introducing a new kitten, give me hope, will they ever get on?!

[nipersvest]

we have a 10 month old rescue kitten, and it was always our intention to adopt 2 eventually, we would have got 2 at the same time but we fell in love with this one. this weekend, we went back to the rescue place and adopted another, 10 weeks old this time.

on the plus side, they have been eating next to each other and even out of the same bowl at the same time, but more often than not, we have them separate as the older cat keeps pouncing on the new one.

i know its early days, but anyone got any advice to give on helping them get along?

[TheTravellingLemon]

In order for me to properly judge, I'd need to see photos

[BagelwithButter]

Oh yes, serious infringement of rules here, posting about kittens without pics

[nipersvest]

oops, yes here is photographic evidence

all black one is our 10 month old, doing what he likes best, snoozing! black and white one is the 10 week old kitten.

[OutrageousFlavourLikeFreesias]

Eating together is a hugely positive sign!

Is there any chance the titchy one is enjoying the pouncing game as much as the biggun? My two have the most appalling-looking wrestling matches, but they both start it so they clearly both like to do it.

[nipersvest]

i'm hopeful its just them setting up a pecking order. bog one grabs the little one with his mouth on the back of his neck. little one isn't agressive, only in self defence and for a little 'un, he can hold his own, he rolls on his back with his paws in the air and hisses, big one then backs off only to do the same thing again a minute or so later.

part of me wonders if i need to just leave them too it and hope they get it out their systems, but the other part is terrified they're going to hurt each other.

[FrozenAteMyDaughter]

No helpful thoughts to offer I am afraid but I am so glad I stumbled on this thread. I was just about to ask whether experienced people thought it was a good idea to bring a little kitten into a house where we already have a 10 month old. We would like a second as company for the first but aren't sure now whether we should leave well enough alone. This gives me hope that if we do get the second one, they might actually get along eventually.

Sorry to hijack and not help.

[Ashbeeee]

Had a 3 yo whose brother died . We got a kitten last year and they still fight. They eat together but still hiss and pounce (unplayfully)

[blueemerald]

My mum used to rub a tea towel all over the current cat and then rub it on the new cat/kitten whenever we got one when I was a kid. She said it helped to transfer a familiar smell. I don't know about the science behind it but it seemed to work...

[OutrageousFlavourLikeFreesias]

As long as Big Cat backs away when Little Cat shows he's had enough, it's probably just play / pecking order, not hatred!

They'll likely keep doing it at Little Cat grows and the dynamic between them changes. But if they'll share food then they're definitely cool with each other's presence!

[nipersvest]

big cat does back away, will try the tea towel thing. they ate together this morning, then big cat pounced on little cat, little cat was actually still purring while all of this was going on. big cat let go, then carried on eating while little cat licked big cats tail.

frozen - this is why we got another, we go away a lot and big cat gets very lonely, although we have a bank of friends who pop round every day and feed/play with him. new kitten was to hopefully give him company.

i think we just need to give them time and not panic as its only been a few days. big cat was 13 weeks when we got him so the new 10 week old seems so terribly tiny and fragile. even though big cat keeps going for him, i've checked and there are no marks/scratches (so far!)