Introducing Kitten To Adult Resident Cat

[muchlovex]

has anyone got any experience of introducing a new kitten to an already resident cat?

we got our new kitten last Saturday and she is adorable. we did put her in a cage as advised by the rescue centre but after two days she cried and cried to be let out. so she's roaming around the house quite happily, exploring etc.

May 2 year old cat isn't very happy About this new kitten. First day they met she growled, hissed etc and seemed scared of her. Now she still growls and hisses and is not as scared of her. it's been less than a week since we got new kitten. new kitten really wants to make friends with adult.

I am told it maY take 3 weeks to a month for adult cat to accept her.

has anyone got any experience of this and what was the outcome. I really love my cat and this new kitten and really want adult cat to accept her.

[BRIGHT SPARK]

We experienced the very same when we introduced Jensen (on left) to Lewis.Lewis was sick and would'nt eat for a few days.It will take time.Our two are now best mates.

[ummmm]

Leave them be and let them get on with it.

[Prudie]

I've done this twice in the last couple of years. There's no rule, the first time they loved one another the second pretty much as you describe and they are still like it 4 months later. There's no reason why they should ever get on but should end up at least tolerating each other. Make sure you give the elder cat plenty of love and attention, other than that I'd do as Ummmm says, let them sort themselves out.

[Brinjal]

My two never liked each other. Still hate each other. Cats by nature are solitary so sometimes they don't want another cat in their territory. Not saying that yours will be like that just do t be too surprised if they are never best friends

[pastafreak]

How long it takes is as long as a piece of string. It really just depends on the cats. I'd say a month is optimistic. Don't force it-let them get on with it. Good luck.

[FrogNog]

Mine hate each other sometimes but pine if the other isn't there.
They'll sort it out between themselves. Let them get on with it.

[yinyang]

We had a brother and sister cat which we'd had since they were tiny. They must have been about twelve when we got another kitten. The male cat seemed to reckon that as long as he was still getting pats and his food bowl was being filled, then it made no difference to him and within a couple of days was letting the wee one curl up beside him to sleep. The girl cat never had more than an reluctant acceptance of the kitten and would always give a hiss if she thought the wee blighter was getting too close to her.

When the young cat disappeared we got a full grown male cat and exactly the same thing happened. Yin just accepted the new boy while yang actually bullied even though she was half his size. Now Yin And Yang are both gone and just Shad is left. He goes mental if he sees another cat across the road so I don't think he'd take too kindly to one in the house - he enjoys getting all our attention to himself.

[wolf63]

Cats are really strange animals. My two are littermates (brother and sister) and they go from hating each other to almost tolerating each other.

[jomifl]

Friends of ours rather brutally introduced a kitten into their house which had been the domain of an ageing female cat. The old cat became neurotic and vicious and hid at the top of the house and wouldn't come down to use the litter tray. After a couple of months the kitten managed to not return after an adventure outside and 6 months later the old cat has mostly recovered from the trauma.

[wolf63]

jomifl - sounds like the older cat may have followed the newcomer and persuaded it to live elsewhere. :-)

Odd animals

[zoe76]

I had adult cat introduced to kitten and she hated it, even years later she fight it for no reason and won't let it in her space at all. Same with another kitten a couple years later, then another. They just tolerate each other and the younger ones use any excuse to wind her up, she uses any excuse to lash out at them.

[campbellking]

Campbell cat is about 3 years older than Robbie, and tolerates him, steals his food when she thinks he isn't looking, smacks him one when she feels like it and cuddles up to him and they will sleep curled up together (as they are right now) when she thinks its cold. It helps that Robbie is one of the dimmest cats on the planet, but they've just been together since he was about 8 weeks old and it's never particularly been a problem.

[wolf63]

Campbellking - My Princess Merlin is pretty dim too. Even the vet made a comment about it. Alas she is also pretty fierce and has bitten visitors to the house. Girl Power!