Kitten introduction: Aggression, stress, and diarrhea issues?

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Congratulations on your new kitty! In these situations it is best to do introductions very slowly. Some suggestions I have for you are as follows: 1) Use a Feliway diffuser to reduce overall tension in household 2) Go back to the beginning and over the first week introduce by smell only (introducing cats to each others bedding or something that has their scent on it) 3) Then introduce by sight only but no direct interaction. Do this for a week 4) Finally introduce cats together but only with direct supervision and with plenty of escape routes for both cats. Only leave them together for a very short time at first 5) Have plenty of tall cat towers and other things for the cats so they can observe each other from a distance 6) Have at least 3 litter boxes in different locations and definitely continue to feed separately and have separate water bowls. I hope this is helpful! Good luck to you and Malish!

There are a few things that you can do to try to decrease stress and make the transition as easy as possible for Boxer. One option for decreasing stress is to add a Feliway Diffuser ( https://www.feliway.com ) or Comfort Zone Diffuser ( https://www.comfortzone.com/ ) to your house. This is a calming pheromone that will work for a month. I have also had luck with Rescue Remedy ( http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ ) which can be added to the water and is safe for both cats. There are a number of companies that make calming treats such as Composure ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetri-science-composure-feline-bite-sized-chews ). You could also consider calming music specifically for cats ( http://throughadogsear.com/tace/through-a-cats-ear-1-music-for-calming/ ). Be sure to provide "safe" areas for Boxer to be able to get away from the kitten where he can eat and drink in private without worrying about the kitten. And spend as much time as possible playing with the new kitten to get his energy out, so he does not try to play with Boxer until Boxer is ready. If Boxer continues to have abnormal behavior, eating and drinking, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine him. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

I would try a Feliway spray, diffuser or collar. It is a pheromone that helps with relaxation and anxiety. There are also supplements for anxiety. Set up separate areas for feeding and two litter boxes so they each have their own space with an area that they both have access to. Usually over time they will adjust if left alone. If she’s still aggressive there are prescription medications to give her for a little while to help her adjust so please discuss this with your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kaji.

It sounds like Sally is stressed in her new home environment, but there are many things that you can do to help alleviate stress and help her feel better. Cats need at least one litterbox per cat plus one extra to help reduce stress associated with the litterbox. They should be placed in separate rooms, away from the food and water bowls, must be scooped at least daily (preferably multiple times a day) and washed out at least weekly with a mild soap, followed by thorough rinsing. Cats need a lot of space to explore, but keeping them indoors is much safer than letting them outside, due to the risk of injury from cars, wildlife, other animals, etc. The key is providing space (particularly vertical space for climbing, such as cat trees, ledges, and the like) inside the home. Visit http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=T&C=33&S=2 , and healthcareforpets.com for tips on stress reduction, and https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats/felinelifestressors/new-pets for information on how to introduce new pets into the family. Also look into Feliway, a synthetic pheromone that is available in a diffuser and spray form that promotes calm feelings in cats http://www.feliway.com , and Feliway Friends (on the same site), a pheromone that helps cats get along with each other. Take your time and allow Sally to slowly get used to all of the changes, and hopefully she will feel better soon.

If these cats have not been on long-term medication like probiotics and metronidazole, I would start these. Also, all cats might benefit from a food-allergy diet trial like Hills z/d fed exclusively for 8-10 weeks. This helps to rule out food allergies as a cause for chronic diarrhea. If these things don't work, you may have to actually send out fecal tests for culture and sensitivity to have done at an outside laboratory as most vet clinics are only equipped to do basic parasite fecal floats and smears in-house. Your female who is having behavior issues may benefit from anti-anxiety medications like Zylkene or Lorazepam, or even an anti-depressant. Since all three are young cats, it's most likely that they are sharing a parasitic or other intestinal infection that is causing chronic diarrhea, so I think you are on the right tract to continue to monitor for coccidiosis and giardiasis. They may need much longer-term treatment to clear these kinds of infection. Hope that helps!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Daisy. Oh my goodness, they are absolutely adorable!!! I would slowly introduce them to each other. Take the kitten, and put her in her own room with her own food, water, and litter box. Keep the door closed, and for a few days, feed them both treats on other side of door so they associate each other's smell with a good experience. Then let the other cat in the kitten's room while the kitten is in a cat carrier. They can smell each other, but not be in contact. If either becomes upset or show signs of aggression, remove the second cat from the room, and try again later. Praise them when they interact appropriately. When they are interacting well with each other through the carrier, you can let the kitten out of her room, and see how she interacts with the other cat. Praise them when they interact appropriately, and separate them with any sign of aggression or upset. I would get a cat tree with lots of shelves to give the cats vertical space to get away from each other. I would keep the kitten in her room when you go out until they are comfortable with each other. I hope this helps!

The blood you are seeing in the stools may be stress colitis. I suggest you do the following: 1. Put her on a GI supplement for diarrhea that also has probiotics: https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=132480 2. Put her on a GI food that will help with digestion: https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=114749 3. Use some Feliway diffusers in your new place until she seems more comfortable. These really help with stress: https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=117324 This is what I would start with. Hope this helps. Best wishes!