Reptile & Amphibian Forums

6 months ago we adopted a 4 year old neutered declawed male, named Mr. Mix, and it worked out very well. He came from a home with a dog and another cat and is very vocal and needy (which we like), and apparently has a big jelous streak. 3 days ago we adopted a 10 week old male kitten that needed a home, whom we named Argyle. At first we made all the mistakes, then we heeded the advice in this forum. Argyle is happy, Mr. Mix is not. I try to swap smells as often as possible but Mr. Mix does not like it. Sometimes he'll hiss at the smell on a blanket alone, let alone actually seeing Argyle. What can I do to keep Mr. Mix's stress levels down? I bought some rescue remedy but am not sure the best way to administer it. Argyle likes to drink Mr. Mix's water when we swap spaces and I'm not sure if he'll get sick if he ingests some. Mr. mix weighs a good 15 pounds at least so any quantity that works for him I would think is too much for tiny Argyle. What are some signs we can watch for that might mean Mr. Mix will start being receptive to face to face visits? What other things can we do to help Mr. Mix adjust to the change? Any advice you can give is greatly appreciated! We would love for them to one day see each other as comfort and not a threat. Thanks!

For the rescue remedy rub one drop in each ear tip. As for Mr. Mix not getting along with new kitten give it away. Three days isn't very long. Give it at least a month. Once the kitten starts to smell like your home Mr. Mix will start to except him. He may not want to cuddle with the kittenb ut he will eventually tolerate the kitten being in the same home.
Good luck
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Jaime owned by
Mya the dog
and the cats:Crash, Moxie, Gabby and sometimes Tucker

If you can afford it, spring for one or two of the Comfort Zone plug-ins with Feliway which are reputed to help ease anxiety. Keep the kitten very much separated for at least several weeks since Mr. Mix is so fussy! Then you can try a gradual introduction.

If it looks like things aren't ever going to work out, you might want to consider some sort of anti-anxiety med from the vet for Mr. Mix. He will get rather lethargic, but after he learns that the kitten is not a threat you can gradually withdraw the meds under your vet's advice and the lesson should stick.
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Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

Once I can afford it I'm going to get a comfort zone plug-in. Do you know how much space one plugin covers? Mr. Mix is definetly starting to settle, but I would like to ease any further transitional stress. Thanks!

>>Once I can afford it I'm going to get a comfort zone plug-in. Do you know how much space one plugin covers? Mr. Mix is definetly starting to settle, but I would like to ease any further transitional stress. Thanks!

Glad to hear Mr, Mix is starting to settle - things will probably work out soon! I believe the plug-ins cover about 700 to 800 square feet.

Keep us posted as to how the cats are doing!
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Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

Thank you for the rescue remedy advice. Mr. Mix is starting to settle a bit. The smell of the kitten is not as foreign as it once was. He's starting to seem more curious than violated. Thanks!

Do you give Mr. Mix a bath? I'm not saying to start if you don't. That could make it worse. But if you do already (we give ours baths about once a month). Maybe if you bath the kitten with the same shampoo that will help even more.
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Jaime owned by
Mya the dog
and the cats:Crash, Moxie, Gabby and sometimes Tucker