How to introduce 5 adult cats to an 8-9 month old stray kitten and cat wont clean...

[Cats3503]

...self? We found a stray kitten on the side of the road who is super skinny and when the other cats come around, one or the other growl at each other or hiss. My dog (hes a small dog) is very interested in her and wont bite her but every time he gets close to her to sniff her she hisses and lunges at him. I think she is just afraid..how can I make her transition into the 5 cat 1 dog household go more smoothly?

Also, on a side note, she won't clean herself which I don't know why that is...all I've seen her lick in the last two to three days is her butt after she poops which is good I guess but she wont bathe herself. Is it maybe because she's too skinny and frail or maybe she didn't learn from her mother because they were not together long enough?

Thanks so much!

 

[YaYaGirl]

Have you found out if your area has a limit of pets allowed per household? Where I live the limit is 4 pets per household. Also, a lot of place have a law that pets have to be licensed/registered.

If a neighbor reports you your pets could be taken away.

Not really a good idea to bring a stray cat home to other pets. The stray could have something that could make your cats sick.

 

[ctipling]

Cats just take time to get used to a new comer. However there is a product called Feliway. It contains pheromones which calm cats sorta like a very mild kitty vallium lol! You can purchase at most of the big pet stores such as Petsmart and Petsco. Its rather pricey but lasts about 3 months. Comes in a deal like those glade plug ins you buy to make your house smell good. You won't notice the Feliway but the cats will right away. If you have ever noticed a cat scratching or rubbing on certain spots, it is because they are marking this spot as a friendly safe haven spot. This product Feliway sort of makes the cats believe the whole room is a friendly safe haven and calms aggression among other things. You may read all about it at their web site http://www.feliway.com/us
On another note, if kitty is skinny and isn't cleaning itself this is a good indication it has kitty cold (Feline Herpes Virus) which 99% of all cats are exposed to so it needs a round of antibiotics and you can help it tremendously by purchasing Nutrical which is a brown pastes comes in a big like toothpaste tube you give it several gobs a day. It is high in calories plus vitamins kitty needs exp when sick. Nutrical has saved many a kitty's life! You can also purchase that at the pet stores. The antibiotic you need you must obtain from a vet unless you have some connection to a vet and can just tell them whats wrong and go buy. They more than likely will place kitty on Amoxicillin
Very Good Luck to your family of humans and pets!!!