Everybody meet Gizmo (name may change, OH loved it and now isn't sure it suits him) Odie is slowly coming around to him. Even had an afternoon nap with him on my lap, Axel on the other hand hates him. Stressing me out a bit to say the least! Anyways here are some pictures And lastly, Axel checking out the cat tree making sure no pesky kitten is in it
Naaaaw, welcome Gizmo (great name for a kitty)! It's still early days for Axel, but how is Gizmo with the dogs? Staunch?
Gizmo stands his ground and hisses and swats if the dogs get to close. He will watch from the side but if one of them gets close he will hiss, he doesn't run away.
Perfect, he'll be kicking Axel off his dog bed in no time. I know how stressful it is when the dog hates the cat, but it sounds like Gizmo's got the perfect personality to deal with it. I know you'll be careful with the two of them, and with time I'm sure that Axel will learn to cope.
Thank you, hearing that helps for sure! I was trying to find a feisty kitten vs a timid kitten. I don't leave them alone ever and it will take quite sometime until I do. Question.. Axel is down stairs in the living room behind a baby gate when I'm at work. And Odie sleeps in my bedroom so I figure I could just close the door and he won't care. Then I was thinking of leaving gizmo free range of the house while I'm at work. Should I not do that because Axel may go crazy seeing him walk past the gate ? I have a bedroom set up for Gizmo downstairs already with toys and food and water dish and litter box and such. I just feel mean leaving him in a bedroom for 8 hours while I'm at work.
Keeping him confined to one room is actually the kind of thing people recommend when you bring a new cat/kitten home, at least for a couple of weeks. Kittens can be VERY destructive, so it's probably best for your home to keep him restricted, anyway. Then like a dog he'll need a good play session when you get home. I'll be keen to see what the cat experts have to say when England wakes up, @SwampDonkey @Beanwood?
He sounds great and standing up for himself is what you want. I would put him in one room or even a large dog crate with a litter tray water when you are out or not around to supervise. Kittens can get into a lot of trouble and can be very destructive rewarding Axel everytime the kitten is around really high value stuff khongs etc will help too. If he sees the kitten something good needs to happen. Axel is a nice boy he'll feel better about it soon, mine usually did it just takes time.
Beautiful boy! And love the name Gizmo, it sounds like it fits him pretty good I so hope Axel comes around much sooner then later for you!
Lovely. I so want a kitty but OH hates cats and I don't think he'd cope with it if I sneaked one in. I did sneak one in about 25 years ago, he never liked her. She had a kitten and he adored it, I foolishly found the kitten a new home - my chance to covert him gone in a rush of sensibleness .
I sometimes think I'd quite like a cat, but they don't tend to do well here in the campo, with all the hunting dogs and European wildcats around!
Gizmo looks great! I'm trying not to be tempted, though, as the now-gone-home maine coon has left (with his lovely springer spaniel friend). I couldn't think why I could still smell a strong whiff of cat... until I discovered he'd peed liberally in Tuppence's crate (and probably Wispa's too) and in each of the three dog beds (not sure why I've still got three!), even though all their bedding had been washed just before he arrived. He'd certainly marked his territory, which probably explains why my dogs didn't dare to mess with him! Thank goodness all is now restored to normal labrador perfume!
Ok I'm so stressed. Axel still is growling at Gizmo often. He will sniff his bum if I hold Gizmo but that's it. We tried letting Gizmo walk freely tonight and Axel was very on edge, ears and body very tense and watching his every move. Gizmo is very brave and would walk past Axel and hiss if Axel lunged forward which happened a few times and resulted in Axel jumping back and barking his head off. Good thing is that Gizmo can now sleep on my lap and Axel wont leave the room to avoid me. He wouldn't even come to me when called, he wouldn't look at me, nothing. He will now actually come and sleep at my feet. So maybe it is all coming together but it just feels like it will never get better. Ugh sorry just a ramble but I'm stressed.
Hopefully it's one of those "time helps all things" things. I know zero about cats, but could Axel also be a bit jealous? He has been your "baby" so maybe all of this new fluff on your lap situation is blowing his poor doggie mind a bit. Not a cat situation, but I found @snowbunny 's experience introducing Luna to Shadow and Willow very encouraging. It was a very rocky start apparently, but now they play with each other all the time. Not that Gizmo and Axel may ever play with each other as if they were two dogs (or two cats), but hopefully they'll grow into family.
Oh, Gizmo is a cutie-pie. I wouldn't chance the baby gate alone for 8 hours. Not to start. Our rescue dog hated our cat (but not other cats, very unusual) all her life. We kept her downstairs with a solid piece of plywood at the bottom of the stairs so she could not see the cat walk past. However our cat was adult and smart enough not to taunt the dog. A kitten probably has to learn that yet. This pair of ours never became friends but all others became tolerant and most good friends.
