# HELP PLEASE! I'm desperate!



## cclpegs (Jul 16, 2011)

I got a kitten at 9 weeks old a few months ago and all was fine he now goes outdoors etc. Now last week i bought another 9 week old kitten as i thought smarties (5 months now) would like a playmate as he seems ok with any cats that come into the garden (although i dont sit and watch for hours). I probably introduced them all wrong but i cant change that now but it seems they hate each other! Coco (the 9 week old) seems to be a wind up, chasing smarties tail etc etc. Smarties appears to play too but then it gets rough and the smallest, coco starts meowing as if he doesnt like it. I'm too worried now to 'let them get on with it' as i fear it may go to far... Could someone shed some light on what to do? Am i reading the behaviour wrong? 
Thanks


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## NicoleW (Aug 28, 2010)

I don't personally think he should be out alone at that age! Have you had your cat neutered? 

9 weeks old is still relatively early to be away from its mum, I think the preferred age for cats is 12 weeks.

Hope someone more knowledgeable comes along, the only advice I can give is to please don't let your cat out unsupervised unless it's neutered, and I still think 5 months is too young to be allowed out for long periods of time


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## cclpegs (Jul 16, 2011)

I have always had them at 9 weeks as this is when owners want rid (due to prices of vaccinations etc), Smarties is fully vaccinated and only ever goes on the patio really, never leaves our garden and he is free to wonder in and out.


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## cclpegs (Jul 16, 2011)

Oh and he's due to be neutered next month, vet wont do it before 6 months but gave all clear for roaming outdoors. I should add that its only the 5 month old that goes outdoors...


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

cclpegs said:


> I got a kitten at 9 weeks old a few months ago and all was fine he now goes outdoors etc. Now last week i bought another 9 week old kitten as i thought smarties (5 months now) would like a playmate as he seems ok with any cats that come into the garden (although i dont sit and watch for hours). I probably introduced them all wrong but i cant change that now but it seems they hate each other! Coco (the 9 week old) seems to be a wind up, chasing smarties tail etc etc. Smarties appears to play too but then it gets rough and the smallest, coco starts meowing as if he doesnt like it. I'm too worried now to 'let them get on with it' as i fear it may go to far... Could someone shed some light on what to do? Am i reading the behaviour wrong?
> Thanks


Hi welcome to the forum..Firstly you dont actually say _how_ you introduced them ,but I assume you kind of "just put them together and crossed your fingers,sorry if i'm wrong.Intro's should be done very slowly and no its not to late to do it right.Have a read of this link Living Together - Introducing a New Cat it should give you some good tips.Is your older cat neutered.I dont want to seem as though I'm "preaching" but he is far to young to be going outside unsupervised esp if not neutered.You should really wait until he is at least 9/10 months before allowing him outdoor access.He will not be strong enough nor wise enough to cope yet.


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## NicoleW (Aug 28, 2010)

Ah my apologies, I thought it was the 9 week old who was going out as well.

Aye, a lot of vets won't do it before 6 months - though my sister's cat accidently got pregnant and she managed to find a vet who'd neuter them all at 12 weeks so she paid for them all to be neutered before rehoming them


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## cclpegs (Jul 16, 2011)

That is exactly how i introduced them. I did start by letting him sniff around the carrier before letting little one out but basically yeah. All wrong perhaps... 
In all honesty he seems fine outdoors. I can always see him and he seems to enjoy it. Never had any problems in that respect


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

cclpegs said:


> Oh and he's due to be neutered next month, vet wont do it before 6 months but gave all clear for roaming outdoors. I should add that its only the 5 month old that goes outdoors...


Sorry cross posted with you.Im a bit shocked at your vets advice.Kittens can and are neutered before 6 months and no vet IMO should be giving the ok to going outdoors before this is done.


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## cclpegs (Jul 16, 2011)

In all fairness to him i believe he meant in respect of protection with vaccinations etc.


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## gloworm*mushroom (Mar 4, 2011)

cclpegs said:


> In all fairness to him i believe he meant in respect of protection with vaccinations etc.


Vaccinations wont help if a bigger cat comes in and attacks it 

I assume Coco is a girl? If so she definitely needs to be spayed before she goes out as she can get pregnant and at that young age it would be disastrous.


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## cclpegs (Jul 16, 2011)

Both cats are males.
You're right vaccinatiosn wont protect from other cats but like i said i can always see my cat and in that case you'd never let your cat outdoors and they do enjoy it.


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## gloworm*mushroom (Mar 4, 2011)

cclpegs said:


> Both cats are males.
> You're right vaccinatiosn wont protect from other cats but like i said i can always see my cat and in that case you'd never let your cat outdoors and they do enjoy it.


Well actually many people here do not let their cats outside 

Cats can enjoy life both inside and outside


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## cclpegs (Jul 16, 2011)

That may be so. i have a friend who keeps indoor cats. I like a mix for myself. Kinda going off course here.... lol


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## Aurelia (Apr 29, 2010)

If he becomes sexually mature before 6 months he will be off like a rocket, and believe me you won't have a chance of catching him. If that happens he will have to contend with other entire toms double his size, and he wont fair well ... may not even survive.

Honestly kittens should never be let outside unless on a harness (and even then they can slip them if they really want to) before 10-12 months old. Too much risk.

As for the little ones not getting on, really you can try again with a slow intro. Things like feliway plug ins and sprays can help the process


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## jill3 (Feb 18, 2009)

I think that they will get on it is just that they have to sort out who is boss.
Chasing tails are just a kitten thing to do.
You say that they are alright to start with then the older one plays a bit rough and the kitten meow's. This is how the older one is showing who's boss.
Kitten will soon learn.
What i would do is let them play for a while and then when you know that the older one is had enough I would split them up and put kitten in a seperate room for a bit. I would do this at night as well for a few weeks.

As for going out doors it's ok if you are there to watch them but as they get older they seem to get harder to get in. My youngest is a devil to get in at dusk. We have a cat proof garden but i would never leave them out at night.
I have just bought a clicker to do some clicker training with treats to make it easier to get her in.


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## cclpegs (Jul 16, 2011)

Thank you so much! I will do. They are apart at nights at the moment anyways but thanks for the advise hopefully they will soon get used to each other. It just looks upsetting when they are biting limbs neck etc. 
He comes in before dark and he's pretty good and coming in to a jingly ball. I dunno why the jingly ball but that seems to be his calling now so alls good. :thumbup:


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## wellsandmittens (May 29, 2011)

I would try to re-introduce them again - I'm sure a lot of people on here have had to do that. However I do think it's quite natural for animals living together to scrap a bit to sort out the pecking order so I wouldn't worry too much if there is a bit of fighting as long as it doesn't seem serious. My two are brothers and happily groom each other/sleep in the same basket when it suits them but are also perfectly capable of having a go when they are fed up with each other.


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## Misi (Jul 13, 2009)

Sometimes kitten play can look rougher and more serious than it is, so I wouldn't get too anxious about it. They need to establish their status. I don't want to preach either, but they're too young to be going out on their own, especially un-neutered. There are so many dangers and their road sense is zero at that age. Please reconsider for their sake.


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