Adding an Aby

Question
We had a WONDERFUL Aby for 13 years.  When we lost him, we bought a Tonk and a Bengal, both males.  They are not and never will be as loving, outgoing and trusting as Chumley was.  I can accept that but lately I have been thinking about getting another Aby.  A breeder of Abys STRONGLY advised me against it.  She said they would both try to dominate and eventually begin to mark their territory.  I know that we can never replace Chumley but I do think the breed tends to be more outgoing and trusting.  Your opinion would be appreciated.  Pat

Answer
Pat,

If you bring an Aby in as a kitten, all should go well.  You need to introduce any new cat to the established pets gradually.  Like people, cats can take instant likes or dislikes to each other, so introducing a new cat to the Tonk and the Bengal will always be a bit of a crap shoot.  They may get along, or they may not.  Adult cats are usually fairly tolerant of kittens, so an Aby kitten would be your best bet.  There are plenty of people with both Bengals and Abyssinians who all get along just fine.  The important thing is to make sure the Aby gets fixed as quickly as possible (as young as 12 weeks is O.K.).  I would not take a kitten younger than 16 weeks!!!!!

Anyway, here is a method we have used for introducing a new kitten to a household with established pets:


Start out your new kitten in one room with a litter pan and water dish. Ideally, the one room should be a bedroom with yourself or another human resident. This accomplishes a couple of things. Your new kitten will not be overwhelmed by its new surroundings and get "lost", and thusly will have no problem finding the litter pan (often kittens or rescues have been confined and are somewhat daunted by wide open spaces!). You will feed the new cat or kitten in this room and keep the established cats out. It allows the new kitten to bond with you or another human being and also build up some self assurance in its new surroundings since it will not have to compete for food or attention right away. Finally, it allows the new kitten and the established cats to sniff each other under the door and get familiar with each others' scents.

After 5-7 days of being in its one room, it is time to let them meet each other. Be prepared for some posturing, some spitting and hissing, and the like. IGNORE IT! After a while, they should begin chasing each other about and still have the occasional hiss or spit as they get acustomed to each other. Cats tend to make a whole lot of noise and even loosen up some fur. Rarely will two cats hurt each other.

Once they are introduced, there are a couple of things you must remember. Do not separate them again, they will get along! Do not interfere in their "discussions" as they need to sort it out amongst themselves!

It does not hurt to give the established cats treats and extra attention after the new kitten is introduced (yes, cats do get jealous!).

A couple of things you may have to do are to feed them on separate dishes. Provide more than one litter pan in different areas of the household (as cats can be very territorial about litter pans).

All, in all, this method seems to have had great success in the past and makes for a fairly smooth introduction. Please remember that they may make up immediately, or it may take a few weeks.


Good luck & best regards... Norm.