We got a new kitten, will our older cat eventually warm up to it?
We have a spayed female cat that is about 4 or 5 years old living with us. Recently, we have fostered a male kitten about 5 months old, and our female is NOT taking any liking to him. We've never had any other cats with our older one before, she is strictly an indoor cat, and basically she just keeps hissing at him, and won't let him get near. He seems curious to sniff her but she just wont have it. Will this eventually stop? All I ever hear people talking about when it comes to cats, is how much fun it is to have more than one... Apparently not....
old cat lady2008-02-01T08:51:27Z
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Cats are not "pack animals" except for the lion.
No older resident cat takes easily to another cat in its territory. It is just instinctual not to want to share space with another cat.
It is fun to have more than one - usually to start with two kittens who readily socialize with one another.
Your cat and kitten will eventually come to terms with one another. Most likely they will not become great buddies.
Territory means everything to a cat. It's the source of food, love & shelter - all the things they cannot afford to lose. Which is why most cats will do whatever it takes to protect it.
I don't know how long you've had the kitten, but if he joined you very recently, then it may be worth confining him to a separate room and starting the introductions gradually. This gives him chance to acquire the "communal" scent of your home, and that will make him seem more familiar to her. (Some cats can find unknown scents very threatening.) Letting her have the run of the home reassures her that she is still in charge of territory. The web sites below have step by step advice on how to introduce cats which you may find helpful.
The plug-in version of Feliway can help promote a calm atmosphere, but you'll need to use it for at least 3 weeks before you see the benefits.
Ignore her if she hisses at him, because if you attempt to punish her, it will make her resent him even more. Instead, when she is calm around him, reward her with food treat, praise & affection. This will help her associate him with good things.
They'll absolutely get used to each other. One can't predict whether they'll be best friends or just accept each others space.. But mostly they wind up friends. In fact, your kitten might actually nudge your older cat into more playful behavior than she would have shown by herself after a while. Until then, make sure to give your older cat lots of love and attention when the kitten is around so she feels like it's a positive thing having him around. Good luck!
Usually they get over it. For cats territory is the most important thing to them(yes even more important than we are to them) older kitty is upset and angry and betrayed but she is making it known who rules the roost and who is dominant. this is normal behavior when you introduce a new kitty. most after some time will fight/sniff/hiss/fight and hiss some more then they accept each other (time for this to happen is different for every situation). It is rare that they never end up getting along, however in some situations they NEVER will get along but again that is very rare.
just give them time to get used to each other and don't force them together let them do it at their own pace and they should eventually be ok
My experience with this behavior is that it should eventually go away. Cats are very territorial and protective of the land they "own". Once the older one learns that the younger one isn't going anywhere, she will accept the kitten as part of the family.