Newest member of our family

Pictures will soon follow.

Paisley has rounded out our cat family, joining Tuffy (in my avatar), Tiger, and Alex. We just brought her home Saturday. She's a calico, approximately six weeks old, and was hand-raised after her poor cat mommy was hit by a car. RIP Paisley's cat mommy.

Since she has imprinted on humans, she's a very loving, affectionate kitty. You should hear such a big purr, coming out of that little tiny body.

The cats are going to need some time getting used to each other. Four-year-old Alex is curious, but Paisley is nervous and begins to hiss and spit when he approaches. Tuffy wanted to be affectionate, but Paisley sassed her too. I think Tuffy, the old lady of our family, is going to have to teach that little whippersnapper some manners!

What surprised me was middle-aged Tiger, usually the most accepting of new cats, growling at Paisley.

We're doing the introductions as gradually as possible. Paisley has a big rubbermaid storage bin that she sleeps in, lid sitting on top but not fastened, when we're not watching her, until she and the older cats are used to each other. And we're making sure we give the older cats lots of affection.

Alex was a newcomer here too, and Tiger and Tuffy accepted him. I don't think it will be a problem in the long run, but any advice on helping the cats adjust to each other will be welcome.

My two (brother and sister) cats are ten years old -- and they still don't get along all that well. The female dominates the male.

Tuffy is the queen here, too, and our one male cat Alex knows it! I don't know if female cats are naturally dominant over males or not, or if Alex submits to Tuffy because she's a senior citizen. Age could have something to do with it. Tiger (female) has been in the family longer, but Tuffy is older, and Tiger submits.

We supervise closely, and we leave baby Paisley crated when we can't supervise. We want her to be safe, not only from the older cats but also from any nooks and crannies she might be little enough to crawl into and get lost. At this point, the older cats are pretty much ignoring her, and Paisley isn't hissing as much either. But Tiger wouldn't come to the kitchen for breakfast this morning, and insisted we bring it to her in the bedroom. She acted like she was very mad at me. I told her that just because she has a new little sister doesn't mean we love her any less.

Yes, I talk to the cats as if they understand. I think they do. I also told Alex that he's specially privileged. He gets to go outside. Paisley doesn't, because she's just a baby. Maybe things like this will help ease jealousy.

I suspect they understand, at least partially, the tone of voice, the intent.

I've had a new cat for about a month now and my older cat still hisses and spits at him. The new cat wants to play with the old cat though she won't let him.

It's the other way around, here. One of the older cats is willing to play, but the new kitten won't have it. There is distinct progress with Tuffy and Alex, but a distinct lack of progress with Tiger. If left alone, she'd just ignore Paisley, but then stay in the bedroom all the time, and I don't want her to do that. This morning I did coax Tiger into eating her breakfast in the kitchen, but *only* as near to the bedroom door as possible.

A few minutes ago, my daughter and I were playing with both Alex and Paisley in the living room. I told Alex, "See? We still love you just as much. Having Paisley here doesn't change that." And then I sang his special song to him.

To the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It (Clap Your Hands)"

You're my little Alex Irwin Kittycat
You're my little Alex Irwin Kittycat
You're my little Alex Irwin
If there's cuties, then you're sure one
You're my little Alex Irwin Kittycat.

And I told him that Paisley doesn't have a special song yet. Tuffy and Tiger do. Paisley will have one, eventually.

Alex's middle name is Irwin because I adopted him right about the time that Steve Irwin was killed. All of my pets have middle names. Paisley's is Ann, after Little Orphan Annie, because she is a little orphan. Tuffy's is Love, because she is definitely a love. And Tiger's is Lily. She was originally my hubby's grandmother's cat, and Grandma used to call her by the full Tiger Lily. I guess that does help with gender confusion. If we just say "Tiger," people tend to think she's a male cat.

Anyway, the playing. Alex wouldn't mind playing with Paisley, but Paisley hisses and spits if he gets too close. She'll only accept playing *beside* him, as opposed to *with* him. She is getting better about not hissing at Tuffy, though, who is the queen cat. Tuffy pretty much ignores her, and doesn't let the fact that there's a kitten in the house stop her from doing what she usually does. She'll still snuggle with us on the couch, kitten or no kitten. It's Tiger that worries me. Tiger would be content to stay completely isolated in the bedroom, and I want her to feel like the house is still hers.

So, summary rundown of our cat population:

Tuffy Love, a flecked black female, age approximately 13.
Tiger Lily, an orange tabby female, age approximately 10.
Alex Irwin, a black-and-white tuxedo male, age 4 next month.
Paisley Ann, a calico female, about six weeks old.

Resurrecting an old thread, because in reading it over, I noticed how funny it is that there is so little resemblance between what happened initially and how the cats interact now.

Little Paisley is soon to turn one year old. I never did post a picture, so here's one with Tiger.



That's right, after spending the first few days not wanting to acknowledge the little orphaned newcomer brat at all, Tiger went all the way in the opposite direction and adopted her. Paisley had to be bottle-raised by humans, but it was Tiger who taught her to be a cat.

Paisley and Alex have become best buddies and playmates. They love chasing each other through the house.

And yes, Tuffy did teach the little whippersnapper some manners. Paisley doesn't dare mess with her now.

For Paisley's first birthday, I am hoping to get her a kitty tree for the house. We also plan, since she has now been spayed, to take her outside for the first time and let her play. As it is now, Alex is the only feline member of the family who is allowed outside. Tuffy is too old, Tiger gets lost and can't find her way home, and Paisley hasn't had her final round of kitten shots yet. If her birthday is a pretty spring day, we will let her outside along with Alex, and then sit there in the front yard supervising.

How cute! And now I don't feel so bad anymore that we just got two kittens in addition to the two cats we already had. (Since we can't have dogs anymore.) I'm not the only one with four cats, yay!!