new kitty meets old cat

[Ame E.]

We adopted a female kitten about 2 months old. Our old cat (12 years) and she are not getting along.

 

The kitten hissed at the old cat, and at first the old cat was interested in her... but now hisses back.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks

[Pawz4me]

Hissing (and even growling) is perfectly normal. As long as it doesn't get out of hand, let them work it out on their own. Keep a spray bottle of water at hand in case you need to intervene.

[DragonFaerie]

Hissing (and even growling) is perfectly normal. As long as it doesn't get out of hand, let them work it out on their own. Keep a spray bottle of water at hand in case you need to intervene.

 

:iagree: We adopted a male kitten a couple of months ago, and brought him into the house where we already had two "grumpy old lady" cats. He tried to play with them, pouncing on them. They hissed and scratched. He tried harder, they whooped up on him. He quit. LOL The spray bottle helps, but I figured they would just need to teach him his place. :D He still tries from time to time, but they shut him down pretty quickly.

[Pegasus]

It'll help to get a second kitten for the first to play with. ;)

 

Seriously, I'd be shocked if the older established cat accepted a newcomer without some initial hisses, growls, and swats. Keep an eye on them for a while and they will almost certainly get things worked out.

 

I've got two older cats that were littermates and they STILL sometimes hiss, growl, and tumble. They get along the other 95% of the time.

[lea1]

I agree that the hissing and growling are normal...and possibly even a few swats in the head. I hope they end up working it out. When my 13 year old female died and I missed her so, I bought a kitten who looks just like she did. I still had the 13 year old male at home. At first the old male and new female seemed they would work it out. He hissed at her and he swatted her when she tried to get him to play and he growled at her. She never gave up. Every time she could she would jump on him. Eventually she grew heavier than he is, as he is very thin and now 14 years old. She is relentless. He hates her.

 

He has always wanted to go outside for his entire life. I finally gave in to him when I saw things were not going to improve. He is a pretty happy camper now. He comes in to sleep for the morning and goes back out in the afternoon, staying out all night. Not sure what he will do when it gets really cold out. I don't think he will be able to tolerate the very cold weather.

 

Anyway, I hope your situation turns out better than mine did.

[Ame E.]

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3291780832687.109688.1812751108&type=1#

[Hoot]

Some animosity between the cats is completely normal. They are trying to establish the appropriate hierarchy in the house. However, on experience, I wouldn't leave them alone together at first. We found a beautiful seal-point Himalayan and kept him for nearly a year while trying to figure out who he belonged to. We finally gave up and gave him to my MIL after her Siamese of 19 yrs. passed away. She had another cat as well who was a bit territorial but never too awful. The very first time she introduced the two cats she did everything right: sat next to them, didn't leave them alone etc. In literally the blink of an eye, her cat jumped up, grabbed the new cat by the neck, flipped him over hitting his head on the corner of a wall and knocked him out cold. The cat was paralyzed from the neck down for WEEKS. Only because my MIL is as stubborn as me when it comes to her animals is that cat still alive. The vet suggested that he be put down but she did physical therapy with him, expressed his bladder because it too was paralyzed, fed him through a tube and spent thousands of dollars to heal him. He is now able to walk again, albeit with a bit of a swagger and some moments where he just sort of falls over.

 

The thing is, even now, 2 yrs. later, the cats cannot be together. They each have their own rooms and she rotates them out into the general living space every morning and evening. The original cat STILL beats on the door when the other cat is inside, hisses, spits, growls, and tries to attack him under the door. She never acted this way with MIL's aging Siamese so we assume it has something to do with him being male.

 

Anyway, give them supervised time together but if you see it getting physical, separate them.