Cat acting bizzare around new kitten

[EnjixKiri111]

A new kitten ran into my home two days ago, obviously a spontaneous decision, I had no time to prepare. My older cat, seven years old, is acting so strange even google can't give me answers. She is meowing, chirping, trolling at the kitty, chasing her everywhere and I mean she wont give her room to breathe, sniffing her, obviously distressed when the kitten as much as moves her head. The poor little thing hides from her wherever she can, obviously very frustrated. What is this and how do I stop it please help.

 

[susanm9006]

Thank you for taking this baby in. It is usually a good idea to introduce a new kitten or cat to the resident cat slowly over a period of time. Yours seems to be okay but extremely curious about the newcomer, but I would still separate them for at least part of the time so that they both have an opportunity to calm down. Can you put the kitten in a bedroom or bathroom? Meal times would be opportunity to have them both out and focused on something other than each other. And I would make sure the kitten has some places to hide that the older cat can’t get too as well so if she feels frightened she had some place to go.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Thanks for deciding to give the kitten a home. How old is it? Is there any chance it belongs to a neighbour and wandered away?

As susanm9006 mentioned, keeping the kitten in a separate room from your resident cat, and doing a "formal" introduction is usually the best way to go when bringing a new cat into a home. Also, if possible, I would suggest having the kitten checked over by a vet, and depending on its age, getting any applicable shots, getting dewormed, etc. before letting it around your resident cat. The vet can also scan for a chip.

Then proceed with the introductions. Here's a TCS article on the topic:

How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat | TheCatSite

Do keep an eye on your resident cat, to ensure her behaviour isn't being caused by stress, as being stressed can cause heath and behaviourial issues.
Stress in Cats – The Ultimate Guide – Cat Articles

Good luck. Keep us posted on how things go.

 

[ArtNJ]

The older cat seems to be doing pretty well with this, curiousity and/or playfullness is not a bad thing, even if its tinged with some concerns, and kittens always get over their initial concerns about an adult cat, so I'm not worried about their inter-cat relationship ending up in a good place. They would settle in quickly if you just let them be, anywhere from hours to up to about a week or so. Even though I'm not worried about their dynamic, its definitely not a bad idea to confine the kitten to a safe room for a couple of days. If a kitten doesn't have a home basis, they can hide problematic places. For example, every year or so (so very rare), we have some poor folks that have a new cat hide literally inside their walls and its often a huge problem. Even though thats super rare, thats just an example. Problematic hiding spots aside, its easier for the humans to bond with the new kitten if they know where it is and it isn't being chased by the adult cat. Even if the kitten hides under the bed in the saferoom, you can at least sit there quitely. Is it a big deal if you skip this step? Almost certainly not, millions of folks do skip it, and your adult seems to be doing pretty well with the kitten, but nonetheless a few days in a saferoom is good practice.

The vet point is also a really good one. Perhaps that ship has sailed and kitten has shared any worms or fleas it may have, but perhaps not. And a vet check is a good idea anyway.

Also note that if the kitten is of an age to be spayed or neutered, you may as well keep them in the safe room until they have recovered, and conduct the intro only after that.

 

[EnjixKiri111]

Thank you for taking this baby in. It is usually a good idea to introduce a new kitten or cat to the resident cat slowly over a period of time. Yours seems to be okay but extremely curious about the newcomer, but I would still separate them for at least part of the time so that they both have an opportunity to calm down. Can you put the kitten in a bedroom or bathroom? Meal times would be opportunity to have them both out and focused on something other than each other. And I would make sure the kitten has some places to hide that the older cat can’t get too as well so if she feels frightened she had some place to go.

Thank you for the reply I was thinking about the formal introduction but for some reason abandoned the idea, the kitten does have her own space, sleeps in a separate room. The main problem is my old cat's constant yelling, which is frankly getting on everyone's nerves, including the kitten, but I refuse to punish her for it since it wouldnt even work and I dont feel like she deserves it, she is stressed as is. Again, thank you I'll come back with (hopefully positive) updates

 

[ArtNJ]

Two days isn't long. Well, it is if your cat is making a ton of noise, but in adaptation terms, two days is a blip. If you can give it a few more days, you should likely see a big change.

 

[EnjixKiri111]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Thanks for deciding to give the kitten a home. How old is it? Is there any chance it belongs to a neighbour and wandered away?

As susanm9006 mentioned, keeping the kitten in a separate room from your resident cat, and doing a "formal" introduction is usually the best way to go when bringing a new cat into a home. Also, if possible, I would suggest having the kitten checked over by a vet, and depending on its age, getting any applicable shots, getting dewormed, etc. before letting it around your resident cat. The vet can also scan for a chip.

Then proceed with the introductions. Here's a TCS article on the topic:

How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat | TheCatSite

Do keep an eye on your resident cat, to ensure her behaviour isn't being caused by stress, as being stressed can cause heath and behaviourial issues.
Stress in Cats – The Ultimate Guide – Cat Articles

Good luck. Keep us posted on how things go.

Thank you for the reply the kitten is about 2-3 months old, she has been treated for flies and we plan to give her deworming treatment tomorrow. Also the needed shots are planned. It is highly unlikely this kitty is anyone's, a family member of mine saw it wondering the streets a day or two before, and chipping isn't really a thing in my country, we aren't that advanced in pet care yet. I'll have to give a formal introduction a try, there aren't many issues, my old cat is eating normally doesn't seem too stressed, the main issue is her constant yelling which is annoying everyone, I'm hoping it stops soon for the sake of our and the kitten's sanity

 

[EnjixKiri111]

The older cat seems to be doing pretty well with this, curiousity and/or playfullness is not a bad thing, even if its tinged with some concerns, and kittens always get over their initial concerns about an adult cat, so I'm not worried about their inter-cat relationship ending up in a good place. They would settle in quickly if you just let them be, anywhere from hours to up to about a week or so. Even though I'm not worried about their dynamic, its definitely not a bad idea to confine the kitten to a safe room for a couple of days. If a kitten doesn't have a home basis, they can hide problematic places. For example, every year or so (so very rare), we have some poor folks that have a new cat hide literally inside their walls and its often a huge problem. Even though thats super rare, thats just an example. Problematic hiding spots aside, its easier for the humans to bond with the new kitten if they know where it is and it isn't being chased by the adult cat. Even if the kitten hides under the bed in the saferoom, you can at least sit there quitely. Is it a big deal if you skip this step? Almost certainly not, millions of folks do skip it, and your adult seems to be doing pretty well with the kitten, but nonetheless a few days in a saferoom is good practice.

The vet point is also a really good one. Perhaps that ship has sailed and kitten has shared any worms or fleas it may have, but perhaps not. And a vet check is a good idea anyway.

Also note that if the kitten is of an age to be spayed or neutered, you may as well keep them in the safe room until they have recovered, and conduct the intro only after that.

Thank you for the reply Yes she is doing quite well, the main issue is her constant yelling which is getting on everyone's nerves. The kitten does have a safe room where she sleeps and the vet has already been contacted. She has been treated for fleas and is on her way to deworming treatment, also all the shots will be given when the vet suggests it, she is well taken care of

 

[EnjixKiri111]

Two days isn't long. Well, it is if your cat is making a ton of noise, but in adaptation terms, two days is a blip. If you can give it a few more days, you should likely see a big change.

Yes I'm hoping there will be improvements, everyone in the house is already at their wits end with all the noise

 

[ArtNJ]

Yes I'm hoping there will be improvements, everyone in the house is already at their wits end with all the noise

Most likely. None of us exactly answered your question of what the heck is with all the noise, so I'll try. It sounds (pun intended, sorry) like the older cat is excited about the kitten in the same way one of my cats sometimes gets with a catnip mouse. There was almost always a soundtrack when she played with it, for a long time, with the exact kinds of noises you described. But only when she was playing with it, and the desire went down with time. And she doesn't do the soundtrack much anymore, even if she does play with the mouse.

I could be wrong about it being that -- two days just isn't far in, and if you think there is still some concern about the kitten, which would be totally normal, maybe its some kind of hesitant communication. But it certainly doesn't sound like warning or hositlity noises, which would almost always include the hisses or growls.

 

[EnjixKiri111]

Most likely. None of us exactly answered your question of what the heck is with all the noise, so I'll try. It sounds (pun intended, sorry) like the older cat is excited about the kitten in the same way one of my cats sometimes gets with a catnip mouse. There was almost always a soundtrack when she played with it, for a long time, with the exact kinds of noises you described. But only when she was playing with it, and the desire went down with time. And she doesn't do the soundtrack much anymore, even if she does play with the mouse.

I could be wrong about it being that -- two days just isn't far in, and if you think there is still some concern about the kitten, which would be totally normal, maybe its some kind of hesitant communication. But it certainly doesn't sound like warning or hositlity noises, which would almost always include the hisses or growls.

No the growls were only for day one, now she's just obsessed with every move the kitten makes, as if she isn't allowed a step without her supervision. Maybe it's motherly instincts kicking in but whatever it is I pray it stops soon

 

[rubysmama]

Does your resident cat meow only when she actually sees the kitten, or even when the kitten is in another room.

 

[EnjixKiri111]

Does your resident cat meow only when she actually sees the kitten, or even when the kitten is in another room.

The kitten has to be in her sight 24/7, if the kitten sleeps, so does she. But she checks in on her every 2 minutes. If the kitten even moves her head she starts meawing again. If the kitten gets up she has to follow her. Overall she's acting obsessed and almost overly protective. Motherly instincts maybe? She was spayed about a few weeks ago too so maybe it's the hormones?

 

[ArtNJ]

Overly protective sounds possible. I had two rescued sibling kittens where one desperately meowed if the other ever left his sight. Faded in time.

 

[rubysmama]

Interesting about your resident cat recently being spayed. Did she ever have kittens?

 

[EnjixKiri111]

Interesting about your resident cat recently being spayed. Did she ever have kittens?

No she never did. My country is a bit of an underdeveloped one, my parents never spayed her when it was time and now we thought there was no point, but due to some complications we had to, wish we did it a lot sooner but I was a kid and nobody listened

 

[EnjixKiri111]

Overly protective sounds possible. I had two rescued sibling kittens where one desperately meowed if the other ever left his sight. Faded in time.

That's how she is, hopefully it goes quickly

 

[rubysmama]

No she never did. My country is a bit of an underdeveloped one, my parents never spayed her when it was time and now we thought there was no point, but due to some complications we had to, wish we did it a lot sooner but I was a kid and nobody listened

As your family found out, there are more reasons to spay a female cat, than just to prevent pregnancy. Glad everything worked out for her. Is that her in your avatar pic?

 

[EnjixKiri111]

As your family found out, there are more reasons to spay a female cat, than just to prevent pregnancy. Glad everything worked out for her. Is that her in your avatar pic?

Yes that's my lady in the picture the lesson was learned the hard way with spaying, now the new kitten will get it when it's time

 

[rubysmama]

Yes that's my lady in the picture the lesson was learned the hard way with spaying, now the new kitten will get it when it's time

She's beautiful. How's she doing today. Has her meowing calmed down any?