new kitten questions

14 years ago

I have a kitten 12 weeks old who was introduced to our home 4 weeks ago. We already have a cat who is about 6 years old. They are both male. I have 2 questions: one- is it common for a kitten to "forget" to use the litter box and have occasional accidents? He does know where the litter box is and in the one month that we have had him, he has had about 4 accidents and one just this morning. I thought once he knows where to go, there shouldn't be any messes to clean up.

Question 2: The kitten is very aggressive to the older cat and basically jumps all over him frequently (10 to 15 times a day). The older one does fight back but so far it's just rough play. I guess my question is, is this a phase during an adjustment period and would I know by now if the two are not compatible? Is the kitten just establishing his ground? The kitten has not yet been neutered.

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Comments (4)

annzgw
14 years ago
What are the accidents.....pee or poop?
If he's peeing I would worry he's older than you think and is starting to mark the house. Talk to your vet about getting him neutered and in the mean time, purchase a second litter box.

How does your older cat respond to the kitten? Does he often play or is he always on the defensive. It sounds like the kitten is just doing typical kitten stuff, but you don't want it to cause stress to the older cat.
Are you sure it's the kitten having the accidents? It could be the older one's response to the intrusion of the new kitten. Keep an eye on the older cat and make sure he's OK healthwise.
installerb
Original Author
14 years ago
Accidents are pee and the little one is caught in the act. The older cat is never the aggressor-he is the one always getting ambushed. I kind of figured it was typical kitten behavior. The older one has a very stubborn personality and I believe he has met his match-not to mention he is 22 lbs and just towers over the little one
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HazenHens
14 years ago
Cats are naturally very clean animals and will often refuse to go in a litter box if its too dirty. If your keeping it fairly clean and the accidents are still occuring place the poop or paper towels with pee, into the litter box to show him where to go.
As for the behavior, if the ears are going flat and they are hissing, they probably are not going to be friends. If they just bat at eachother and arch backs, they will be fine.
gardenandcats
14 years ago
If at all possible have two litter boxes.Rule of thumb is 1 box per cat..And make sure the boxes are easily accessible.
Kittens love to play and they play rough.If they have been together for 4 weeks with no out and out fighting,then all will be fine. Make sure and have your new kitty fixed before any signs of sexual behavior starts as this can cause problems.
Make sure the boxes are keep clean and in a area your cat can get too.If it continues a check by your vet to make sure the kitten does not have a bladder infection would be a good idea. Often cats pee outside the box if they have a bladder infection.