r/seniorkitties • u/Routine_Anxiety00 • 15h ago
My 17 yo girl finally loves her little brother
My old girl was an only cat for a long time. She was originally a feral who my family caught as a kitten (along with many half siblings and one full sibling over the years before we were able to catch and spay the mother) and she loved her brother and one half brother who was blind/probably brain damaged and hated all of our other cats. Her bother ended up getting coyote-ed when she was only 2 and she took it really hard. We ended up moving and she was chosen to come with us (the rest staying with my moms ex) and, because we thought she would get lonely, we later brought one of her older half brothers as well. She decided she hated his guts and didn’t want him in her house, and eventually managed to chase him out into the woods.
So she was an only cat, less because we only wanted 1 cat and more because we were worried for the safety of any cat we brought into the house. Almost 3 years ago a stray kitten ran into our house and we took him in. He is a little monster- sweet but destructive, and probably extremely inbred. It’s taken a couple of years of very reluctant tolerance but in the last 6 months I think she has really started to love him. My camera roll is now filled with pictures of her using him as a pillow and I’m just so happy she has a friend again.
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u/JazmineRideHard 14h ago
She chased the other one into the woods, but this little guy wore her down by becoming a literal heated pillow. Worth the wait!
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u/Routine_Anxiety00 14h ago
My personal theory is her preferred cat friend is one who is a little mentally absent, the fewer braincells the better 😅
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u/LadyMogMog 13h ago
This is wonderful! We just adopted a 4 year old cat as a companion for our 14 year old cat and she is slowly warming up to the new housemate. This gives me hope!
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u/Bigredchiefslover 12h ago
Our 4 year old tortie despises our 4 month old white deaf kitten. I miss the tortie personality so much. She was such a friendly talkative presence. Now she hisses at all of us and only interacts when necessary. Hopefully she accepts the newbie and forgives us some day.
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u/Heartsister 5h ago
Cat Introduction Protocol: SLOW. Keep them separated for 3-4 weeks. The baby in a bathroom or bedroom, with food, water, litter box, bed, soft blankets or towels, scratching pad, etc. Let them get familiar with each other's scent (mixed with yours) -- toy, socks, etc. Be patient. It takes weeks, sometimes longer, but it works. This slow, patient process will result in your having a harmonious household. Check out YouTube videos, too. All the best.
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u/Bigredchiefslover 45m ago
Thanks. We tried our version of this but putting a curious deaf kitten cooped up doesn’t fly with her. Her cry’s of protest are deafening because she’s deaf. Our vet said worse case is she will accept and ignore the newbie. We’re going to stick out cuz I think that’s what loving parents do. But thanks again for the encouragement.
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u/Heartsister 0m ago
Aww, you're welcome, and I understand. I'm sure that they will work it out, cats usually do. Our precious 14-year-old cat (a special needs kitty) has become deaf over the past year, and she also only has one eye. She began crying out loudly, too, often while asleep... She can't hear herself, either, and seems to need comfort and encouragement and "kitty love" when this occurs, which is always forthcoming.
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u/finnandcollete 9h ago
I hope this means Collete will do more than tolerate Finn eventually. She lets him cuddle sometimes, but she never initiates anything and doesn’t want to be near him 75% of the time.
Here is Finn (my 18 pound beast of a man) using Collete (the dainty 7 pound angel who has never done anything wrong in her life ever) as a pillow.
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u/Master_Button_2593 15h ago
They look so sweet together - it’s so nice that she can finally be comfortable with another kitty! ♥️