I Can't Even Leave My New Kitten On The Floor

[Jvin]

I've posted several times about my new introduction with my Resident cat (5month male) and new kitten (10wks male). Unfortunately a slow introduction for us wasn't possible in my house, but the kitten has his own dog cage home. Yesterday when we brought home the new kitten there was a lot of growling and hissing on both ends, more from my resident though. They played through the cage but by resident seemed kind of violent. (side note: he's always been very playful of course since he's a kitten, but even playing he violent. He bites way to hard and scratches really deep) Today there was no hissing or growling. They have played together but I looked at my residents body language and while at the beginning he seems to be playing, his ears then flatten back and he starts swatting faster and harder at the new kitten. I can't even leave the kitten on the floor when my resident is in my room because he chases him and swats so hard at him. I feel like i've totally messed up their introduction, I didn't know any better at first. Can this be reversed or will my resident forever prey on the new little one?? HELP PLEASe

 

[Furballsmom]

It doesn't sound like you messed up since you're describing that your older cat is like that anyway. But, i don't have good info about how to go forward with this, hopefully someone who knows will chime in. Hang in there!

 

[stephanietx]

If you follow the steps in this article, you'll have much success.

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide

 

[Anne]

We just published a new article on this very topic -
How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction

Please keep the cats separated for longer. The younger kitten is fragile and can be hurt (as well as traumatized). I wouldn't leave them together unsupervised for at least a few more days, possibly longer. Read the article though, it explains why this behavior is happening and why you have to go through the introductions very slowly.

 

[Jvin]

Hi Anne thank you. I read the article and the only thing that is a problem is I can't keep the new kitten in a separate room. We have set up 2 dog crate which give him more than enough space to live in. Will this do harm to the reintroduction process? My resident likes to stick his paws into the crate and swat at the kitten, should I block of the sides? I did the desensitize sock technique, my resident just sniffed it and shook his tail. I reinforced him with treats and there was no hissing or growling of any sort. Now I must move on to the visualize.

We just published a new article on this very topic -
How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction

Please keep the cats separated for longer. The younger kitten is fragile and can be hurt (as well as traumatized). I wouldn't leave them together unsupervised for at least a few more days, possibly longer. Read the article though, it explains why this behavior is happening and why you have to go through the introductions very slowly.

Hi

 

[di and bob]

Cats HATE change and you have introduced a big one to your resident cat. It has only been days, I think it has gone rather well in that short amount of time. The reason your older cat seems to do OK at first is he IS alright in those first few moments and feels confident and secure. Then as the minutes go on, the kitten is everywhere, moving too fast, approaching him too often, and his security flies away. He sees the kitten as an intruder, taht is why he chases him. After he gets to know the newcomer, learn and store his scent and get used to having another around, he will be fine.
Days, even weeks is not enough for two cats to get acquainted and learn to live with each other. But they are both young enough everything should go along at an accelerated pace. The kitten will accept the older cat much faster than the older will accept the kitten. If your cat plays too rough and scratches too deep, he has not learned the rules of fair play and limits that are taught by being with his cat family for his first 12 weeks of life. If they are separated before that, this often happens. YOU may have to teach him like mama does. Grab him by the loose skin on the back of his neck (NOT his neck) hold him still and growl or hiss at him. This is exactly what mama does when she is teaching him limits. Do this if he plays too rough, everytime, he will learn quickly.
When kittens play, there is much squealing, much hissing, much screaming, this is how they learn limits. If the young one takes to avoiding or hiding from the older, he is too rough. If he comes back for more, it is normal. Don't allow your older cat to become a bully, say no sternly and separate them if he does.
I would NOT leave them alone for quite a while, I would not leave a newborn human baby with a toddler either, and that is what you have. They will get along, they will become buddies, you will know when that time comes, it just takes time!

 

[jimbob2]

I have had a kitten for 3 months now (6months old) and we got a new kitten a few days ago (12 weeks) so he could have company, especially when we're working. We tried to introduce them slowly but the kitten kept busting out of the room we were keeping her in (the door is a bit dodgy) so that didn't last long, and we didn't go to great lengths to separate them again because they seem to get along well for the most part. Older kitten seems to really like her and she's the centre of his attention - they are fine eating close to each other, they share their litter trays happily and they like to be in the same room as each other and often lie near each other, so I have high hopes they will be friends.

Like your cats though, they are fighting a lot, which I'm sure is play-fighting but the older male kitten seems to take things too far - the female kitten is squealing in pain and he won't let go. He has also bitten her neck a few times and it looks like he's gone to mount her (he has only recently been neutered). The fighting happens a few times a day, and normally clapping or throwing a towel over them stops it, but once they were alone together for a few hours while we were sleeping and there was blood on a chair (although no visible injuries on either kitten).

It makes me nervous that if I was to leave them together alone he could seriously injure her. I've been intervening and separating them whenever she starts squealing, usually putting one of them in my room. When this happens, they'll both meow in annoyance and bat paws under the door. There are also ample hiding spaces in the house that the little kitten doesn't use, and she will start fights by batting him, so I don't think he's hurting her that much, but I still worry that he doesn't know when to stop because she is much smaller, like di and bob suggested. It's really stressful and hard to tell whether they're playing or fighting!

 

[Timmer]

I don't think blood being drawn is a good sign. I hope they can work it out. A 12 week old kitten is pretty tender to have to deal with that.
Jvin it sounds like things are going OK. If resident cat cannot actually reach the kitten through the holes in the crate, he may grow tired of trying to swat at it with little success.
That is just my two cents.

 

[di and bob]

It takes several weeks for hormones to leave a male cat's system when they have been neutered. So hopefully that kind of rough housing will stop. Of.course cats also hold another cat like this as a show of dominance, so it would be more up to you to put a stop to it and separate them. As long as she comes back and wants to play, that is good. I would grab him by the loose skin on his neck and tell him firmly NO and hiss at him, THAT he will understand if he persists in being too rough.

 

[jimbob2]

I will give that a try! I think it's more sexually motivated as when separating them his catty member is out, so hopefully you're right and it will stop.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, so I was thinking, are you able to see if the kitten in the crate is cowering away from the swatting of the other one? If so, maybe cover the sides, it just would seem unfair to the crated kitten from it's perspective, but that might just be me rooting for the underdog, eh, undercat lol

 

[Jvin]

Hi, so I was thinking, are you able to see if the kitten in the crate is cowering away from the swatting of the other one? If so, maybe cover the sides, it just would seem unfair to the crated kitten from it's perspective, but that might just be me rooting for the underdog, eh, undercat lol

He actually likes to swat back, he is really playful so he's into it

 

[Jvin]

Does this look like fighting or playing. Also, the black and white is 6 months but he's huge and weighs 9 lbs

 

[Jvin]

Does this look like fighting or playing. Also, the black and white is 6 months but he's huge and weighs 9 lbs

https://thecatsite.com/media/img_5645-mov-1.420680/ Video of my 6 month and 10 week. Either playing or fighting. The trouble is i really think my resident is playing but he just takes it too far and bites really hard. When he was a kitten he would bite and play with our hands Really rough to the point where he would break skin. Will he always be this violent and rough. He also was neutered about a week ago

 

[di and bob]

Jvin , that is definitely playing, the little one does not run and hide. But the big one may be hurting him once in a while because he is so much bigger and stronger, and like you said does not know limits. I would try getting hold of the loose skin on the back of his neck right when he is being too rough and hissing or growling at him like a mama would do, that will teach him limits. The little one will eventually teach him, but he is too small right now to do much good. I have seen many mamas break up fights between the little ones, even carrying one off to the side if they get too bad.