Nervous resident cat and new feisty kitten; any tips?

[TheLurkingOne]

We thought our highly strung princess would benefit from a new kitten.

She doesn't like him at all. He's very friendly and confident. Only about 10 weeks. He was a lost boy, the vet was minding him but noone claimed him. He's been socialised. He has no fear! We are puppy crating him at night and during their interactions. He was in a shower room for a day but she simply didn't see him at all and I need her to get used to him. Is this the right approach? She hissed and growled. He just wants to be loved and to play.

Attaching cat tax

The Princess

This isn’t the popular way of doing things but whenever we’ve introduced new kittens, we just plonked them on the floor and let them get on with it - obviously under constant supervision from us (and kept in different rooms when we were out or overnight) and the longest it took a resident cat to accept a newcomer was 48 hours.

Oh that's interesting. My mum said the same. Just let them get in with it. I'm just worried the older cat will avoid coming home entirely. We hardly see her as it is!

collar with bell for little'un, so Princess can make an early exit?

Bell a good idea!

I would make sure Princess has plenty of high up places to escape to while kitten is still little and can’t climb too much - you could also put barriers in between rooms (like solid baby gates) so Princess still has some space.

Hissing and growling is totally normal at first - I wouldn’t worry unless it starts to become physical.

We kept the new kitten upstairs secured by a stairgate for the first week. I wouldn’t crate them, they need more space than that surely, and to start exploring. Swapped blankets between the cats so they got used to each other’s scent. Also got a feliway plug in, they supposedly don’t work well on kittens but was hoping it would chill the older cat. After a week removed the stairgate but kept the litter tray and kitten’s food at the top. After another week when the kitten was confidently moving around we moved the food down to the kitchen. Still keep a second litter tray upstairs to this day. Ensure plenty of play time is giving to both but especially the kitten as the older cat may be annoyed by kitten energy. If there are 2 of you then play separately with each cat, with a wand or similar toy, in the same room.

Hopefully they’ll get there, ours are firm friends now.

OK thanks everyone. I think crate will be gone after today, it was really just for first introductions.

Our old girl never really took to either of our introductees - one kitten and one 18 month old.

We got the kitten by accident, then got the third to keep him company as 'Grotbags' clearly wasn't going to entertain the young 'un.

Old girl is gone now and the lads are friends....so maybe you need another one!

I second getting a third. We got DCat2 to entertain DCat1 but he spends most of the day out roaming whereas she's a little homebody. I'm trying to convince DH to get a third cat to entertain DCat2...

DCat1 likes to tackle DCat2 and sit on her while he gives her a good wash. Luckily she's big enough now to tell him to get lost, but when she was tiny we were forever separating them.

Definitely don’t crate. The kitten needs the room to explore and the older cat needs to see the kitten as part of their territory. A lot of cat rescues have good ideas for introducing kittens / new cats. I think cats protection has a good one.

Thanks for the good advice everyone. She's barely more than a kitten herself at just over a year so I thought she'd enjoy him, but I guess it takes time. And she is quite timid. Hopefully she will stop seeing him as a threat soon.

My sister used to foster cats and has done loads of introducitons. She recommends giving lots of high value treats when they are together so "I was here First " cat sees new cat as a 'good thing'. Also scent swap toys and belongings like beds and blankets.

Also since Princess is still young, try playing with them at the same time in same space. Wand toys, balls to chase etc. Playing encourages fun interactions and brings on a nice endorphin rush for both. Seperate if it gets a bit too physical though and don't let them full on fight as that can set up a dynamic that's hard to change. Hissing and the odd swat is fine as that's how the babies learn what's acceptable behavour.

I agree some high up spots for Princess to get away from kitten when she's fed up is a good idea.

Hi there how is it going so far? We brought a new kitty home yesterday and my nearly year old boy kitten is not happy. New kitty is from the same mum so they are siblings but the older kitten has been growling and hissing at me and dh. We've been trying to give him lots of attention and treats but he keeps going outside so wondering if to just leave him to do what he wants. Dh slept downstairs last night with the newbie and I slept upstairs with our older boy!

So it's going much better now. She's not fleeing in terror when she sees him, and tolerates him and his antics pretty well. She is avoiding him but more out of mild disgust than fear! He still adores her and wants to follow her, eat out of the same bowl and so on. But she will eat near him now. He always goes over to her dish to share with her so I have to move him and sit between them. There's some hissing but not much, and she slept in the same room as him once! He's a bit spikey and bitey when he plays so I kind of see her point!
At night the Princess sleeps in the kids rooms and has access to her catflap and we keep the baby on our side of the house (it's a bungalow) and he spends the night either attacking us in our sleep or cuddled up to my neck. So yes things are going OK.

Aww! Mine are getting there too. My male resident kitty boycotted the living room for 2 weeks and growled at the new baby kitty whenever he saw her but he's now sniffing her and goes back into the living room to relax and sleep. They often sit on the same sofa (not cuddling and there is quite a gap but its progress!) The baby kitty is helping herself to his food and litter tray too and he doesn't seem to mind!

We are getting there @Khanny :)