So Calif: Home needed 4 2 kittens!

I got sucked into the big, sorrowful eyes of my 8 y/o son and let him get a kitten in June. Then I fell in love with this tiny, tiny kitten at the local pet store, and brought it home . Zelda, the older kitten, is more aloof (very cat-like and INDEPENDANT!!) which some may like. Not a cat for small children as she scratched Josh badly when he tried to play with her. She is a pretty smoky-grey with white, like a tuxedo cat, and the tip of her tail is white. Now the younger kitten is a doll-baby!! He is a longer haired cat, grey tabby, with the cutest face, huge eyes...I call him Fu because his whiskers curl downward, like a fu manchu mustache, instead of sticking straight out--too cute!!! He is so sweet and loving and tiny! The pet store said the mother cat was very tiny, and at 3 months he was considerably smaller than 8 wk old kittens. The reason I need to give them up is this: I have a 13 y/o cat that I just love dearly. He is a one-person cat, (me!!) and when we got our dogs he was not happy, but he dealt with them and we all co-existed well. These kittens are another story, however. E.U. (my 13 y/o cat) won't come home now unless we hunt him down and bring him. Then he is so stressed and hisses at everything--even from a dead sleep! He hates these other cats, and I miss him terribly. I feel like 13 years is long enough to earn senority, and I want him to be able to come home and relax again!! It will be hard to let go of Fu, I know it will be for the best. Anyone interested, please e-mail me!!! Peace, Susan

I'm sorry to hear your cats aren't getting along. Sometimes older cats don't adjust to things as well as younger cats. I think maybe in this case, though, there may be another possible solution to try before getting rid of both kittens. First of all, it's pretty hard for any cat to accept not just one, but two new additions to the feline family, especially if he's always been a lone cat. Since you've said that Zelda is not very tolerant of your son and has already scratched him, I do think perhaps you should find a home for her. Also, cats tend to get along better in even numbers. They "pair off" when in groups, I've found. I've had experience with both pairs and "threesomes" in my home, and found that with three cats usually at least two of them are always squabbling with each other. I have three right now, and I can tell you it's pretty rare, though not unheard of, to see them all sleeping together in a heap, usually only two of them will sleep together. If the third does try to join in, a squabble usually results. Once Zelda is gone, you may find that your older cat will learn to be more accepting of Fu. You may have to "quarantine" Fu in a bedroom for a few days, as well, with food/water dishes and litter pan. Then you can try introducing the two cats slowly and in stages, first of all by putting Fu in a cat carrier for short periods, and letting your older cat approach at will so they can get used to each other through the bars of the carrier. This is what I've always done when I've introduced a new cat to the household. You'll also find they will sniff at each other under the bedroom door. Expose the two cats to each other for short periods each day with Fu in the carrier, until the older cat starts to show signs of accepting him more. Then, when they are together without the crate, supervise the first couple of hours - they WILL spit and possibly swat at each other, but eventually they will establish a "pecking order" amongst themselves. Older cats tend to accept young kittens a lot more readily than they will accept adult cats, so you may be surprised how quickly the two will learn to get along. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you good luck. Unfortunately my "cat house" is full, and I live up in Canada anyway, so I wouldn't be able to help you find a home for your kitten(s). All I can suggest for that, is many vets have bulletin boards to help find homes for pets, or you can try to find a no-kill shelter in your area which may accept your kittens. All the best, Patti