Hi Everyone

I am new to this forum, wondered if anyone could advise me.

I am currently looking after four 7 week old kittens, that a neightbour abandoned. I have friends who want to adopt them so I am just looking after them for a week as they prepare their homes.

I will keep one of them for myself (a female). I already have a 6 month old female cat who normally has a relaxed nature, sometimes playful too.

When we bought the box back, she ran in before we could stop her and hissed on seeing the kittens and ran away. We have now kept them in a safe room.

Today, my husband had been handling the kittens, and when she saw our exisitng cat, she was smelling his clothes (no dobut she could smell the kittens), and as soon as my husband tried to stroke her, she hissed.

So I am wondering, since I will only be keeping one kitten, should I wait till the others go to their homes before trying to intergrate the other kitten with ours?

Also, whats the best way to do this?

Is is a good idea to keep a girl kitten when we already have a girl?

Also the little kittens barely eat anything though they are drinking a little. Is there anything I can do?

Finally (so many questions!), two of the little kittens have black marks near their noses. The noses arent wet or runny, but I am not sure if it is a birth mark or just dirt they picked up from their old home. Is there any kind of illness that can make their noses look black?

Thanks!

keep the kittens and your girl seperated for now-they know each others their so just allow your girl a day or so to realise they're not a threat The black marks near their noses could be part of their markings/color and as for eating a little, maybe try them on some rice pudding (tepid/cool) in temp and see if they show interest-if they don't dunk their paws in it and they will clean themselves, it may take a short while and you have to keep trying but you can get them eating and at this age-given that they leave you in a week-they need to be eatingGood luck with eating and keep us posted on how they and you get on Your girl is hissing coz she's confused and unsure about whats happening-she will settle soon enough

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Dogs have owners, Cats have slaves

Burnthwaites Siamese

Couldnt have put it any better Kelly!

Thanks for the response!

Ok I will keep them apart for now although the little ones are keen explorers!

I have been a bit worried as I noticed that my exisiting cat has hissed for the first time ever. It happened when I had cleaned the kittens, and she sniffed my hand. Then when I tried to stroke her (or anyone else) that touch plus scent of the kittens makes her hiss. Quite scary as shes never done it before

How's things going Yuki?? Any further on

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Dogs have owners, Cats have slaves

Burnthwaites Siamese

Hey

She is good! We continued to spread the scent of the cat we are keeping. This weekend, my other half put this kitty in the travel case and let Yuki see her she ended up sniffing the new kitty's paws!! So she is definately getting used to it - I also bought a feliaway plug in, which I will try when it arrives in the post!

Great news Yuki-really pleased things are working out

__________________
Dogs have owners, Cats have slaves

Burnthwaites Siamese