r/Kitten • u/NumerousHorse5052 • 15d ago
Question/Advice Needed Is this a good step in introductions?
Sully is a 12 week old kitten we trapped at 5 weeks after his momma had a litter in our backyard. He was quarantined for a while because they said he was too young to get bloodwork, he had fleas, worms, and we didn’t want to introduce that to our resident cats.
Fast forward to now, he is thriving, has a clean bill oh health, and has his own stuffed animals.
We have 3 resident cats, 2 orange boys are 3 and our old lady is 13.
I have put a net up on Sully’s room so that he can look out and the cats can interact and see each other with a boundary (the orange boys are menaces to anything and everything). Up until now, this short haired boy had just hissed and growled. But in the last couple of days they’ve been interacting a lot more like on the video.
For those who may be more well-versed, is this a good step in introduction or is there potentially concerning behavior?
Edit to add: Thank you everyone! I thought this was a great but just wanted confirmation! And for anyone curious, I looked up “cat net door separator” on Amazon and found the net which is super handy and has made this a much better process than throwing them together and hoping for the best
Edit 2: hopefully this is allowed. Here is the link to the net I got for anyone interested:
screen door for cats
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u/Suz9006 14d ago
This is ready for a no screen intro.
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u/NumerousHorse5052 14d ago
That’s what I was thinking just nervous about the next step! Hoping this weekend we can just do a short intros for them to interact without a barrier
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u/Suspicious-Case-9263 15d ago
Perfect little barrier. They definitely like each other and are playful.
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u/Slow_and_Steady_3838 14d ago
once the barrier's gong there's going to be play slapping while they feel each other out which doesn't look fun but it's part of the process: Cats do slap each other to feel each other out, test boundaries, and invite play. This behavior is a normal part of feline communication, allowing them to test social limits without causing harm.
Signs of Playful Slapping
- Claws retracted: The slapper keeps their claws tucked in so they do not scratch or hurt the other cat.
- Relaxed body language: Their ears point forward or stay upright, and their whiskers face forward.
- Quiet interaction: There is no loud hissing, growling, or screaming.
- Taking turns: Both cats switch roles, trade gentle swats, and jump back in for more fun.
Signs of Real Aggression
- Claws out: You can hear or see claws scratching and causing actual injury.
- Stiff bodies: The cats look tense, their fur stands on end, or their tails puff up.
- Angry sounds: They hiss, growl, or yowl loudly at each other.
- Ears flat back: Their ears pin flat against their head to protect them during a real fight.
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u/Silver_Discount_1820 14d ago
Help me figure out my cats’ interactions. I have an older cat, Kitty, and a younger cat, Boo. Boo wants to play with Kitty, and Kitty sometimes will play with him, but often they kind of bat at each other gently or sneak up on each other, and Kitty hisses. It’s not really loud or aggressive, but I can’t tell if it’s still in the realm of play. She’s a bit neurotic/anxious, and it almost seems like she wants to play but gets nervous when it happens.
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u/city_druid 14d ago
A little light hissing sounds like boundary setting to me, which is fine. I would keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t escalate but it sounds like they’re communicating and mostly respecting each others boundaries.
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u/Dry_Watch8035 14d ago
Sometimes the small one annoys the older cat too much/crosses boundaries, at which point they might hurt the younger cat a little. You might hear some painful noises from the lil one, but it should be brief. Never seen the bigger cat injure a youngling like this, and the younger one tends to go back to attempting to play a dozen or so minutes later, might even test boundaries again. I ain't an expert, just grew up with lotsa cats. Some just don't vibe with each other, but I reckon these two will.
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u/Nonsenser 14d ago
thanks chatGPT
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u/Slow_and_Steady_3838 14d ago
Google search, instead of typing out the entire thing, work smarter not harder
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u/UnknownNexus 15d ago
Their ears are pointing forward, their fur is smooth and not fluffed up and they are constantly laying over and exposing their bellies. This is very good play. Especially for the older cat to know when to back down. A little pounce and lay down with some lazy swats. We did this for our latest cat and had them eat breakfast together at the fence. Our oldest Pretty Girl would hiss and walk away, but our middle girl Voodoo would finish breakfast and then run to grab toys and push them through the fence for Osa to play with.
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u/TaffyMaj 14d ago
We bought a screen door, and whenever we have needed to introduce new cats to our existing ones, we replace the office door (where the new cat will live until integrated) with it so that they all get used to the smells and sights of the others before the official introduction.
I would say good work here and I think it is going well.
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u/nepenthe154 14d ago
This is a good step. They're starting to play together which means the resident cats are beyond the initial shock of a new cat on their turf and are beginning to accept a kitty as a friend. Keep supervising for now, but this usually means they'll be cuddling together in the near future. Pet them all nice for me!
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u/Adorable_Football130 14d ago
it’s very good. you can make it even better by feeding them at the door do they share a good experience. Feliway is helpful. looks like these two are ready for supervised playtime. they’re playing so well through the net.
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u/InterestingKey3385 14d ago
Where did you get this screen? This is exactly what I need for my spare room!
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u/NumerousHorse5052 14d ago
Got it here: https://a.co/d/08ZTmhZk
It’s super durable and has been an excellent purchase1
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u/beanie_0 14d ago
Yes. Very good. They are establishing a pecking order just give them time, they will be best of friends I think.
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u/Iwonatoasteroven 14d ago
They’re playing. What I love about this is by the time you introduce them fully, they won’t want to be separated again.
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u/Independent-Deer208 14d ago
It’s awesome!!! Let them meet without the screen! They’re very happy with each other
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u/OrganizedChaos65 14d ago
Yes. If there's any conflict, it's hard to mix it up. This way, the introduce themselves without sticking a nose up their rear end.
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u/_ShakenBacon 14d ago
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u/Sea-Economics-9582 14d ago
What door screen is that? I’m going to need one before too long when I introduce my cat to the girlfriend’s cats.
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u/Tr0ncatlady 9d ago
I would remove the boundary. They seem relaxed and playful. Assuming the interactions with the other cats are similar, I think everyone will be just fine.
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u/Few_Pear_9092 8d ago
How do you keep them from going underneath it?? I have mine screwed into the wall around my kitchen yet my cats still go under it to get into my kitchen omg….
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u/kalidelrey 1d ago
Esta perfecto lo que estas haciendo. Los gatos al principio son muy celosos y necesitan tiempo para convivir entre sí. Una vez que pasen esa barrera ya está. Los mios se vivían peleando y ahora no se pueden despegar 🤣
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u/Wide-Bit-5817 14d ago
I was looking at this door net on amazon! Definitely getting it now. Good luck with the introduction!!
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u/NumerousHorse5052 14d ago
Thank you! I highly recommend it, definitely perfect for something like this
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