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#1
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Surprisingly Aggressive Behavior by Older Kitten Towards New Kitten
We currently have a 6 month old ragdoll cat (Hummy - male) who's been
with us for 3 months now. On Monday we brought back home a 3 month old ragdoll cat (Normy - male) that we purchased from the same breeder. We were expecting for things to go fairly smoothly given that: *Hummy is only 6 months old *has only been in with us for only 3 months *was raised by a breeder who had 20 other cats (and he got along well with the other cats) *both cats are neutered *both cats are from the same breeder *Hummy has always been very non-aggressive and very social with people But we are astonished to see the degree of hostility that Hummy has towards Normy. On day 1 even though we made sure to pay a lot of attention to Hummy and not try anything to get him jealous, he hissed and growled all day after seeing Normy for the first time, and hissed at us when he would smell Normy's scent on our hands. He would even growl while eating, even while playing with us with toys! Normy isn't showing any aggressive behavior at all. It actually doesn't appear that he knows that the other cat is angry at him. On day 2 Hummy is a little better, but still aggressive. He only growls and hisses whenever he sees Normy (on day 1 he growled all day long). He also no longer hisses if he smells Normy on our hands. But he still gets very upset and hisses and appears aggressive whenever he sees Normy. Up to now we've been keeping both cats in separate rooms, both using separate litter boxes and food/water dishes. The older cat has access to the whole house, and the younger one has access to only 1 room at a time. There's been a couple of occasions when both cats have been in the same room at the same time (either Normy escaping the room or Hummy getting into the room) and at 1 occasion Hummy striked Normy's back with his paw - although he did not use his claws. Anyways, my question is whether its normal for such a young cat to be so upset towards a new cat, and how long in general does it take before both cats can live with one another. Although Hummy is only 6 months old, he looks almost like an adult cat, while Normy looks very much like a small kitten. I would guess that Hummy is probably close to 10 lbs. So I'm not sure if he's simply being a bully given that the other cat is much smaller than him. |
#2
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"Jonny R" wrote in message om... We currently have a 6 month old ragdoll cat (Hummy - male) who's been with us for 3 months now. On Monday we brought back home a 3 month old ragdoll cat (Normy - male) that we purchased from the same breeder. We were expecting for things to go fairly smoothly given that: *Hummy is only 6 months old *has only been in with us for only 3 months *was raised by a breeder who had 20 other cats (and he got along well with the other cats) *both cats are neutered *both cats are from the same breeder *Hummy has always been very non-aggressive and very social with people But we are astonished to see the degree of hostility that Hummy has towards Normy. On day 1 even though we made sure to pay a lot of attention to Hummy and not try anything to get him jealous, he hissed and growled all day after seeing Normy for the first time, and hissed at us when he would smell Normy's scent on our hands. He would even growl while eating, even while playing with us with toys! Normy isn't showing any aggressive behavior at all. It actually doesn't appear that he knows that the other cat is angry at him. On day 2 Hummy is a little better, but still aggressive. He only growls and hisses whenever he sees Normy (on day 1 he growled all day long). He also no longer hisses if he smells Normy on our hands. But he still gets very upset and hisses and appears aggressive whenever he sees Normy. Up to now we've been keeping both cats in separate rooms, both using separate litter boxes and food/water dishes. The older cat has access to the whole house, and the younger one has access to only 1 room at a time. There's been a couple of occasions when both cats have been in the same room at the same time (either Normy escaping the room or Hummy getting into the room) and at 1 occasion Hummy striked Normy's back with his paw - although he did not use his claws. Anyways, my question is whether its normal for such a young cat to be so upset towards a new cat, and how long in general does it take before both cats can live with one another. Although Hummy is only 6 months old, he looks almost like an adult cat, while Normy looks very much like a small kitten. I would guess that Hummy is probably close to 10 lbs. So I'm not sure if he's simply being a bully given that the other cat is much smaller than him. Sounds normal to me. I'd continue to keep them in separate areas and gradually let them get used to each other's smell in the house. When a glimpse of each other no longer brings on the hissing you can let them interact more. As you've noticed things are improving already. I wouldn't anticipate the adjustment taking too long but be patient and let the cats determine the pace. W |
#3
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Report back same time next week. I bet you have two cats that at least
tolerate each other by then "Jonny R" wrote in message om... We currently have a 6 month old ragdoll cat (Hummy - male) who's been with us for 3 months now. On Monday we brought back home a 3 month old ragdoll cat (Normy - male) that we purchased from the same breeder. We were expecting for things to go fairly smoothly given that: *Hummy is only 6 months old *has only been in with us for only 3 months *was raised by a breeder who had 20 other cats (and he got along well with the other cats) *both cats are neutered *both cats are from the same breeder *Hummy has always been very non-aggressive and very social with people But we are astonished to see the degree of hostility that Hummy has towards Normy. On day 1 even though we made sure to pay a lot of attention to Hummy and not try anything to get him jealous, he hissed and growled all day after seeing Normy for the first time, and hissed at us when he would smell Normy's scent on our hands. He would even growl while eating, even while playing with us with toys! Normy isn't showing any aggressive behavior at all. It actually doesn't appear that he knows that the other cat is angry at him. On day 2 Hummy is a little better, but still aggressive. He only growls and hisses whenever he sees Normy (on day 1 he growled all day long). He also no longer hisses if he smells Normy on our hands. But he still gets very upset and hisses and appears aggressive whenever he sees Normy. Up to now we've been keeping both cats in separate rooms, both using separate litter boxes and food/water dishes. The older cat has access to the whole house, and the younger one has access to only 1 room at a time. There's been a couple of occasions when both cats have been in the same room at the same time (either Normy escaping the room or Hummy getting into the room) and at 1 occasion Hummy striked Normy's back with his paw - although he did not use his claws. Anyways, my question is whether its normal for such a young cat to be so upset towards a new cat, and how long in general does it take before both cats can live with one another. Although Hummy is only 6 months old, he looks almost like an adult cat, while Normy looks very much like a small kitten. I would guess that Hummy is probably close to 10 lbs. So I'm not sure if he's simply being a bully given that the other cat is much smaller than him. |
#4
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"Karen" wrote in message ...
Report back same time next week. I bet you have two cats that at least tolerate each other by then Actually things are already going much better. Last night we were in the basement with Normy (the younger kitten) watching TV with him on the couch, and Hummy suddenly walked downstairs and after a few minutes spotted Normy on the couch, but didn't hiss or anything. After about 2 minutes he quickly ran up to Normy, sniffed his butt and ran 5 feet away. But he didn't hiss, growl, or look aggressive. This got Normy curious who then jumped off the couch and slowly walked towards Hummy (while we watched on cautiously). They both approached each other carefully and kind of circled around one another a bit, getting closer then jumping away. Then finally to my surprise I saw Hummy (the older cat) flop down to his side and shaking his paws at Normy, looking to play. To our delight both cats then played together for about 15 minutes. There were a couple of occasions where Hummy got a little rough and Normy made a small noise, but nothing bad. However after about 15 minutes it looked like Normy didn't want to play anymore and walked away, and Hummy suddenly got upset (perhaps because he still wanted to play) and started growling. He then spent about 3 minutes somewhat chasing Normy around and biting him (not hard, but not gently either) so that's when we decided to intervene and separated the two, and kept them separated over night. As of this morning Hummy growled at Normy a little, but nothing too bad. On a separate note though, we are taking Normy to the vet today because this morning he went to the litter box 4-5 times within a 3 hour time span and had very liquid poo, that had traces of blood on the surface. We are not sure what this is about (he still looks and acts normal). He did get neutered about 8 days ago, so I'm not sure if this is a result of that. But we aren't taking any chances so he's going to the vet. |
#5
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"Jonny R" wrote in message ... "Karen" wrote in message ... Report back same time next week. I bet you have two cats that at least tolerate each other by then Actually things are already going much better. Last night we were in the basement with Normy (the younger kitten) watching TV with him on the couch, and Hummy suddenly walked downstairs and after a few minutes spotted Normy on the couch, but didn't hiss or anything. After about 2 minutes he quickly ran up to Normy, sniffed his butt and ran 5 feet away. But he didn't hiss, growl, or look aggressive. This got Normy curious who then jumped off the couch and slowly walked towards Hummy (while we watched on cautiously). They both approached each other carefully and kind of circled around one another a bit, getting closer then jumping away. Then finally to my surprise I saw Hummy (the older cat) flop down to his side and shaking his paws at Normy, looking to play. To our delight both cats then played together for about 15 minutes. There were a couple of occasions where Hummy got a little rough and Normy made a small noise, but nothing bad. However after about 15 minutes it looked like Normy didn't want to play anymore and walked away, and Hummy suddenly got upset (perhaps because he still wanted to play) and started growling. He then spent about 3 minutes somewhat chasing Normy around and biting him (not hard, but not gently either) so that's when we decided to intervene and separated the two, and kept them separated over night. As of this morning Hummy growled at Normy a little, but nothing too bad. On a separate note though, we are taking Normy to the vet today because this morning he went to the litter box 4-5 times within a 3 hour time span and had very liquid poo, that had traces of blood on the surface. We are not sure what this is about (he still looks and acts normal). He did get neutered about 8 days ago, so I'm not sure if this is a result of that. But we aren't taking any chances so he's going to the vet. May be a little stressed. Ask the vet for some Feliway or stop at the local pet store. It may also help introductions go better. Keep us posted |
#6
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"Karen" wrote in message ...
May be a little stressed. Ask the vet for some Feliway or stop at the local pet store. It may also help introductions go better. Keep us posted The vet examined him, took a fecal sample. The test results found nothing abnormal. She attributed the bleeding and diarrhoea to stress from the move and change in food. She gave us some antibiotics just in case. If he's still having blood in his feces by Monday we are to bring him back, or if he is to have a sudden change in health (i.e. not eating anymore, looking sick) we are to bring him back right away. On another note, last night Hummy and Normy were playing together, and after their wrestling match I had noticed that Normy's was keeping his left eye half-shut, and it looked teary (if that's even a word). This morning I noticed a small circular film on top of his eye. Perhaps half of the size of a pencil eraser head. It doesn't seem to bother him though. I'm not sure what it is but I'm wondering if perhaps its simply a scratch wound from yesterday's battle with Hummy. Hummy seems to always overpower him and pin him down while wrestling, with his mouth either around his neck or his belly. And Normy screams (meows) a lot when this happens. However when Hummy lets him go (sometimes we almost have to pry him off) Normy often rushes back to Hummy. |
#8
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In article ,
enlightened us with... On another note, last night Hummy and Normy were playing together, and after their wrestling match I had noticed that Normy's was keeping his left eye half-shut, and it looked teary (if that's even a word). This morning I noticed a small circular film on top of his eye. Perhaps half of the size of a pencil eraser head. It doesn't seem to bother him though. I'm not sure what it is but I'm wondering if perhaps its simply a scratch wound from yesterday's battle with Hummy. This can be an indication of one of the varieties of upper respiratory infections. Many, many kittens catch URIs at the pet store, cattery, or even at the vet. You'll see lots of kittens at the shelter with them, too. Any place there's lots of cats, URIs spread like wildfire. You mentioned the breeder has +20 cats, so it's possible he caught something there. Some URIs can be carried - infected adult cats that show no symptoms can still pass it to other cats. Keep an eye on him. Most URIs are beaten by the cat's own immune system, much like a human beats a cold, but some can get serious, especially if he isn't eating or drinking well. If his nose stuffs up, he may lose his appetite because he can't smell his food. As long as he's eating well, and drinking plenty of water, he should be fine. Do take him to the vet again if his eye doesn't get better in a couple days or if his symptoms worsen. My motto has always been 'better safe than sorry'. Glad to hear the boys seem to be getting on pretty well, though. -- -- ~kaeli~ Why do people who know the least know it the loudest? http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace |
#9
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In article ,
enlightened us with... On another note, last night Hummy and Normy were playing together, and after their wrestling match I had noticed that Normy's was keeping his left eye half-shut, and it looked teary (if that's even a word). This morning I noticed a small circular film on top of his eye. Perhaps half of the size of a pencil eraser head. It doesn't seem to bother him though. I'm not sure what it is but I'm wondering if perhaps its simply a scratch wound from yesterday's battle with Hummy. This can be an indication of one of the varieties of upper respiratory infections. Many, many kittens catch URIs at the pet store, cattery, or even at the vet. You'll see lots of kittens at the shelter with them, too. Any place there's lots of cats, URIs spread like wildfire. You mentioned the breeder has +20 cats, so it's possible he caught something there. Some URIs can be carried - infected adult cats that show no symptoms can still pass it to other cats. Keep an eye on him. Most URIs are beaten by the cat's own immune system, much like a human beats a cold, but some can get serious, especially if he isn't eating or drinking well. If his nose stuffs up, he may lose his appetite because he can't smell his food. As long as he's eating well, and drinking plenty of water, he should be fine. Do take him to the vet again if his eye doesn't get better in a couple days or if his symptoms worsen. My motto has always been 'better safe than sorry'. Glad to hear the boys seem to be getting on pretty well, though. -- -- ~kaeli~ Why do people who know the least know it the loudest? http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace |
#10
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"Karen" wrote in message ...
May be a little stressed. Ask the vet for some Feliway or stop at the local pet store. It may also help introductions go better. Keep us posted The vet examined him, took a fecal sample. The test results found nothing abnormal. She attributed the bleeding and diarrhoea to stress from the move and change in food. She gave us some antibiotics just in case. If he's still having blood in his feces by Monday we are to bring him back, or if he is to have a sudden change in health (i.e. not eating anymore, looking sick) we are to bring him back right away. On another note, last night Hummy and Normy were playing together, and after their wrestling match I had noticed that Normy's was keeping his left eye half-shut, and it looked teary (if that's even a word). This morning I noticed a small circular film on top of his eye. Perhaps half of the size of a pencil eraser head. It doesn't seem to bother him though. I'm not sure what it is but I'm wondering if perhaps its simply a scratch wound from yesterday's battle with Hummy. Hummy seems to always overpower him and pin him down while wrestling, with his mouth either around his neck or his belly. And Normy screams (meows) a lot when this happens. However when Hummy lets him go (sometimes we almost have to pry him off) Normy often rushes back to Hummy. |
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