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Excited :)
- Thread starter Brandy DW
- Start date
Brandy DW
Missing Neka, Loving Sabriel, Nakaia, & Trance
Update: As long as Nakaia is laying next to her when I open the kennel and I pet both of them - they'll BOTH lay there and purr for me! Course with both of my hands being in use I can't get a video of it... need to look into getting a video stand or something like John has lol.
So in other news, I've been trying to figure out the Sabriel thing. If I should be worried or if it really was just my perception. So I thought how could I test this for real, I was looking at pictures I had of her and I couldn't tell easily with those. So then I thought, hello... her harness! I hadn't used it for a few weeks with her but it would still work. Put it on her and it fit normally. So apparently my perception just sucks lol.
In other not so great news, but potentially great news. While I was playing with Sabriel tonight in the upstairs bedroom with one of her teaser toys, when I was going to bring her back down to her cat room she got loose. At that point she still had her harness on so when I caught her again she couldn't easily squirm away. However she was in sight of the kittens. She saw them and they saw her. She was about 15 feet away from them. There was no hissing or growling from either side thankfully, just a bunch of curiosity it seemed.
I brought Sabriel down stairs after that fairly fast, and gave her tons of attention then too in hopes she wouldn't get/be jealous over them. She seemed fine. Afterwards I came back upstairs and checked on the kittens and their behavior. They seemed fine too.
So now just another week to go for quarantine and then I can start the introduction process. This slight encounter tonight gives me hope but still going to move ultra slow with that when the time comes.
So in other news, I've been trying to figure out the Sabriel thing. If I should be worried or if it really was just my perception. So I thought how could I test this for real, I was looking at pictures I had of her and I couldn't tell easily with those. So then I thought, hello... her harness! I hadn't used it for a few weeks with her but it would still work. Put it on her and it fit normally. So apparently my perception just sucks lol.
In other not so great news, but potentially great news. While I was playing with Sabriel tonight in the upstairs bedroom with one of her teaser toys, when I was going to bring her back down to her cat room she got loose. At that point she still had her harness on so when I caught her again she couldn't easily squirm away. However she was in sight of the kittens. She saw them and they saw her. She was about 15 feet away from them. There was no hissing or growling from either side thankfully, just a bunch of curiosity it seemed.
I brought Sabriel down stairs after that fairly fast, and gave her tons of attention then too in hopes she wouldn't get/be jealous over them. She seemed fine. Afterwards I came back upstairs and checked on the kittens and their behavior. They seemed fine too.
So now just another week to go for quarantine and then I can start the introduction process. This slight encounter tonight gives me hope but still going to move ultra slow with that when the time comes.
There are many ways to mount a Video Camera... A Tripod is just one of many... I have attached them to shower rods, poles, windows (vacuum mounts), and even wear them (Chest, wrist, head band, etc). I even have one mounted on Elsa's Carrier...
It gives you an idea of what to expect when you do introduce them.. Glad it did not go badly, but the end of quarantine, the first official meeting may go better than expected.
For me, quarantine was the worst part, but when Jake and Elsa meet they both fell in love with each other and are the greatest of friends....
Brandy DW
Missing Neka, Loving Sabriel, Nakaia, & Trance
So this weekend is the end of the quarantine period. Since it's friday, this time I purposely brought Sabriel upstairs to see the kittens. They were in the kennel. I started with her in my arms standing up, she seemed okay then and so did the kittens. Then about 10 feet away I sat down with her in my arms, i was petting her the whole time and she was very content to just stare at them with me petting her. Then after a few minutes the hissing started and some growling. All on Sabriels end. I probably kept her in front of them around 5 minutes.. She really didn't like it. The kittens didn't really make much of a peep, they just went to the back of the kennel and stared out at all..
So for true introduction-ary purposes how should I start? If Sabriel is mostly downstairs and the kittens are usually upstairs they hear each other but they don't likely usually smell each other a lot...
Oh after Sabriel was all anxious, I played fetch with her for a good while with her toys, by the end she was pretty good until I brought her downstairs again. She growled again when I brought her down the steps and by where the kittens were.. Blah.
One thing I do notice is the kittens fur is incredibly smooth, glossy and shiny...
Sabriels fur looks good for the most part but feels a little oily I guess, I don't know she could have just washed herself or something. I only noticed it now because I went directly from playing with the kittens to playing with her... back to playing with the kittens to make sure they weren't too traumatized by her hissing and growling at them.
Each time she would start hissing at them I would use my arm and close her mouth, that's when she would growl. I closed her mouth to try to get her to stop hissing but she didn't like that. Although all she did to me after I let her open her mouth again was lick me - sorry that part was the cute part of the whole event...
So for true introduction-ary purposes how should I start? If Sabriel is mostly downstairs and the kittens are usually upstairs they hear each other but they don't likely usually smell each other a lot...
Oh after Sabriel was all anxious, I played fetch with her for a good while with her toys, by the end she was pretty good until I brought her downstairs again. She growled again when I brought her down the steps and by where the kittens were.. Blah.
One thing I do notice is the kittens fur is incredibly smooth, glossy and shiny...
Sabriels fur looks good for the most part but feels a little oily I guess, I don't know she could have just washed herself or something. I only noticed it now because I went directly from playing with the kittens to playing with her... back to playing with the kittens to make sure they weren't too traumatized by her hissing and growling at them.
Each time she would start hissing at them I would use my arm and close her mouth, that's when she would growl. I closed her mouth to try to get her to stop hissing but she didn't like that. Although all she did to me after I let her open her mouth again was lick me - sorry that part was the cute part of the whole event...
Brandy, this is what I did every time I added a new kitten to the house:
After the 2 week quarantine, I let the new kitten start supervised roaming of the house while the existing cats were closed in the kitten's quarantine room. I left the kitten out and the existing cats locked in for a few hours each day for about 3 days.
Then I let the existing cats in the kitten's room while the kitten was in a kennel and let them do whatever they were doing to do (which in your case, might include hissing and swatting through the kennel) -- 15 minutes or so depending on how things were going.
Then I put the existing cats in the kennel for a little while each day and let the kitten free in the room and let them do whatever they were going to do. I was still swapping the adults and kitten into and out of the room for a few hours each day too.
Then I put the existing cats in the kennel and let them out one at a time to meet the newcomer. In your case, you should let the more confident of the kittens out first and once the kitten and Sabriel are comfortable with each other, let out the less confident kitten.
I treat the introduction process as an extension of the quarantine period. First stage of quarantine is to ensure new kitten is healthy and that it bonds with its humans; second stage is introduction to the house and other pets. How long the intro period lasts depends on how long it takes everyone to get used to each other. It could be immediate or you could have to do the modified contact for days or weeks.
Best wishes for a speedy intro.
After the 2 week quarantine, I let the new kitten start supervised roaming of the house while the existing cats were closed in the kitten's quarantine room. I left the kitten out and the existing cats locked in for a few hours each day for about 3 days.
Then I let the existing cats in the kitten's room while the kitten was in a kennel and let them do whatever they were doing to do (which in your case, might include hissing and swatting through the kennel) -- 15 minutes or so depending on how things were going.
Then I put the existing cats in the kennel for a little while each day and let the kitten free in the room and let them do whatever they were going to do. I was still swapping the adults and kitten into and out of the room for a few hours each day too.
Then I put the existing cats in the kennel and let them out one at a time to meet the newcomer. In your case, you should let the more confident of the kittens out first and once the kitten and Sabriel are comfortable with each other, let out the less confident kitten.
I treat the introduction process as an extension of the quarantine period. First stage of quarantine is to ensure new kitten is healthy and that it bonds with its humans; second stage is introduction to the house and other pets. How long the intro period lasts depends on how long it takes everyone to get used to each other. It could be immediate or you could have to do the modified contact for days or weeks.
Best wishes for a speedy intro.
Oops, I forgot to mention that you should not physically interfere with Sabriel's behavior toward the kittens -- such as trying to get her to stop hissing or close her mouth. This will jeopardize her acceptance of the newcomers and give her unpleasant associations with them. The proper time to interfere is if there are physical altercations between the cats where there is potential for one of them to get seriously hurt. And remember, there may be some rough and tumble behavior as new boundaries and hierarchies are established.
I agree with everything Deborah has said. Each kitten and cat is different in how they react and accept strangers so you will need to play it by ear. It is important that you try not to interfere if possible and let them them work things out amongst themselves. If you have a door where you could put the kittens on one side and Sabriel on the other (e.g., bedroom-bathroom) you can put up a screen door or tiered baby safety gates across it so that they can see and meet each other while being protected behind the barrier. You can also try playing with them with wand toys side by side (a bit hard with three of them and only two hands) or feeding them side by side for brief periods of time.
It is inevitable that there will be some hissing, growling, and swatting but hopefully they will get over it before too long.
It is inevitable that there will be some hissing, growling, and swatting but hopefully they will get over it before too long.
Brandy DW
Missing Neka, Loving Sabriel, Nakaia, & Trance
Well all these of my kitties like me now, even Trance rubs up against me and likes it when I pet her and such...
Now if only getting them to like each other would be so easy lol. -- The kittens haven't even seen the ferrets yet. Sabriel liked them on sight (well after she got over being afraid of their noise lol), hopefully the kittens will too.
I'm thinking Sabriel is a more skittish cat, I ~think~ she may be afraid of the kittens... not that she couldn't dominate them right now but until she interacts with them she won't know... But I'm not fool enough to just let them out and see what happens...
Now if only getting them to like each other would be so easy lol. -- The kittens haven't even seen the ferrets yet. Sabriel liked them on sight (well after she got over being afraid of their noise lol), hopefully the kittens will too.
I'm thinking Sabriel is a more skittish cat, I ~think~ she may be afraid of the kittens... not that she couldn't dominate them right now but until she interacts with them she won't know... But I'm not fool enough to just let them out and see what happens...
Brandy DW
Missing Neka, Loving Sabriel, Nakaia, & Trance
I currently have the kittens in their kennel. Sabriel in the kittens sleepy pod they came here with, no one in the mutual cat room (aka my spare bedroom/office area) or Sabriel's room. I tried bringing Sabriel upstairs and letting her go near the kittens like she did the ferrets, to see if under her own complete control she would like them better. Nope, not a chance. This time I didn't curb her hissing or anything, when she saw them she put a claw deep in my arm on accident though, that freaking hurt and I cried out. Which got Sabriel even more stressed, she got in front of their cage - she hissed and then Trance hissed and then Sabriel ran. So at least if it comes to confrontation I think/hope she'll run rather then kill them in the future.
Got Sabriel in the mutual cat room, when she came in contact with the sleepy pod she would hiss - when she came in contact with their toys she would hiss. I played with her with her toys for a time and then I eventually got her in the sleepy pod - she REALLY didn't like it at first. Kept growling and hissing. I gave her some time to adjust where she wasn't hissing or growling as much. Then I started giving her some cat treats and even a tiny bit of sausage. Now she isn't hissing or growling at all. I have her right next to me on the couch and I think I'll leave her in there for a half hour and then I'll bring her down to her room and put the kittens in and see how they react to her scent.
That way both Sabriel and the kittens have their own area to go back to where they're less stressed.
That's the plan at least. I may be completely screwing this up...
Got Sabriel in the mutual cat room, when she came in contact with the sleepy pod she would hiss - when she came in contact with their toys she would hiss. I played with her with her toys for a time and then I eventually got her in the sleepy pod - she REALLY didn't like it at first. Kept growling and hissing. I gave her some time to adjust where she wasn't hissing or growling as much. Then I started giving her some cat treats and even a tiny bit of sausage. Now she isn't hissing or growling at all. I have her right next to me on the couch and I think I'll leave her in there for a half hour and then I'll bring her down to her room and put the kittens in and see how they react to her scent.
That way both Sabriel and the kittens have their own area to go back to where they're less stressed.
That's the plan at least. I may be completely screwing this up...