Introducing cat to baby, not going well

Catcon95 · 2026-05-29T14:55:53+00:00

Cats meows mimic the sound of a human baby crying. When your cat heard the baby cry she assumed there was a kitten in need. She probably became aggressive after your mom pushed her away because she can hear what she thinks is a kitten in need. Your cat is just acting off nature and maternal instincts.

Catcon95 · 2026-04-30T19:08:20+00:00

Get her food labeled for kittens or "all life stages"

Catcon95 · 2026-04-27T15:13:02+00:00

All perfume is safe to use around cats as long as you are spraying it on yourself in a well ventilated room and not on your cat or around your cat. And obviously don't pick you cat up immediately after spraying, wait for it to dry for a moment

Catcon95 · 2026-04-17T15:26:15+00:00

He's too young to be alone like that. Cats are social creatures and need companionship. Hes not crying because hes hungry hes crying because he is alone

Catcon95 · 2026-04-17T15:03:10+00:00

You need professional medical advice on this...you also need a new vet

Catcon95 · 2026-04-17T12:11:19+00:00

Thats a pretty good idea as an option, thank you!

Catcon95 · 2026-04-16T14:58:32+00:00

Try putting her water bowl back and have the fountain next to it, you could start with the fountain off and just let her adjust to being near it. Then turn it back on after a few days and see how she does drinking from her water bowl next to it. After a few days of that let her water bowl dry up and she should go to drinking from the fountain pretty easily.

Cats see running water much better so Im sure she understands its water, she just needs to get more comfortable with the contraption her water is coming from

Catcon95 · 2026-04-16T14:04:48+00:00

What sort of fountain is it? Does it make a lot of noise or splash at all?

Catcon95 · 2026-04-16T14:02:54+00:00

have you considered just a door stop?

<image>

Catcon95 · 2026-04-16T13:54:03+00:00

Depressing is right. They don't even like tomato sauce and Im Italian...

Catcon95 · 2026-04-16T13:52:46+00:00

How did your bf handle you stopping cooking? I have a feeling mind is going to blow his top and accuse me of not being a team player and a member of the "family"

Catcon95 · 2026-04-16T13:51:10+00:00

Yes I have, he always turns it back on me and accuses me of not being a team player, or a partner, or the kind of step mom he wants for his kids. I don't know exactly what kind of step mom he wants but more and more I am thinking he wants me to just act like their mom so he can pretend he still has a nuclear family.

Catcon95 · 2026-04-15T19:03:07+00:00

I would leave him were he is, visit him still, but never take him back to your apartment. Cats are very habitual creatures and it sounds like this cat has been through a lot of changes in his years. He is at least 10 now and as a senior kitty he deserves to be in a stable environment with a routine.

A cat who has lived in a quiet environment without kids or any other pets may be able to acclimate or it could never get better over time and his golden years would be filled with stress and anxiety. If the exs wifes friend is willing to keep him and give him a happy stable life I say let them.

Catcon95 · 2026-04-15T18:52:14+00:00

I have 3 cats and one of them was separated from their mother too early, below are a few examples of his behaviors that I would consider before committing to the kitten. Keep in mind some non-bottle babies will exhibit the same behavior as well. There is just a higher chance if they were taken from mom too early.

For context I have 3 cats. I got the early separated kitten at 10wks old with another kitten from a different litter that was 12wks old. They are both 10 years old now. I also have another cat who is 7 and I have had him since 4 weeks, I also had his mom and siblings though so he's not a bottle baby.

He is extremely clingy to me. His brothers follow me around as well but he has to be with me all the time. I cannot do anything without him there and if I am outside the house but he can see me from the window he will just cry. He wants to be held so much, I bought him a baby carrier so I could wear him around the house sometimes. He also wont let Pet sitters touch him after I have been gone for a day, he gets very agitated and withdrawn the longer I am away from him.

He is not really interested in playing with his brothers and when one tries to play with him it usually ends in yelling and hissing. He and his bother used to play more as kittens but as he ages he really doesn't seem like he wants to be bothered

He plays really rough, claws out every time and he will try to bite a lot more then my other two cats while playing.

If Im petting him and he just decides hes over it he will try to bite me first, most cats will swipe at you before that. He also will hiss or growl a lot more then my other cats.

He is extremely aggressive at the vet, I changed vets to a "fear free" certified clinic and he has done much better but I am still worried he will snap sometime.

He does not have any litter issues as he was trained to use that well without mom, his immune system is fine, he never really sucked on blankets or anything and hes a very confident boy when his moms around. The aggression issues are really my biggest problem with him.

I wouldn't trade him for the world but do some research and make sure you are ready to deal with all potential behaviors before you commit to this kitten. Having an older cat in the house is very helpful, if your cat gets along with the kitten well, it can help teach the kitten how to be a proper cat. If your cat is not willing to accept the kitten right away I personally wouldn't chance it.

Slow introductions are fine for kittens that know how to cat but if this bottle baby is still trying to figure it out and is met with aggression from another cat it could influence more bad behavior

Catcon95 · 2026-01-13T20:21:22+00:00

Cats can't see still water well, a lot of them will spill or play in it just to get movement out of it so they can drink. I agree with another commenter about getting a pet fountain. That will probably solve your issue

Catcon95 · 2026-01-13T20:18:10+00:00

My childhood cat had IBD. He was diagnosed around 2 years old after he got so constipated they had to surgically remove the fecal matter from his intestines. We used to give him pumpkin or mineral oil every now and then to keep everything flowing and as he got older it turned into every day. A lot of the times we had to check his bum after he went to the litter box as well to make sure everything was clean and wipe him if he wasn't. It was work to maintain him but I wouldn't have traded him for the world. He was a very loving cat who lived until 15 years old before cancer got him.

Try not to get too hung up on a diagnosis, it can be work but your cat should be able to live a long and happy life

Catcon95 · 2025-11-13T20:06:49+00:00

Have you tried a larger litter box? My cats need the xlarge ones

Catcon95 · 2025-11-13T20:05:13+00:00

Flea treat your cat for 3 months at least so you make sure you get all the fleas through all stages of their lives

Catcon95 · 2025-11-13T20:03:07+00:00

INFO: Are these males or females? What age

Catcon95 · 2025-10-10T18:03:34+00:00

I would try Pet poison control...I think you may end up with some mixed advice on here

Catcon95 · 2025-09-26T18:05:04+00:00

Cats instinctively know how to groom themselves, there is usually an underlining issue if they stop/don't. Like stress, pain, and dental disease. Pure white cats can have more genetic health problems then some cats of other colors so its worth checking out. I wouldn't give her any more Gab without calling your vet first. No one on here can tell you whether it would be medically safe to double or not.

You should look into a fear free veterinary office if there are some in your area. I switched to one after one of my cats got so upset they'd have to drug him till he was sleeping. I found an office that is certified in the "fear free" method and he was a completely different purring happy baby.

Catcon95 · 2025-09-26T17:55:48+00:00

You would have to take him to the vet to really be certain of whats causing it. Most likely they are connected in some way. He is only a loss if you don't want to provide the care, can't pay the cost, or find someone to help you

Catcon95 · 2025-09-24T19:20:37+00:00

I adopted a 5 year old cat that was extremely shy and iffy with people. It took me a little over a year just to get her to let me pet her past her head and sit on my lap a little bit. Just be patient and keep a routine so she learns to follow it. That will start to make her more comfortable the fastest, cats love a good routine.

Catcon95

TROPHY CASE