What's going to happen when I introduce my kitten to my old tabby?

[Thekatzmuvver]

The kitten has been here two days, he's confident, exploring. He's eight weeks old. So far he's only been in the living room during the day and in the bedroom at night with me. My old tabby (13 years) sleeps mostly during the day, usually comes to bed with me, although doesn't stay once I've turned the light off. She'll also often come and sit next to me on the sofa in the evening. She hasn't been able to come into the bedroom because I've been keeping the door shut to contain the kitten.

They've met twice and each time tabby has hissed at the kitten and run away.

What's likely to happen if I just let him wander and let her come in when she wants? Will they fight? He's only tiny. He wants to sniff at her, but then she hisses at him.

She usually sleeps in the spare room, which is her room, where her bed and litter tray are. I don't think she'll change that. I just feel bad about her being shut out at the moment, but am trying to keep an eye on where the kitten is so I don't lose him in the flat as he's so small. If I leave him alone he cries, he's never been alone before.

Sorry if these are stupid questions.

You’ll definitely get hissing and hiding, it’d be more unusual if you didn’t. I’d keep the kitten in the living room and leave the door open so old cat can come and see if he wants but make sure you stay in the room! Don’t leave them alone together until you are assured they are ok.

Thank you. Tabby has come in this morning, but kitten jumped out of his bed to investigate and she hissed and ran out. I'll keep at it. My instinct is to protect him, obviously, but I want them to get on.

She will be miserable and start pissing in the house.

It's only two days - I think (from experience!) it's best to do it gradually over a week or more.

You can scent swap, let them see each other without being able to get to each other and that sort of thing - then they get used to seeing other cats in their space and can be less territorial.

They shouldn't have seen each other yet - it's too soon.

Also at thirteen, it may not have been the best idea to introduce a solo kitten - sorry 😕

It's very difficult to avoid them seeing each other, my living room door is a glass door. I can't change it now anyway. Also can't undo that I've got the kitten too.

Thanks. They've seen each other through a glass door and sniffed at each other under the door, also on my hands and on each other's blankets. I live alone and couldn't see another way to spend time with the kitten who's never been alone and also not shut the older cat out all the time.

Food is your friend here. Feed the cats near each other and they start to associate food with each other

If the door is glass, can you not block it with a temporary curtain or something?

Honestly, two days is nothing, it can take months.

I could. I just thought it might be good for them to see each other. I'm also concerned about how to spend time with both of them, so the sooner they can mingle the better I guess. But only when they want to .. well, when tabby wants to, as the kitten is up for anything!

No but it's a shame you got the kitten without doing the bare minimum research on how to successfully introduce a kitten to an established cat. Was it an impulse buy?

Jackson Galaxy has videos on how to introduce. Especially with an older cat, slow and steady is the method that is most likely to have good results. Interacting only through a closed door, feeding on either side of the door, scent swapping with blankets or toys to begin with.

You'll have to divide your time between the two of them for now.

Jeez people are unkind on here these days! I've had kittens before and they've been accepted straight away. This is the first time I've had a cat hiss at a kitten!

It should have been the kitten that should have gone into the spare room, not the old cat! I feel sorry for her. Will you rehome her if it doesn’t work out?

I recently introduced a kitten to two 12-year old cats. I kept them apart for a week. During this time I took the kitten out of the room he was living in, and allowed the other two cats in to have a really good sniff of his bed, litter tray and toys. When they stopped very obviously trying to find him, inhaling all the objects and stalking all the shadows, and started just wandering in and settling down, I judged that they had got used to his scent and introduced him to them.

I also had pheromone plug-ins in his living area, and theirs, and did scent swapping every night - I put a tea towel in each of their baskets, they'd lie on it all day, I'd rub their heads with each other's towel and then swap into each other's baskets.

I don't think you can expect them to just get on. The vast majority of cats don't, on introduction.

When I did eventually introduce them, it was love at first sight between the kitten and my older male, but the female still isn't mad keen on him and will hiss if he comes too close to her. Occasionally i'll find all 3 cuddled up. But mostly, the female is tolerant of the kitten at best.

However, there has never been any fighting or truly hostile behaviour, or stress urination or anything like that. She's just not keen.

Have you got Feliway plug ins in each of their spaces? Also Feliway do a paste that you could feed them in turn when they see each other.

they might never be best friends but it can happen! We recently introduced 2 kittens to our 11 year old and he adores them, having never got along with our old cat! He is reborn!

This. Go all out put on good brands for oldie or his favourites but feed him same time as kitty in same area.
It will be OK. Lots of fuss for oldie.

Getting a second kitten would be a good idea, so the younger one has a playmate and doesn’t bother the old cat so much. I have a very old cat and two kittens (brothers from the same litter) and the boys would be absolutely lost without each other.