Posted on 10/27/2004 2:08:00 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Cats can suffer from stress-related illness like humans, a study by animal experts suggests.
Rivalry with another cat is the biggest source of feline anxiety closely followed by moving home or the arrival of a new member of the owner's family.
Experts compared 31 cats with bladder disease to 24 healthy cats in the same households and used a control group of 125 other healthy cats.
Sick cats generally got more stressed by other cats in the house, they said.
Stress trigger
Dr Danielle Gunn-Moore, senior lecturer in feline medicine at Edinburgh University's school of veterinary studies, said feline lower urinary tract disease was frustrating for vets and owners because most cases had no apparent cause.
"This group of diseases of the bladder is most commonly seen in pedigree, middle-aged, overweight male cats which don't go out much and eat a dry food diet.
"We believed stress could be a trigger and wanted to identify differences in the cats' environments and temperaments which might cause this condition."
University researchers suggest cats with such illnesses should be fed wet food and encouraged to drink more fluid by adding tuna-flavoured ice cubes to water.
The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Animals has welcomed the research.
Spokeswoman Doreen Graham said: "We've always known cats are extremely sensitive and this study highlights a problem more widespread than previously thought."
His, I mean "his" present owners.
Jeez.
Had two cats run away due to stress...
It sounds to me like you've got the perfect combo. From my experience, cats will have a little hissy fit when you introduce a new cat into their house, but the chances of them eventually getting along are much better if they are different ages and different sexes.
I'm about to pull mine out of the wash. I hope I got the smell out...
I don't think you'll find out in a weekend. We have the same situation - adult spayed female and a male kitten. We brought the kitten into the house at about 6 weeks old, and big cat had a snit for a week. She started coming around after a couple of weeks. Now it's two months later and they play all the time. Little cat had to go to the vet for shots a couple of days ago, and when he'd been gone about an hour big cat started following me around the house meowing. This kept up until mama and the little cat came home.
Start slow. For the first day or so, but the kitten in one room and close the door. Let your cat get used to the scent throught the door first, before you introduce them.
I think the "trial" is a good idea. My cat had an older cat already in the house when he was a kitten. Marlow didn't like little George at first, but he grew on him. Marlow would even clean George.
George is a territorial cat, but up until recently, he had no problem with ginger cats (orange haired--my hubby the Brit calls them ginger)---which was the color of Marlow.
Good luck. Let us know what happens.
I may not do this after all, after thinking more and more about it. It's best if the kitten's owners either give their cat more time to get used to the kitten, or take it to a no-kill shelter to give it an opportunity to be the only cat in a new home. And I can't bear the thought of giving it away once I take it, and then it doesn't work out.
See #49. I think the fact that we won't find out in a weekend is the main reason why I've changed my mind.
If we end up getting a new cat, I want to see it before it comes home, to judge its personality and temperament. And I'm not thrilled about a long-haired cat, which this kitten is.
Cats are normally social animals, and I think they'd work it out eventually, in their own way and on their own terms (they are cats, after all).
If we end up getting a new cat, I want to see it before it comes home, to judge its personality and temperament. And I'm not thrilled about a long-haired cat, which this kitten is.
Sound like you have reservations already. If you're not comfortable with the situation, the cats probably won't be, either. Probably best to let this one go.
We had Livingston (our purebred Maine Coon male) for about six months before we got Beauregard (also purebred Maine Coon male, a rescue). We ended up keeping them apart for a week on the breeder's recommendation...Beau came from a neglect situation and we weren't 100% sure about what kitty cooties he might've had, plus he was extremely skittish around people due to lack of contact. However, the two of them got along great and after four days they were both scratching at the door wanting to meet the scent on the other side of the door.
It's been almost five months and they get along great, except when they don't. Now granted, Livingston and Beau were both male, and Livingston was already fixed (we got Beau fixed the day after we picked him up), so that probably helped.
Keep them apart for a couple of days. And don't neglect your current kitty to spend time with the other one. My wife and I alternated shifts with each cat to keep them from feeling neglected, and it worked.
Good luck!
}:-)4
My two cats (both males, one aged 6 and the other 3.5) were together before I got them, so I don't know what was involved in getting them to get along.
Even to this day, sometimes they'll fight/wrestle (never to the point of actually hurting each other though), but they will sleep right next to each other when the weather starts getting cold.
Yes! Mine do that, too. It makes me so mad, I have to keep the doors shut or they christen the mats, usually fresh from being washed.
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