How can you tell if a cat is happy in a multi cat house?

[FourteenCows]

Just that, really.

My first resident girl is not happy with the arrival of the kittens, she is swatting and growling at them still, despite a slow intro. I am losing hope.

In herself, she is still eating, not hiding or staying away from the kittens, but is moody with us.

It's far too early to know. Things generally take at least six months to settle down, and often a year or so to be harmonious. If they are still kittens then you haven't had them that long. I'm sure it will be ok eventually.

Thank you, so there’s still a chance they will get along in the future? The kittens are 18ish weeks old and we’ve had them for 5 weeks, but they’ve only been mingling for about 2 weeks. They were separated before that.

That's very early days, and it's normal for an older cat to assert their authority a bit with some hissing and swatting... Of course it depends a bit on how your girl usually reacts to other cats - a cat that's been solo for a long time will take longer to adjust.

It takes time. Sometimes a very long time.

There are days when our Jayda is not best pleased with Gatsby or the Big. Fortunately she has a space of her own to hide - she goes on top of the upper kitchen cupboards. Gatsby can get up there, but he doesn't follow her when she goes up. Biggie can't get up as he is too fat

Most of the time they get on okay. Biggie is happy as long as he has his people, as is Gatsby. Jayda likes to have her own space on top of the cupboards or in the top part of the cat tree.

They do get angry at you for bringing in other cats as they are very territorial. Expect things to take several months at least to stabilize.

I saw Snorg visibly relax when I plonked Cheddar down in her carrier. I just know she is happier having another cat in the house. They co exist brilliantly!

Biggie was on his own for a while and was very lonely. He perked up considerably when Jayda moved in. It did take her some time to adjust, but now they mostly get on okay.

Ironically, when we brought Gatsby home, Biggie kind of had a "WTH is THIS?" look on his face initially! I suspect he thought he was being replaced. Once he learned there was enough room for everyone, he got over his jealousy. Jayda didn't mind Gatsby and started mothering him not long after we got him. (Prior to this, Biggie had never met a human or another animal he didn't like. He tried to make friends with a dog once.)

Mutual sleeping, mutual grooming and voluntary resource sharing are good indicators.

Overt signs of aggression or hiding are not. Cats that ‘like their own space’ are usually living in chronically stressful social-conflict avoidance mode

Cats are naturally territorial and colonies are matrilineal so females will defend their existing space against uninvited incomers

Jayda usually does okay around the boys. Most of the time she sits on top of the cat tree. This is in the living room and is within reach of the boys.

All three of them usually stay in the living room or wherever the people are.