Kitten and Cat Introduction

[Kbaldwin0630]

Hi there!! So I adopted an adult cat, her name is Anubis, I'm not sure how her life was before I got her but I know it wasn't great. She has certain behavioral issues as in she doesn't play with toys, doesn't like treats at all, and doesn't eat immediately when I set her food down. She eats on her own will. So I've run into an issue with introducing the two kitties. Everyone's technique to introduce them is to eat, play, and love. Well Anubis doesn't play, she doesn't eat on command, and she will accept some pets. But she thoroughly does not like my new kitten. Everytime she sees her, she hissed or lightly bats her. The kitten is as playful as ever and just wants to play with her but Anubis does not like it at all. Her previous owners did get her declawed so no real damage can be done but I'm worried that her mental health or happiness is being cut short because of the new kitten. But Anubis also hisses at the dogs, etc. I am an animal enthusiast and was only asked to hold on to her while she was on the waiting list to be taken to a no kill animal shelter, but she is so sweet to humans that I decided to keep her. It would break my heart if she

 

[Kbaldwin0630]

Is she isn't going to be happy among all of my other animals. The only things she seems to enjoy is looking outside and catnip, but only when she chooses. She lets me put a leash on her and walks perfectly on it outside, but other than that she doesn't like anything at all. Any help or advice would be amazing.

 

[ArtNJ]

How old is she, how long has she been in the home, and how old are the two new kitties?

I actually think that the introduction process is more about gradually getting used to the other animal and seeing nothing bad happens as you gradually get them smelling and seeing each other. Positive experiences are a tactic and can be part of the process to an extent, but not the main part of it, so I don't think most of what your describing is a problem. Here is our guide:

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide

The one part of your description that does correlate with increased difficulty is that the Anubis doesn't play at all. Older inactive cats do tend to have a harder time adjusting to playful youngsters. But generally things improve over time and even if friendship may be unlikely, they can get close to full toleration. And sometimes a cat that won't play with *you* will play some with a kitten. You might be pleasantly surprised after things settle down.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Hissing and light batting are perfectly normal, and, from Anubis' point of view, very necessary in teaching your kitten some manners. Kittens are FIREBALLS, and can be a bit annoying to an older cat. Anubis is handling it just fine.

As for her not playing, since her previous owners declawed her, she may have some arthritic changes coming on, even at a young age. That's one of the downsides of declawing. Mention it to your vet, and see if the vet thinks light medication might help if that's an issue.

Other than that, I can't add a THING to what A ArtNJ already said.