New kitty old kitty

Question
QUESTION: I so want my two babies to get along but my oldest baby 11 months old and my newest baby 8 or 9 weeks old recently spade aren't getting along. My old baby was a rescue and so is my new baby. She is a semi feral Siamese that is very small. I really want the two of them to get along but Neyo (older male) keeps hissing at me and Illyria (new kitty) I live on a racetrack in a 12x12 room. What do I do?

ANSWER: Hi Stephanie,

It's important that the two be introduced properly, and that means keeping them separated for a while.  In a 12X12 room, that may be difficult, but you could keep the kitten in the bathroom for several days until you start introducing them slowly.  During this time, you should use a towel to rub your female, especially along the cheeks, and let the male smell it.  Rub your male with a fresh towel, and let the female smell it.  They can become familiar this way without seeing each other.  When the cats seem okay with the towels, and there is no hissing or avoidance, you can try to introduce the kitties directly.  I would start by feeding them a special meal at separate ends of the room.  Move their bowls a little closer together at each meal.  A nice meal will give them something pleasant to associate with one another to start a positive relationship.  Try to limit visits to 15 minutes at first, and gradually increase the length if the visits go well.

I'm not sure why your male would be hissing at you unless he's feral, or if this all started after you brought your female back from being spayed.  Scents that are brought back from the hospital are unfamiliar and can be very stressful for cats who are left at home.  The kitties generally get over it with time, but sometimes you need to separate the cats who had the hospital stay for anywhere from 2-14 days in order to end the rift.  Then try reintroducing them slowly as above.  Other times, dusting both cats with a little corn starch baby powder can mask the scents from the vet hospital.

Most introductions take about 2 weeks before the cats accept each other without much hissing.

Best of luck!

Jessica



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: One last question my female won't leave my bed or my side. I have to take her to the litter box and bring her food to her. A rescue spade her could this be a side effect of them putting her under or could she be afraid of my male.

Answer
It sounds most likely that she's afraid of your male.  If there's any possibility of renting a dog crate to keep the kitten in with her food, water and a litter box when you can't be right beside her, until the two get used to each other, that would be great.  The barrier of the cage should give her a little more confidence while getting used to his presence.

The other possibility would be that she's sick, and sometimes a surgery can reduce a cat's resistance to germs.  Cats with fevers tend to be clingy because they get the chills, and humans provide warmth.  Complications of anesthesia are rare, but they can occur.  If the kitten won't eat normally, starts losing weight or doesn't play like a normal kitten should, she should get right back to the vet.