Introducing New Kitten To Resident Cat

[katherynek]

Hello,
We just adopted a new 3 month old kitten (Galileo) and already have a 2 year old cat (Rémy). It's been two days now and our kitten is SUPER comfortable in our new home, such a happy kitty. We were concerned for our resident cat so we've separated them in different rooms (giving our new kitty one room and our resident cat the rest of the house). We've been scent swapping with bedding and we've even room swapped for a few hours. We also feed them twice a day door to door. Well, turns out the only cat getting upset is Galileo, our kitten. Every time he notices Rémy underneath the door he hisses... a lot. Although still purring and letting us pet him? Rémy, our resident cat, paws under the door in a playful way and hasn't made any upset noises. What a weird turn of events! How do we make this work? Is it different then the opposite scenario of the resident cat becoming upset? It's only been two days but we expected the kitten to be more adaptable and our resident cat to be more territorial. TIA!

 

[macyaji]

Is the new kitten neutered? Did Galileo grew up with other cats?

 

[katherynek]

Yes, he was neutered two weeks ago and Rémy is as well! Also, Galileo was living with three other all male litter mates. His foster home had other animals (cat(s) and dog(s))before they were found at 4 weeks old, motherless, and were fostered.

 

[katherynek]

Is the new kitten neutered? Did Galileo grew up with other cats?

Yes, he was neutered two weeks ago and Rémy is as well! Also, Galileo was living with three other all male litter mates. His foster home had other animals (cat(s) and dog(s))before they were found at 4 weeks old, motherless, and were fostered.

 

[katherynek]

I attached a photo of him instigating our resident cat, Rémy, to play with him then hisses when Rémy engages...

 

[macyaji]

Yes, he was neutered two weeks ago and Rémy is as well! Also, Galileo was living with three other all male litter mates. His foster home had other animals (cat(s) and dog(s))before they were found at 4 weeks old, motherless, and were fostered.

I would wait for another week or two. Sometimes it takes time for a cat's hormone to return to a normal level. Also hissing is not always a bad sign, does he look aggressive when he hisses?

 

[katherynek]

I would wait for another week or two. Sometimes it takes time for a cat's hormone to return to a normal level. Also hissing is not always a bad sign, does he look aggressive when he hisses?

He actually doesn't look aggressive. He will be purring simultaneously and allowing me to pet him. But the sound is still freaky to me, doesn't seem to scare away our resident cat though. Do they ever hiss just for fun?

 

[macyaji]

He actually doesn't look aggressive. He will be purring simultaneously and allowing me to pet him. But the sound is still freaky to me, doesn't seem to scare away our resident cat though. Do they ever hiss just for fun?

Contrary to popular belief, hissing is not an aggressive behavior, nor is it generally exhibited by an aggressive cat. Hissing is a defensive gesture. It is almost always exhibited by a cat who feels victimized, antagonized or threatened in some way. Often, it is a way to avoid a physical confrontation. Your kitten is likely intimidated by your resident cat. Also sometimes kittens hiss by instinct even if they don't feel threatened or aggressive. I would not worry about it if your kitten doesn't look aggressive. He will most likely be fine in a few days especially if he is purring when you pet him.

 

[katherynek]

Contrary to popular belief, hissing is not an aggressive behavior, nor is it generally exhibited by an aggressive cat. Hissing is a defensive gesture. It is almost always exhibited by a cat who feels victimized, antagonized or threatened in some way. Often, it is a way to avoid a physical confrontation. Your kitten is likely intimidated by your resident cat. Also sometimes kittens hiss by instinct even if they don't feel threatened or aggressive. I would not worry about it if your kitten doesn't look aggressive. He will most likely be fine in a few days especially if he is purring when you pet him.

That's great news if that is the case! Do you feel I should allow him to interact with Rémy under the door even though he's hissing? Or do you think I should set a limited amount of time for him to do that?