ᐉ The cat does not accept kittens. Why and what to do?

Many cat owners don't realize that their friendly, single adult cats may have problems with a new kitten. A new kitten often wants to make friends, but the older cats in the house want nothing to do with them. Older cats often appear sad, lonely, whistle a lot, and sometimes even stop eating if they are not adapting well to a new family member.

This behavior is explained by the fact that cats do not like change, especially when it comes to their established territory. Introducing a kitten to an adult cat can be very stressful in your home, but there are a few things you can do to help acclimate your cat to being a kitten.

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Don't forget that every cat is unique. In general, cats are complex animals. Personality can vary depending on the breed and personality. Don't be surprised if your cat behaves too unpredictably.
When cats begin to get used to each other, let them take turns playing with one toy.
Be sure to ask your veterinarian to test your new cat for feline leukemia and feline AIDS before you bring him home.
The cat towers are a real gem. Install one of these and you will notice that your cats will really appreciate it. It can also help reduce aggression.
If cats lick each other or show any signs of affection, give each a treat as a reward.
Cats get along better if they are both still kittens, or if you take the kitten with an adult cat. An adult cat is more likely to accept a kitten than another adult cat.

How to reconcile two pets: first steps

For a cat, the appearance of a second pet in the house is stressful, and making them friends is realistic only when the animals have enough time to get to know each other. And in order to help the pet quickly adapt to this situation and get used to the idea that the little kitten is now a full member of the family, the owner must provide the most comfortable conditions for both pets to live together.

You shouldn’t force things and pit your pet against a new resident as soon as he appears in the house. First you need to check what your cat's reaction to the kitten will be and if she does not show aggression, you can give them the opportunity to get to know each other better;
You should not leave animals in the same room unattended, hoping in this way to bring them closer and make friends, since the behavior of an adult pet is difficult to predict. He can take advantage of the owner's absence and attack the kitten, causing him serious harm;
It is unlikely that you will be able to make friends with pets if your baby steals food from the cat’s plate. Therefore, in the first days it is better to feed the kitten separately and not allow it to the bowl of an adult pet;
Cats are very jealous of their litter box and may refuse to go into it if the kitten leaves traces of its presence there. Therefore, a small pet should have its own tray to correct its natural needs;
To prevent the baby from taking over the cat’s favorite house or its bedding, he should be given a separate place to rest;
You can make friends between a cat and a new kitten by playing together. When playing with your baby, include an adult pet in the game, this will bring them closer and give them the opportunity to get to know each other better;
You should not allow the baby to do things that are forbidden to the first pet, for example, sleep on the table or eat from the owner’s plate, because this will cause an additional portion of jealousy on the part of the old-timer;
If a cat asks to be held and requires attention and affection, do not refuse it, because she wants to make sure once again that her owner still loves and appreciates her.

Introduce your cat to a new kitten

When you bring your kitten home, let your cat sniff while the kitten is in the carrier or in your arms. Go straight to the room previously designated and prepared for your new kitten and let the kitten explore. The litter tray, food bowls, bed and some toys should be easily accessible. Do not allow the older cat to have unsupervised access to the kitten.

At night, when you are not at home and if you cannot supervise the kitten and the older cat, keep the kitten in a specially designated room with the door closed. When your cat is interested, she may stick her paw under the door, sniff under the door, and listen to the kitten. Do this for about a week, depending on how your cat reacts to the changes. Remember to give your older cat plenty of attention after playing with the kitten. He will need your attention and support, and the smell of the kitten on your clothes will help him get used to the newcomer.

Consequences when a cat does not accept kittens

Poor mothering is the most common cause of disease and death in newborn offspring. It is important that kittens receive antibody-rich colostrum within the first 24 hours after birth. This is protection against diseases, since their immune system is not yet developed.

If there is not enough colostrum, they will be at risk of contracting infections. During the first four weeks of life, kittens need their mother's milk. If “refuseniks” are malnourished, they gain weight poorly, become weak, get sick and die.

Encourage spending time together

After about a week, the kitten can be allowed to explore the house under your watchful eye. Let your cat watch this exploration and leave if she wants.

Don't force interactions between your cat and kitten. If your cat has a favorite interactive toy, such as a pen wand or laser pointer, try playing with both cats at the same time.

This will stimulate mutual activity.

You can also give them both treats at the same time and feed them from different bowls at the same time. Be sure to leave enough space between food bowls so your cat doesn't feel threatened.

Encourage any positive interactions your older cat has with your kitten using praise, treats, and physical affection. Make sure your cat associates the kitten with happy, positive things.

Prepare the cat

Make sure your cat is healthy. Adding additional stress to an unhealthy cat will only make the situation worse. Take your cat to the vet to make sure she is healthy and her vaccinations are up to date.

Respiratory illnesses are common in kittens, so you want your adult cat's immune system to be ready to handle whatever comes along.

While some cats accept a kitten right away, others usually need a little time to adjust to the changes. Sometimes cats never fully accept a new kitten, but simply coexist while staying away from it.

How to help a cat in heat

Estrus is a difficult period not only for herself, but also for the whole family. Intrusive behavior, endless yelling, torn wallpaper and the unpleasant smell of marks cause irritation. Patience runs out, the owner makes a decision: “Something needs to be done. Anything to stop this bacchanalia.” But, unfortunately, there are not many safe methods for putting a cat to rest during sexual activity.

Ideally, a cat should give birth once every year and a half. Such frequent births undoubtedly affect the pet’s life expectancy and generally worsen its health. Especially if the owner is not a professional breeder. The best way to prolong life is sterilization. This is the only way to stop the periodic riots of hormones forever without harming your pet.

Estrus usually lasts about two weeks, and the frequency varies from six months to several days. If the owner is lucky, the hunting period is expressed only in the increased contact of the pet and frequent gentle rumbling. But this happens extremely rarely. Usually, a healthy cat behaves completely differently during heat: it screams for days, rolls on the floor, walks on half-bent legs, and constantly clings to a person, seeing him as a sexual partner. The owner is faced with a dilemma: how to help the pet without compromising her health? In addition to sterilization, there are several ways to alleviate the animal's condition.

Without using drugs

The methods listed below do not always help, but in many cases the cat calms down at least for a while, which brings relief to both the pet and the owners. And most importantly, they are absolutely harmless to the cat’s health.

You can stop the cat's screaming for a while by bathing your pet. Licking will not only give the family a few hours of silence, but will also calm the cat, reducing stress levels. You can bathe your pet only if the apartment is warm and warm.

Problems and correct behavior

Don't give up if the first meetings are not positive. It may take time for older cats to get used to a younger cat.

A common mistake is to rush socialization between cats and then get angry or upset when it doesn't work out.

Stay calm and work gradually to bring the cats together. Try to time your interactions and gradually increase the amount of time you spend together.

If your older cat is particularly aggressive towards the new kitten, talk to your veterinarian or behaviorist for advice.

Watch a funny video about how the small cat Bullet tries to drive the adult cat Fuhrer away from his bowl, although her bowl is full. And how carefully and gently an adult cat “educates” an unreasonable, cocky little feline creature.

Options for when a cat hisses for no reason

It happens that healthy, well-fed cats in a calm environment begin to hiss, showing aggression. This may be due to the personality traits of a particular animal. Some breeds have a predisposition to aggressive behavior.

There are several cat breeds whose representatives are distinguished by their hot-tempered nature. These are Siamese, Bengal and all hybrids with wild representatives of the cat family (forest cats, caracals, small species of lynx, etc.). They can lunge at people while playing with them.

Egyptian Mau and Abyssinian become overly aggressive if not played with enough. These breeds need space and constant exercise to release pent-up energy. Pedigree cats with thick fluffy hair react nervously to attempts to pet them after washing. Persian cats are an exception; they are quite peaceful and only hiss under extreme stress.

Sphinxes belong to a separate category. These cats can growl and hiss not out of anger or fear, but just because. Hissing is one of the ways to communicate with the outside world and is not always a sign of aggression. But you shouldn’t be deceived; anything can anger the sphinx. Hairless cats do not like cold touches.

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And others

Sometimes the cat freezes, looks at one point and hisses at an empty spot. This behavior may frighten overly impressionable and superstitious people, but you should not call an exorcist. Most likely, the animal caught something inaccessible to human senses.

Contrary to popular belief, cats do not see spirits, but they hear the rustling of mice behind the wall they are staring at very well.

Hissing at people

Often, pets begin to show dissatisfaction with loved ones and family members. However, strangers cause even more negative emotions.

Why does a cat hiss at its owner?

Affectionate purrs are always expected to be friendly to their loved one. But there are often times when a domestic cat starts making unpleasant warning sounds for no obvious reason. Why do cats hiss at their owner?

Fluffy recently found himself in a new family and did not have time to get used to other living conditions.
An unfamiliar odor may emanate from the person, or the owner’s behavior may have changed dramatically. This reaction is caused by a loved one returning from vacation or after a business trip.
The arrival of a new person in the family. This is how a cat reacts to a baby, whom it perceives as a threat.
The owner regularly teases the pet, pulls its tail or does something unpleasant.
A mustachioed friend may be offended by a loved one because he was temporarily given away for foster care or left with relatives.
The cat was simply engrossed in something or was sleeping, and suddenly he was touched.

The owner does not need to worry the pet once again

Change of housing, long-term separation, aggression or obsessive attention are stressful situations that complicate life and turn a cat into a nervous creature.

Why does a cat hiss at a stranger?

When guests appear in the house, the mustaches begin to treat them differently. They are friendly towards some, but towards others their attitude is extremely negative. A cat hisses at strangers, and this may be due to their behavior - for example, a guest disturbs the pet’s peace, wants to pet her or pick her up, and she warns: you don’t know me, don’t touch me.

Sometimes the cat does not like the smell of a stranger, the timbre of the voice, or the guest demonstrates an aggressive attitude towards the owner of the house. Some sensitive individuals are able to recognize guests with bad intentions who are supposedly behaving in a friendly manner.

It has been established that sometimes pets show their displeasure only towards a certain category of strangers: noisy children or drunk men. This reaction is associated with previously suffered psychological trauma.

Some cats hiss at guests because they are protecting their home. Such special pets often exhibit other behavioral aspects that are more characteristic of dogs. They may meow or growl when the doorbell sounds, carry objects in their teeth, are highly trainable, etc.

Hissing is one of the communication options

Hissing is not always a sign of aggression and warning. Cats can hiss from fear, stress, or depression

Sometimes with this behavior the animal attracts attention to itself and wants to be reassured. Therefore, in the absence of objective reasons for hissing, you should try to stroke, caress your pet, talk to him

But, if the animal shows that it wants to be alone, it is better to leave it alone for a while.

Cats can often hiss while sitting near a window or front door. The reason for this is the emergence of a potential competitor on the horizon. In such cases, the hissing may be followed by an attack on the owners or a mark of their own territory. According to experts, this is explained by the so-called switchable aggression.

That is why it is not recommended to accustom a kitten to hand feeding; at some point the animal may regard human palms as competitors and attack them.

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New pregnancy

In cats, the period between conceptions can be quite short. If she had the opportunity to leave the house, then a second pregnancy is not excluded. Then she will not be able to feed the kittens and will try to get rid of them. Expecting new offspring, the cat will show aggressiveness towards her kittens and will hiss at them in an attempt to drive them away. In this situation, it is necessary to isolate the kittens from their mother and feed them from a pipette or nipple.