6 week old kitten introduced to 11yr old cat.

[sheldons mummy]

5 days ago I got a 6 week old kitten. I started off slowly with introducing him (Sheldon) to my female cat (Alina) and within 3 days they had had their first face to face meeting...or rather, nose to nose

I have a few questions about their behavior when meeting. The first meeting with out any thing between them (crate, door) went well, they sniffed noses, their ears were alert and forward and they weren't showing any signs of agression. They were wary, however.

After that we allowed Sheldon more time outside of his room. Another meeting took place on my bed when I was cuddling with Sheldon. Alina wandered in and jumped up on the bed, she wasn't expecting him to be there and was put out for a moment. They stared at one another for a good minute or more and then slowly Alina settled down and crossed her paws as she rested. Her eyes were half closed with contentment, Sheldon followed her and did the exact same. It wasn't until Sheldon decided he wanted to play with me that Alina left.

For now they haven't batted at one another, or growled. Sheldon will hiss but that hasn't happened for a day or so now. They walk around  one another, still wary but generally without complaint. They even attempted to play last night, while hesitant it was still cute to see.

My questions are as follows:

Is this normal behavior for cats to show in such a situation?

Should I expect fighting when they get their courage around one another?

What are signs of stress?

Is sniffing noses always a friendly gesture with cats?

And finally; any tips or hints to help them settle in with one another? I'm feeling a little hesitant and unsure, I've never owned two cats at once before and I'm very wary of doing things wrong and messing up any progress I might have made.

On a side note, Alina has never in her 11yrs lived with another cat (or kitten). Could this be a problem?

 

[orientalslave]

You have two potential problems.  Firstly, 6 weeks is far far too young for a kitten to be away from it's mother.  Too late now for this one, but next time look for one that's at least 8 weeks old and preferably older.  At 6 weeks it's only starting to find out what being a cat is about, and it learns that from it's mother.

Secondly, two kittens would be far better with an older cat.  Kittens playing use up a huge amount of energy and often a single kitten ends up harrying an older cat that doesn't want to play.

What might happen is that your older cat warns the kitten off, and the kitten has no-one to play with, so you need to do lots and lots of playing with it. 

 

[yayi]

In my experience, I've had no problems introducing very young kittens to my adult cats. The females ignored them but it was one male who took them under his wing and taught them how to be cats. 

It seems to me like your Alina is getting used to the newcomer and Sheldon is curious and excited about his new home. I think they are on the way to becoming very good friends. Alina will probably discipline Sheldon if he becomes too much for her. I suggest rewards for good behavior and lots of scent exchanges between the two and don't forget to give Alina more attention so she will never feel like she's being replaced. 

 

[sheldons mummy]

OrientalSlave: Yes, 6 weeks is young, I only found out after I got him how bad that was. So next time that little tidbit of information will be helpful

I make sure he is played with whenever possible and kept entertained. He is very active and enjoyable! Thank you for the reply.

yayi: Alina gave Sheldon a warning today, a bat around the ears and a pounce. Not sure if he learnt his lesson for he went off to play straight after, but it was a long time coming, she was following him around for a bit before it happened.

I hope that they will establish their place and settle down within the next week or two

Lots of rewards have been given to both cats for good behavior. They love it and hopefully it teaches them to play nice most of the time. Thank you for the reply also

 

[txcatmom]

Your female cat sounds like she's doing great for never living with another cat before!  I'm sure he'll be more annoying to her as time goes on, but sounds like a good start.

 

[sheldons mummy]

txcatmom: She seems to be handling it really well, which is good. I'm just hoping it stays that way, haha

 

[mrblanche]

In my experience, I've had no problems introducing very young kittens to my adult cats. The females ignored them but it was one male who took them under his wing and taught them how to be cats. 

It seems to me like your Alina is getting used to the newcomer and Sheldon is curious and excited about his new home. I think they are on the way to becoming very good friends. Alina will probably discipline Sheldon if he becomes too much for her. I suggest rewards for good behavior and lots of scent exchanges between the two and don't forget to give Alina more attention so she will never feel like she's being replaced. 

Our female, Ella, has little use for any new kittens, but Sterling (neutered male) is the mama cat when there are kittens in the house.  He can't wait to meet them, bathe them, etc.

 

[sheldons mummy]

Just thought I'd update you all on progress. Alina and Sheldon have fought a bit more, nothing serious, however I brought a Feliway spray just to help out a little (can't hurt any!) so hopefully that eases their tiffs.

Sheldon has settled in nicely, and Alina is very welcoming of him, she even tried to groom him! He wasn't too pleased about it though

 maybe with the spray he'll chill out a little and allow it!

 

[northernglow]

You have two potential problems.  Firstly, 6 weeks is far far too young for a kitten to be away from it's mother.  Too late now for this one, but next time look for one that's at least 8 weeks old and preferably older.

I would like to correct that next time look for one that's at least 12 weeks old and preferably older.

One issue with kittens that young and adults is that the adult cat might be 'afraid' of the kitten. Well, not exactly the kitten itself but his/her mom who should be around and possibly very anxious to protect her kittens! The adult cat knows there should be a mommy cat around even if there isn't, so they might be a bit cautious. Also the kitten can be afraid of the adult, as adult tom cats are known to kill kittens so they can make the mother cat come in heat again and then have his own offspring with her.

If the adult is neutered, there is a possibility for them to accept the kitten more easily and even take care of him/her. 

The age might also be a problem as the mother hasn't had time to teach 'good behavior' to the kitten. That usually happens around 8-12 weeks. (A cat's eyesight develops fully after 2 months of age, mommy knows to be more careful before that). This means that your kitten might be way too rough and the adult cat doesn't see it as playing. If everything goes well, the adult will teach the kitten what the mother cat was supposed to teach. I'm seconding who ever suggested to get 2 kittens at once, so they can learn together and not pester the adult cat who might not like a kitten attacking them.