, so would be good to build that up. How much time do you get to spend with him? How do you feed them both? Do you get to spend much time playing with either of them? Do they actually fight or does kippy just run?

[paulinef2]

I have been through a very similar scenario myself, Tiger was used to being an only cat but did get on with other neighbouring cats. When he had a stroke I decided that he would be a house cat from then on, Lester was introduced to him a few months later. An absolute disaster! I've now had the two of them for nearly two and a half years, things are much better but Lester will still forget himself and jump on Tiger. Tiger is happy to ignore him as long as he's not up to nonsense. Tbh I do say No or Lester leave him and mostly he will leave him be. It's so tough I know and I felt like you do now, but I'm sure it will get better but if you think it won't then a new home for Jake is the way to go. Hope it goes well

[Shelley123]

how are things going ?

[Edlock]

Thank you for asking and sorry for going quiet on you all.

Things are a little better, the duff weather has driven kippy in more and he has learned that jakey can't pounce on him when he's under the spare bed.

Jakey is now going outside whenever he wants so is less boisterous than before.

Having said all of that things are by no means settled or normal. Kippy seems to be getting a raw deal but when he is in the garden for most of the time you can forgive jake for occupying all the best spots and defending them when Kip comes in.

We have sought some. Device from my vet cousin and she thinks that they will reach an understanding as jake grows up and kippy comes to terms with his new friend !! A long haul I suspect.

Getting rid of either of them would be heart breaking so we are going to do our very best to hang on in there. When Kip does come in and we have some quality/jake free time he is the game old cat so we are encouraged.

Thanks for all of the responses.

Ed

[Shelley123]

sounds like things are slowly improving Ed. If the cats can tolerate each other then that's not bad.I agree that as Jake grows up things should sort themselves out re the hierarchy. I know you got Jake to be a friend to Kippy but cats are not pack animals so as i said if they tolerate each other then that's good. We had two brothers and i would say that they easily tolerated each other but not sure they were friends,lol.

[Elaine]

Some times tolerance is what you have to accept but they will eventually learn to time share the house.
There are loads of products on the market that may help, feliway diffusers, zylkiene capsules, rescue remedie and perhaps getting creative and creating hidey holes and comfy spaces for them.

[Edlock]

Right, hopefully final update.

Things now seem to be fine. About 3-4 weeks ago presumably when the weather got worse, kippy (the adult) started to come back in the house a lot more and jakey started going out a bit more and eventually we noticed the kip had started sleeping inside during the night.

There were still flashes of kittenesque behaviour from Jake but Kippy has started standing up to it and not running away. We gave him as much fuss as possible which occasionallt lead to jealous reprisals but now he sleeps insisde during the day and night and they are working it ou.

Huge relief all round and we're very glad that we didn't rehouse Jay when things were at their worst.

Hope this helps others and thanks for everyone's help

Ed