New Kitten Introduction: Week 3

At the end of week 2 of the new kitten introduction,  I was a bit concerned about Cornelius’s rough play with our small kitten. I talked about how it was almost like he was mounting her. Readers told me not to be concerned and that it seemed to be a normal dominant behavior. They were right! For the first 2 days of week 3 I continued to separate them when I left for work for long periods. This could be an over-reaction on my part but it gave me peace of mind while I was at work.

As of day 3 of week 3 they are now together all day and I never separate them anymore. We are all so happy! They still play and wrestle but it doesn’t seem as rough anymore. I think this is because Elizabeth is asserting herself more.

They are always in the same room and are very attached to each other. Cornelius grooms Elizabeth and it is the sweetest thing to watch. (check out my instagram for a video)

Food

At the beginning of week 3 I was still feeding Elizabeth the food she was eating when I brought her home (Royal Caanin Babycat) and Cornelius eats 90% homemade raw.   At meal times I put her in the bathroom (saferoom) to eat and fed Cornelius in the kitchen which is just outside of the bathroom door. This food, like most commercial wet foods has a very strong odor which Cornelius noticed. He was not happy from the beginning that she was eating something different and he was not allowed any. He was hesitate to eat his food, I had to keep putting him in front of his food to get him to eat. Then finally at the beginning of week 3, he completely protested eating his food. For a day and a half he ate very very little, only a small food. And would meow while she was in the bathroom eating. I knew I needed to do something.

So the next day I offered both cats each a small plate of the normal raw cat food I feed Cornelius. They both happily ate their food just inches away from each other no problem! Cornelius was suddenly quickly eating and enjoying food just 12 hours ago he was refusing to touch. There was no aggression or food possession. Elizabeth finished her smaller plate first and then quickly moved Cornelius out of the way to finish his.

Feeding kittens raw meat:

Kittens are the easiest to transition to raw. There is no need to transition or mix food. Simply offer them the food and they should take to it. She even started chewing on the chunks of meat in the mix. And Cornelius who normally does not like to chew the chunks, he will leave them to the end or not eat them, he was chewing them too! Funny how a little peer pressure from another cat can do.

Side effects:

This first week I haven’t noticed anything. There has been no diarrhea nor vomiting. I was careful not to offer her too much as she is a kitten and has a huge appetite I didn’t want her to eat too much which could cause vomiting.  After 3 days of only raw meat her poop started to be drier and less smelly, thankfully!

Overall I am so happy with their introduction and the progress they have made. I am happy that I went slow and it was well worth it. Even those first few nights of sleeping in separate rooms. It has all paid of. I am so pleased that they will now enjoy each others’ company while we are at work. I do believe well-bonded cats are much happier in pairs than alone. They are able to play, wrestle, chase and groom each other in ways I of course am not able to.

Next step: Litter Box Placement

Elizabeth is currently using a temporary, very small litter box in the bathroom. I need her to start using a different box soon. Stay tuned for an update.