# Two New Kittens... Help Please?



## Xaveck (Sep 13, 2009)

I'm worried I've done this horribly wrong...

I used to have litter mates and I didn't think anything of it at the time since they were kittens. We adopted two kittens from the shelter yesterday.

One is rather outgoing is quickly wanting run of the house. She's playful and basically your normal friendly kitten. The other is a bit more shy, cries when she's alone, and likes to hiss when the other gets near her. I'm worried because we introduced them very quickly. We made up one cat room with a pair of litter boxes a food dish and a bowl. We fed them together but not from the same bowl. However, there is lots of hissing and the two chase each other around, turn around, and then hiss. 

I'm worried because one cat is becoming unwilling to approach the other, and the other is becoming more shy. She also still hasn't gone #2 in the litter box. They were both spade on the 10th.

I've been in houses where the cats don't get along and I was hoping to avoid being in that situation by getting a pair of kittens. They fell asleep together with my girlfriend and I once, but haven't really spent any time together other than hissing or getting treats to try to calm them down and reward them when they don't hiss. 

Will things in the house normalize at all? Will the kittens start getting along in a week or month or so? Did we make a horrible mistake by introducing them to everything together? There wasn't really a cat to get here first so we were a bit at a loss for how to do the normal through-the-door-technique. 

I could ramble on and I'm hoping I'm just over re-acting but I haven't had kittens in almost a decade and never non-liter mates. Could you help at all?


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

*Re: Two New Kittens...*

Welcome to CatForum, and we should be able to help.
How old are the kittens? Are they both around the same age, and fairly young?

First, that was rather sudden to put them together, but it's already done and if they are under 6mo old, I'd just make the best of it. Be sure to give them enough places to get away from each other, but encourage Good Things to happen when they are together; good food, treats, playing with special toys you control and petting/loving-on each kitten. If they are young enough, it shouldn't take them long to learn to get along, but you need to help it by encouraging them to be together and having the experiences when they are together always be GOOD ones. 

Just keep working at positive experiences and be patient, yet persistent, and they should come around. I have a feeling that a lot of the problem is that *everything* in their world is now new and different. They will be a little discombobulated until they get used to the new living arrangements, but I think they can learn to get along, and if you are diligent about the Good Things, they should even become friends. Kittens are usually very resilient and accepting.

It is common for kittens to not use the litterbox for the 1st day or so. If the kitten has not pooped at the end of 48hrs, _and certainly by 72hrs_, I would consult a vet or the shelter you adopted them from.

Important:
~_you will need to use caution and your own judgement about deciding to do what I outlined above or determine if what I advise below would be best for your kittens_~

The biggest detractor right now, is to prevent negative expriences, and try to keep everything a Good Thing. If they are *not* getting used to each other, you may need to seperate them so they each have their own space and can grow confident within themselves and with their new people-family, but still have supervised 'meetings' and 'socialization sessions' where you encourage them to be near, or in sight of, each other for Good Things to happen and reinforce *those* experience.

Best of luck! What do they look like and what are their names?
heidi =^..^=


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## Xaveck (Sep 13, 2009)

They're both 2 months old.

We thought since they were both wearing little tuxes we'd give them spy names. That became James Bond names and thus M and Q are born. M usually gets called M, and Q is Q or Cutie.

Q has the face markings and a little kink in her tail so it looks like a pig's tail at the end. She's the shy one. They made the kitten pile themselves oddly enough.


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## Xaveck (Sep 13, 2009)

At this point should we bother making up a second room for one of them?
The only reason we haven't is the shy one likes to whine when she's left alone and oddly, doesn't whine so much even with the other kitten around.

They're both adorable and we'd like to help them get along and make it work. Any/All advice is appreciated :? .


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

What kind of sleeping arrangements do you have for them right now? I wouldn't separate them at this point. I'd keep feeding them together, but maybe not right next to each other. I think they'll become buddies very soon.

They are adorable!! :luv


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## Xaveck (Sep 13, 2009)

It's a pretty small room with some shelves that we set up for them to climb on. There are three beds that are on the floor, on a shelf or underneath a shelf. They normally sleep fairly close (~3 feet) from each other on piles of blankets we set up for them. The room has lots of toys and currently has two bowls of food and water and plenty of places to run and hide.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

What a great room you have for them! Sounds like my twins' room, they still go to bed in their room at night.


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## Xaveck (Sep 13, 2009)

Thank you. 
It's just sad to watch them chase each other down the dead end hall ways, get to the end, turn around and hiss at whoever is following. They both do it. *sigh* Hopefully soon.

So one room is alright. Keep feeding them separately. Try to keep meetings positive via treats. We started it out less than amazing but they should be getting the hang of things soon.

Anything else I should keep an eye out for and/or do to help them buddy up?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

You could try the "vanilla on the back of the neck" trick. Sometimes it helps them smell the same. Just a drop on the back of the neck, maybe rub a towel all over one, and then the other. Plus, they both just got spayed, so they smell that icky "vet" smell on each other. They're so young, I reallly don't think it'll take long. Plus, as long as they're not drawing blood or making each other scream, wrestling is normal. My twins still wrestle like boys and chase each other through the house every day - at two years old.


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## Xaveck (Sep 13, 2009)

Vanilla on the back of the neck... *rubs chin* We tried rubbing them with dryer sheets. I don't know if it worked but they did take the nap together. 
About how long does the icky vet smell last? They've got appointments at the vet on Monday for a check up to make sure they're all healthy.

We rubbed them both down with towels and then put it in the other one's bed. They don't seem to mind. They were just playing with each other from different levels on the shelves. That went on until one arm came back in and the other hopped down to see where it went. Hiss. Game over. Still so cute. >.>


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I think it's going great.  Hissing is normal. Cleo hisses at the twins every day. Dryer sheets, I've read, are bad to rub on them, since kitties groom themselves and there's stuff in them that aren't great to be digested. Nothing to freak out about at this point, but just to be safe, I wouldn't do it again. 

Since they're both going to the vet together, they should be fine when they get home, but vet visits can stress kitties out, so they might be a bit irritable when they get home. Maybe a good play session together and some treats.

I'm not much of an expert on behavior, hopefully tomorrow you'll get better advice and hints.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Marie has already given you fabulous advice that I really can't add to.
I thought they were older, like 5-6mo old, but since they are both around 2mo old...I would keep them together and after a bit of time, they will desensitize to each other. They napped together, so that is GREAT! Visit them often for treats, encouragement, petting and scrubbles and maybe some structured playing together with dragged strings or laser lights to chase..._you control those toys and prevent any head-on collisions or sudden-face-to-face hissings_. Like Marie, I think things sound like they are going well. The hissing is normal and is just a way for them to communicate to each other that they just aren't that comfortable yet. Give them a chance and they'll work it out.


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## Xaveck (Sep 13, 2009)

They've been running around playing cat and mouse with each other all morning. Once someone gets caught, there is growling and they run off only to find each other and start stalking about a minute later. It's amusing to watch.

I really posted though because I thought you'd want to see the return of the kitten pile.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Awwwww, how cute is that?? :luv


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

That is awful cute! :luv


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## Jack&Harley (Nov 2, 2008)

Growling and loud wrestling is going to happen even the occasional hissing.

I introduced Pepper to my two adult males at 8 weeks old. Jack hated her for a good 8 weeks, Harley hated her for about 48 hours. Harley and her wrestle and run and tackle each other all the time--to the untrained eye or ear it might sound like they are getting carried away but 10 minutes later you'll see Harley grooming her or her grooming Harley. 

Jack is finally past the constant hissing and smacking stage but is still not completely thrilled about her--I think he'll learn to respect her more once she has grown to his size--he has learned to respect her more now that she defends herself to him. He hates when she hisses at him.

Patience is key, and if you really feel its getting carried away a quick distraction is great. I read in a book cat vs cat that separating is good when they get carried away but just like kids if you don't distract them with something else they are going to return to the activity you don't want them to do. This has been key with Jack. Now when he gets carried away with Harley I don't just separate I get a toy for Jack to bring his attention else where.

Leslie


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## Xaveck (Sep 13, 2009)

Sorry for all the extra questions, but I have one more now.

They've gotten really playful and have been playing kitty chaise all around the house. One cat doing most of it but they both do it. When one actually gets caught though there is a bit of growling and a little hissing and then one normally takes off only to have the other chasing her now instead/again.

Normal kitten stuff, right? (I'm just a little paranoid trying to help my new girls get a long well)


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Very normal.


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## Xaveck (Sep 13, 2009)

Thank you very much.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Ask all the questions you want. I was newly owned by a cat when I joined and I asked all kinds of questions. Heck, I still do! I almost took Cinderella to the E.R. because I thought she was having some kind of fit - teeth chattering and such. Thank goodness I posted about it, because she was just "chattering" at the birds outside.  

Plus, I was sent home with tuna as food for Cinderella. Not cat food. Chicken of the Sea. 8O (I needed a lot of help.)


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## Xaveck (Sep 13, 2009)

Alrighty and thank you very much.

They're getting aggressive with playing. Pouncing, nipping/bitting, batting. One cries and hisses and the playful one isn't stopping... also normal? >.>
(I feel silly for worrying so much. I've had cats before and just let them be and they figured it out.)


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Hmmmm. Maybe others can answer that better. I know when I thought one of my twins was being too aggressive, I did step in, even though some "experts" would say not to. I distracted the evil twin with toys.


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