Cats not getting on..

[Bemyclementine]

I've had Dcat for 8 yrs since she was tiny. I did have another older cat at the time but he is no longer with us. We have a visiting cat who is very laid back, they generally ignore each other but do have a sniff occasionally.

In November, I took in a stray kitten, a few months old. She was ill and very quiet. However as she's got better and grown, the 2 cats are not getting on. Dcat rarely cones down stairs now. It's 50/50 on which cat "starts" . Dcat will sometimes have a go at new cat. Not full on fighting but will walk up abd do the one handed smacking thing.

New cat will sometimes huss and yowl at dcat when she walks past or ambushes her at the bottom of the stairs.

Is there anything I can do to help them settle? New cat isn't going out yet (spayed yesterday). I'm hoping things might improve when she can. I'm having to leave them shut in separate areas atm when I go out.

Just like any animal, aka humans, sometimes you just don’t get on. I read instances where bonded kittens as adults don’t get on. It’s hard for the household to let go of one. However, I think it’s absolutely fine to find a home that best suits a cat or dog’s needs. It’s not failure. Simply putting the animal’s needs first.

I have adopted a cat in exactly this situation and they’re having a brilliant life now. My home is just what suited them best. It’s entirely their territory and they are in charge.

Hope you find the right solution for you three.

Thanks. Visiting cat is the least trouble! He just comes in for a nap.

They were fine to begin with, and dcat is a bit of a scaredy cat, but she really was upset when new cat came in season.

I feel bad for dcat, as its her home, equally I couldn't leave the starving wounded kitten outside in the freezing cold. I'll give it a few weeks and see how they go.

It's not full on hatred, I had a boy cat once who wouldn't have had another cat in the house, or garden for that matter