# Youngish cat likes my own cat, friends?



## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

Hey everyone! Just wondered if I could get your guidance. 

My own cat is 5 years old, he's a very good boy, really well natured. Recently a young-ish cat which I haven't seen around before has been following him a lot, I'd say this little cat is about 10 months old, maybe a year at the most, he's quite thin, hasn't been neutered, no collar and he meows constantly and I mean CONSTANTLY, like he's begging desperately for attention or food. I keep putting food out for him and whenever I do he acts like he's starving. I'm not doubting he probably has owners but I really don't think they're looking after him properly, he's extremely friendly and trusting, obviously well socialised. 

I've kept my own cat's food away from his, the only tension has been when the little cat has been sniffing around his food, at that point my cat has swiped at his face. Other than that, they're quite good together, although the little one is still quite nervous and my cat doesn't settle properly to sleep if he's around. 

I really can't decide if this little cat is just visiting or whether he's potentially being adopted here? he does come around for food regularly now. I just don't want my own cat to feel pushed out and I can't work out whether they're both indifferent about each other or they get along? they do greet each other by sniffing nose to nose. 

Any input would be great.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Sounds like you made a friend. If he is ravenous each time you feed him I would assume that he is a stray or unwanted - certainly unloved. They will quickly get used to each other and settle down. It's amazing what regular meals and love will do! I would take him in, get him vet checked and fixed and consider yourself lucky you were adopted/chosen!!


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

Thankyou. 
Yeah, he's a lovely boy. He's snuggled up and fallen asleep for the first time today! 
Gonna see how it goes, I'm really anxious about stealing someone else's pet, even if he's badly taken care of. He is quite dirty too. I'll give it a few more days.


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

Little cat has slept in our house all day today, came in at 11 am and has just left now (it's nearly 7 pm here). He actually slept in my cat's usual spot in the living room which worried me at first, but my cat has been around throughout the day, has been out to play and in for feeds as usual, he saw little cat was in his spot, seemed a little disgruntled at first, sniffed him and willingly moved to another chair to have a little nap himself. There hasn't been any fighting or growling. Quite relieved. 

I'm inexperienced when it comes to multiple cats but I am taking this as being positive?

I can tell little cat would quite like a bit more physical contact with mine but he's quite solitary and very human centred.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Sounds like this baby is trying to make your home his  I say he is probably not someone's cat if he is always hungry and around your house, and not neutered. I think having more than one cats is a good thing, they don't get bored, they are never alone, it is so much better. And honestly, if there is a little growling and hissing between the two, that would not be abnormal either, but it sounds like if that were going to be the case, it would have happened already. If he is a stray, and a kitten, he may have worms, or he could just be a little piglet because he is a kitten. My kitten is almost a year old and he is just starting to slow down, his appetite, a little bit, but for the longest time he cried constantly that he was hungry. He still does, just not as bad, it's getting better. 

I think two cats is a good thing, a buddy for your other cat, it's a win win!


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Personally, I think this is a match made in heaven! Sounds like you (and he) found a great situation. I would not worry too much about other owners. If it salves your conscious then put up a few flyers in some places and see if any claims him. If someone does, then you can ask if they are willing to part with him for a few dollars, or euros or pounds or whatever you use there! I'll bet they say yes. You can also ask them why he looks so neglected and they you are thinking of turning them in for abuse!! The dirt may be flea dirt so check him over good.


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

Thanks guys.  

Yeah I'm really thrilled so far. I'm gonna give it a bit of time as little cat has had physical contact with us all for less than a week, despite seeing him around the garden previously (my cat and him hung around together for a bit, checking each other out). 

Marcia that's a good idea about approaching neighbours and putting out some flyers, if he continues and really does seem to have moved in I'll be doing that straight away, then a good check up from the vet with be in order. So eager to get him neutered, vaccinated and collared.


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

Just a question about smell. I know smell is often what distinguishes territory, if my cat has allowed little cat into his 'territory' in the first place, does it mean I can relax about where little cat chooses to go in my house? 
I don't want my own cat to feel he doesn't 'belong' anymore and because little cat is so young and the environment is new, he's wandering everywhere to explore. As I said previously, this hasn't resulted in any friction or fights, minus my cat taking a swipe when little cat tried eating from his bowl, but they eat separately now so that's been resolved. 

My own cat is very outdoorsy, loves hunting etc, little cat seems more domestic.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

I think your resident cat seems to be very tolerant of Little Cat (LC?), based on what you have said so far. I would take that as a sign that they will get along great once the initial shock of a newby wears off. There may be some growling and hissing, but I think it will be fine and I predict, they will be best friends within a week or so. Definitely get him vet checked as soon as practical though. You don't want them to share any little nasties that may be lurking in LC. You may have a new little permanent homebody on your lap in no time!!

I'm quite excited for you!!! Keep us posted.


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

Ah, thanks so much. I will.


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## lovetimesfour (Dec 1, 2010)

You've been Chosen. Congratulations, it's a great honor! Sounds like your other cat has already accepted him, too. Time to learn his name, get him to the vet, tested for disease, and neutered so he can move in properly.


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## Yuki'sMum (Dec 3, 2012)

Awww this is so sweet  it sounds like this was meant to be for all of you. Yes please keep us updated. 


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## pkbshrew (Feb 13, 2013)

Lucky, lucky wee LC has found a safe place to land. Keep us posted and we'd love to see some photos if you can manage it . Sounds like your resident puss is pretty chilled about the newbie in the house which is great


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

Thanks everyone.  

This is the only pic I have of them together so far. (Little cat is black and white, mine is the tabby white). I've decided if this really is permanent to call the little one Louie, the name of my own cat is Shay. 










We're slowly making more progress I think. Shay has avoided little cat's food bowl for the last few days and stuck to his own, but low and behold he had a cheeky nibble in little cat's after he'd gone away, obviously I'll be deterring them both from doing this cos I don't want there to be competition over food, but I'm taking it as a sign the smell of the new cat is becoming a bit more familiar.

My cat also instigated a greeting to little cat for the first time and did this twice. He sniffed little cat's bum and followed him outside. He also touched noses with him. Until today it'd been little cat only who'd been sociable, so I'm fairly pleased.


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

So little cat is going to the vets tomorrow. Gotta admit I'm a little deflated cos they've both had a couple of tiffs today (this is quite normal I know). Nothing serious I don't suppose, but little cat has been teasing my cat and getting in his space, (jumping at him when his back's been turned etc) it's meant my cat has swiped at his face and growled at him. Not sure whether little one is just wanting to play. I guess he's probably just testing boundaries, but he also follows my cat constantly, always sniffing where he's been and going after him, as a cat that's quite solitary mine has been quite irritated.

Currently we're not letting little cat upstairs, I think it's good for my cat to be able to escape and get some quiet, he's been alone 5 and a half years so I suppose he's still getting used to the little one. 

I thought it was too good to be true. SIGH.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Don't give up!! Louie may still fit in. Give it a bit more time and see what happens. I agree that it is good for Shay to have quiet time upstairs - a place to escape. I've adopted senior and adult cats for years and it always takes time for the ice to be broken and although I never seem to enjoy bonds between them, there is a quiet acceptance after a few weeks or a couple months.


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## lovetimesfour (Dec 1, 2010)

Cats don't get along every single minute of the day, any more than humans do. 

Cats are individuals with preferences and moods, and they change their minds. 

One wants to play, if the other doesn't, he says so with a swat at the face and a growl. It's fine and normal. 

They are doing fine, I'm sure of it. Letting Shay escape upstairs is exactly the right thing to do.

Let us know how the vet trip goes!


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

Ah, you're all so great. Thanks everyone. :smile:
I'll keep you all updated.


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## JungliBillis (Mar 20, 2013)

Your kitties are cute! I agree it takes a while for cats to get used to each other. And I'm sure little Louie will mellow out a bit after getting fixed and all that. Hope the visit to get goes well! It's so nice of you to take the him


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

Just give them more time. My Winston is a lot younger than Nyska and although he is two years old he still acts like a kitten and tries to play with Nyska by stalking her and jumping other, which Nyska hates. So every once in a while she has enough and let's him have it. Like another poster said,cats don't get along 100% of the time, specially when it is a younger cat with an older one (at least in my house!). It will get better once Loui gets past the teenager stage too. I think you have done a good thing by giving that little guy a home. And soon enough they will be getting along fine.


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

So update, quite a lot has happened! Brace yourselves for a long-ish post!

Took little cat to the vet on Tuesday, got him checked over and it turns out he's microchipped. Have to say part of me felt relief, if only because I hated to think he was unloved. Apparently he is a little underweight and he's about 2 years old, so we got the vet to call the number on the microchip and she left a message for the owners. Turns out they don't live far away and are in the same zip code area.

At dinner time we got a knock at the door, it was little cat's owner, a very lovely lady actually. She said he often disappeared and had actually tried to move in with an elderly neighbour of hers before us, the neighbour died, so obviously little cat has ended up coming to us since. Apparently he doesn't eat at their house and they rarely see him anymore, he is fully vaccinated and they do it annually so obviously they're not neglectful. While she was at our house she picked up little cat and told us his name is actually Sid, he's just turned 2. We obliged and said he was her cat and that she was absolutely free to take him home if she wanted and that we'd previously thought he was a stray. However, he struggled as she held him and wanted to go back to where he'd been laid, he also went into OUR kitchen to go eat while she was there, he appeared to snub her really, SO we gave the lady our phone number and basically said that if she ever wanted to know where he was or was concerned to give us a call. The lady felt that Sid appeared quite contented and that she can't really make him come home if he doesn't want to, particularly if he came straight back here anyway.

Obviously she seemed like a nice lady, but apparently she does have small children and other pets, I'm guessing that maybe little Sid prefers our house because there's no small children and it's quite quiet, there's also nearly always someone home at some point during the day, I'd say his owners were quite a busy working family that are out a lot.
So all in all, eventful. Sid appears to want to stay, if he's not in our house he's usually napping in our garden or next door's, he never seems far away. The lady said if he's gonna continue staying we could have him but I don't want to be too hasty, apparently her little girl has been quite upset about the whole thing. It's lovely having him around though.

Also you were all right, I think Shay and Sid just had a bit of a spat the other day. Shay really doesn't seem to like it when Sid tries sniffing his bum lol. Shay likes to sniff noses as a greeting, Sid likes sniffing bum AFTER sniffing noses. They were just being silly boys.


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## lovetimesfour (Dec 1, 2010)

Goodness imagine being so casual about a family member. I'd get the microchip info changed, and keep him inside. End of story, Sid is home to stay.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

LC has a name!! I'm so glad the loose ends are tying up. I agree, Sid should stay with you - I'm sure he is not comfortable with little children. I've learned over the years that cats prefer the quiet comforts of a home with grown or no children.

As for the bum sniffing, one of these days Shay will nip him good and Sid will probably stop it. If that is the only problem I'd say that Shay has a new friend and you have a new kitty. Congratulations!


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

I know, I'd be absolutely devastated if it was my cat, would do everything to keep him and wonder why he disliked his home so much! 

So yeah, fingers crossed. I'm really thrilled he seems to have chosen us.


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

Bump!

Hey everyone! Just an update.

Things are going well at the moment although I wouldn't say the cats were close. They generally do their own thing and 'rub along' without much contact. Shay is quite solitary as I said previously. 

They're still very cautious of each other, especially Shay. I know it's early days but if Sid's eating too close to the doorway for example, Shay hesitates about entering the room. He also seems to watch him a lot, I'm not sure sometimes whether the 'watching' is him trying to intimidate? Shay seems to dislike Sid being too close to him, he'll swat if Sid gets in his space sometimes. 

I would say the dynamics have settled mostly, though. Shay is definitely the dominant cat (naturally cos he's bigger, and the territory is his). 

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed everything continues to go fairly smoothly. They've both slept in the same room a couple of times, although in separate chairs. Shay has given up a couple of his favourite sleeping spots for Sid and moved somewhere else without any fighting or anything.

Thanks once again for all the great advice you guys have given. We feel very blessed. X


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

My friend got his cat this way. The cat belonged to a neighbor but apparently they know where they are wanted. He started showing up at my friend's house and eventually got fed. The patio door was left open and the cat could come in as he pleased. Then sleeping there. Then my friend found out it was a neighbor's cat that didn't seem too upset that the cat was gone for a few days at a time. The neighbor even left for a weekend and the cat was locked in the garage by mistake. Then the cat needed vet care so my friend took it. Well guess whose cat it is now? The cat found the home he needed even though the neighbor lives on the same street. As stated, the neighbor has kids, other pets and my friend works from home with no kids or other pets. I have to admit it was so funny though because even with all that my friend kept calling it my neighbor's cat. Some of us didn't really want cats but we are woooed.


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## JungliBillis (Mar 20, 2013)

Ohh that's so awesome they are coexisting quite peacefully. Sounds like Shay is even being considerate for the little guy. It's really great that they are sleeping in the same room and everything! Is he officially your cat now?


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

JungliBillis said:


> Ohh that's so awesome they are coexisting quite peacefully. Sounds like Shay is even being considerate for the little guy. It's really great that they are sleeping in the same room and everything! Is he officially your cat now?


Pretty much yeah! He's looking way healthier too and he's cleaning himself more. He's put on some weight. It's so rewarding.


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## pkbshrew (Feb 13, 2013)

What wonderful news


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

Bit worried about Sid. As I said before he's quite a nervous cat and Shay is definitely the dominant one, I think it's affecting Sid's eating though. 
Sid has definitely put on some weight, and he is obviously eating more than he used to but there's still days here and there where he eats very little, particularly if Shay is there. Today he appeared hungry but didn't touch his food, (Shay was there) so we then moved it into his favourite spot in the garden (away from him) and he had two helpings! So I'd say it's definitely a behaviour issue.

His previous owner said he wouldn't eat at all in her house, given she had other pets I'm wondering if it was because of that.

He's very sensitive, quite a softie. Him and Shay have had a couple of tiffs but nothing serious. I'm not sure what to think! 

I've considered putting his food somewhere more quiet in the house, I wondered if this would solve the issue? 

I know cats can starve themselves to death sometimes, so naturally it really concerns me.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Moving his feeding area will definitely solve the problem. We had a himmy for a short while until she died (I adopt them old to start with so never have them very long). She was most comfortable in the laundry room (it's large) and just worriedly looked around at the other cats and would not eat if she was in the kitchen. We just started to put her food on the counter in the laundry room. She would eat very contentedly while everyone else was in the kitchen. Worked out great because she was a slow eater anyways.

Don't worry about the tiffs. It's normal and quite acceptable as long as it's not too serious. They will work things out. I'm so glad Sid is getting healthy and happy in his new home. Shay and Sid may never be best buddies but they will settle into a peaceful co-existence and with time may even become friends as they age.

It's hard to believe it's been almost TWO MONTHS already since your original post!


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## JungliBillis (Mar 20, 2013)

Aww he's a shy kitty. So great that he's eating more and looking better. I bet he just didn't feel safe in his old home due to their other pets and children. Hopefully, he will like the new feeding spot


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

I feed my two in separate rooms and the door is closed on one. One cat eats very slow and the other gobbles his food. Then he would run in and eat hers. So I feed them different rooms and let him out when she is done. I feed twice a day same times with wet.


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

You were all right, giving him a quiet corner in a quiet room has really helped. Thanks again, guys!


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Soooo...how are thing going between Sid and Shay? Are they interacting? Playing? Has the hissing settled down? It's been two months!!


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## Fuzzy (Feb 19, 2010)

They're definitely more used to each other. I say that because they're more casual about being around each other. When Shay sees him, I don't feel he's as unnerved and visa versa. I do get the feeling they're going to just 'rub along' though. They sniff noses and have a lick, they'll nap in the same room but personality wise they are so, SO different.

Shay is very independent, a real male, loves hunting, keeps himself extremely clean, he has a lot of pride. Wants attention on his terms.
Sid is a lot more helpless, he needs reassurance, is quite shy, very nervous, doesn't hunt at all, he's only recently started grooming more and is looking a lot cleaner which makes me think he was previously quite depressed and unhappy, he was filthy when we first started feeding him. We also have to coax him to eat sometimes. He isn't a food guzzler like Shay. He eats little but often. 

Sometimes Sid will follow Shay if he's being playful and just watch but I think he cramps his style a bit lol. 

Basically I'm pleased. Shay is a very good cat, he's accepted him mostly and has even given up a couple of his favourite spaces for Sid. Neither are aggressive.

I think they'd be a lot more communicative if Shay wasn't so antisocial, but he's a loner and he's 5 and a half. Sid greets him and initially I think he wanted to play, but he is younger and Shay wasn't having it, I think Shay likes to use up his energy by playing predator.

The sad thing is, I really don't think his previous owners played with Sid much! I took some string out for him and he seemed quite bewildered! I'm continuing to encourage him though, with him not being interested in any kind of hunting behaviour I think it's important for him to have some fun.

I feel very lucky all in all. But I also think Sid is used to being underdog, his previous owner had another cat (his brother) and he seemed a lot more dominant from what I saw. 

There's been no real hassle, I think it'll be fine. Fingers crossed. But the contrast between them never fails to fascinate me!


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Thanks for the update! Yes, sounds like Sid is his own guy and may end up being a laid back house cat. Lacey is like this. Quiet, docile, rarely plays, etc. Just content to spend her time on the nearest lap. His previous owners may have been the cause of his shyness or it may just be his nature.


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