I adopted a stray- and my other 4 cats wont go near him and didnt put up a fuss (hiss,growl) etc when he came?

I have adopted a stray- he is emaciated, had conjunctivitis, very old, etc etc and after being in the vets for 4 weeks he was released to us.

We have had him at home since last Wednesday and he has settled in with the others extreamly well.

In fact, my other four male cats- didnt even bother with him, they didnt do their usual territorial stand - in fact they stay well away from him. My deaf cat Mitt- he has always been a bit of a bully and when any of the others goes near his food, 2 who are older then him and one who is younger - he usually gives them what for...but when Smelly Cat went over (adopted stray) he looked at him and walked off??

Is this because they are scared of him or is it because they have pitty on him???

He was tested for AIDS and lukemia and they came back negative so hopefully thoses tests were accurate and it aint cos they sense an illness?

Also, he is very emaciated and he needs a bath (thought RSPCA would have cleaned him up) should i bath him or will he start to clean himself? Worried he may be too weak to face a bath?

Many thanks in anticipation....

Katy

Thank you all for your kind answers! I shall try bath him with spong as suggested and see how he goes! lol

Cats for sure don't know the meaning of pity, so though it's nice to think that they do, it's not that :) The more likely explanation is that they realize he's no threat.

I'm betting he's just new, and he smells like the vet, so no one is jumping up and down to be near him. His smell probably creeps them out. But, he'll eventually take on the smell of your house and all will be well.

Nice thing you did for him :) I'm glad his tests were negative. I have an FIV+ cat who lives with my non FIV+ cats, he was thought to be feral at first as well (now he's the most obnoxiously attention seeking of them all)

If he looks weak and old, maybe your cats just don't care to bully him, because it is quite obvious he is not a threat to them. Either way, you are lucky - and he is too. And your cats are nice guys and they deserve an extra treat for being nice- don't forget to show them affection!
As for the bath, what you can do is take a small basin of lukewarm water perhaps witha bit of soap in it, and a spong, and put the sponge in the water, and then softly wipe the cat with it, it is usually easier and less stressful than putting him in water. Use the same method with clear water to rinse him. And then dry him well with towels, and let him dry completely in a warm place.
Well done for adopting him!

Yes you should give him a bath. He could have all different kinds of bacteria in his fur. You dont want him to clean himself and possibly make him sick. Cats, like people, can sense that your new cat didnt come from the same type of life. Your new cat may be is sending out a vibe that states hes old and tired and is in no mood to be bullied. They will eventually work it out. Stray cats have a tendancy to be a little on the defensive side, some what insecure in a new envirment. They will all learn to get along just have a little patience. Good luck.

I have seen this happen once in my house. Normally I would never ever suggest putting cats together for at least a week but a couple of years ago I took home a Persian who, like Smelly Cat, was in a pitiful state and he was immediately accepted by the 4 other cats that I had at the time. So in answer to your question, yes I do think that cats can have compassionate feelings and they obviously feel no threat from Smelly Cat.