My Cat Is Depressed

[sloanie]

A few days ago we got a 2 month old kitten from the shelter who is very sweet and outgoing.My 2 year old cat HATES her she hisses and hits and has never done that before she is a very outgoing cat too who loves people she has also been really sad. she won't come up to me or look at me and is always hiding under my bed (which she's never done before) What do i do? Do i need to get rid of the kitten? my cat even hisses at the smell of the kitten even though my dog loves the kitten now. MY cat even hissed at my do who is her best friend! please help

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Let me give you some things to try that hopefully will help both your kitties--these articles aren't long to read and have a lot of good info:

Do Cats Get Jealous? (and What To Do About It When They Do)

How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction

How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide

How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats)

How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home

The Multi-cat Household

 

[Furballsmom]

Also, you could try some music to help calm and relax your cats - there is low volume harp music or there's an app called Relax My Cat.

 

[sloanie]

Hi!
Let me give you some things to try that hopefully will help both your kitties--these articles aren't long to read and have a lot of good info:

Do Cats Get Jealous? (and What To Do About It When They Do)

How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction

How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide

How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats)

How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home

The Multi-cat Household

thank you! do you have know anything about whammy cat is hiding?

 

[Furballsmom]

Assuming that this behavior is new (and she's been checked by a vet recently) I think your cat is hiding due to stress from the new kitty, so a combination of being a bit jealous, and territorially confused.

Another way to look at it is that your resident kitty loves you, you brought in the new kitty, and now your resident kitty is confused.

Try some music, hopefully your resident cat becomes more relaxed, and read through the articles, they'll help you to be able to do things to help .

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Sorry things aren't going well between your resident cat and the new kitten. Rest assured, it is totally normal for a cat not to welcome a new cat into their home. Even when the new cat is an 8 week old kitten.

Furballsmom has posted links to articles that should be helpful. But the main thing is to put the kitten in a separate room, and start all over with the introductions between your cat and the kitten, following the tips in the introduction articles.

 

[sloanie]

Assuming that this behavior is new (and she's been checked by a vet recently) I think your cat is hiding due to stress from the new kitty, so a combination of being a bit jealous, and territorially confused.

Another way to look at it is that your resident kitty loves you, you brought in the new kitty, and now your resident kitty is confused.

Try some music, hopefully your resident cat becomes more relaxed, and read through the articles, they'll help you to be able to do things to help .

So ive read all the articles and weve been getting the cat used to the kittens smell which she stopped hissing at but when she came downstairs and saw the kitten she was hissing like crazy and when my dig walked by she started hissing like super loud and then my dog started barking it was a whole thing and im scared shell become cold towards me and my dog and never like the kitten

 

[sweetblackpaws]

It's only been a few days, I would not worry at this point. The best thing to do is give Whammy extra TLC and "swap" out toys and scratchers to get her used to the new cats scent. I think the hiding is normal, as the kitten is still a stranger to her, a source of stress. I am not saying they will be best friends, but I do think things will get better in time. If after a month things show no improvement at all, you may wish to consider rehoming the kitten. Please don't wait much longer than that, as it is easier to rehome them the younger they are. Hopefully, it won't come to that, though!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi again! Like sweetblackpaws has said, swapping toys, scratchers and blankets or towels the animals all sleep on.

You'll need to let your resident cat have the house, and you need to contain your kitten. Your resident cat is feeling like she's lost her territory to the new cat and she doesn't like it. Go more slowly, pay attention to what you read in the articles about feeding on either side of a door - with the kitten on the inside, then using stacked baby gates to feed them on either side of - still with the kitten on the inside, etc.

Also you need to restrain your dog to keep it from reacting to the stress.

Try the music, right now all your animals are stressed.

I know that was a lot of drama, but that's all that it was. Stop worrying, and start working with your resident cat - she needs you.

 

[sloanie]

I have been having my cat smell the blankets she sleeps on. We got another litter box and the kitten is finally going to the bathroom so i guess i can be hopefull for the next couple weeks

 

[Furballsmom]

ok, that's good, but as I mentioned, you need to contain the kitten, let your cat have the house, play some music and start feeding on either side of a door.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Excellent - I really do think things will be fine. Especially since Whammy is only two years old, perhaps in time they may even play together.

 

[sloanie]

So i played some cat calming music to my cat and i couldn't tell what she thought but I'm sure she loved it. Im just putting the kitten in my room during the day and having my cat sleep there at nigh (my cat always sleeps with me) maybe shell get more used to her smell that way?

 

[Furballsmom]

Im just putting the kitten in my room during the day and having my cat sleep there at nigh (my cat always sleeps with me) maybe shell get more used to her smell that way?

This is terrific, and that's great that your kitten is using the litter box!
Good on you about the music - Keep on doing all these things for as long as it takes for your kitties, especially your resident cat, to become comfortable again, --you're doing wonderfully!

 

[sloanie]

My cat just threw up three times! she's never thrown up or been sick before. Is she ok?

 

[Furballsmom]

Do you have a vet you can take her to? This could be stress related but it would be good to have a vet take a look and make sure it isn't something else.

 

[sloanie]

She had a check up not too long ago and she's healthy. If the kitten is making my cat so stressed she's throwing up isn't that serious? sorry if I'm being annoying i just don't know what to do

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! ok, that's good that she's been to the vet, good for you! You're not being annoying, this is a challenging situation.

Give her a 50:50 unseasoned boiled cut up white meat chicken and white rice for a couple of meals, that should help settle her tummy.

For now keep the kitten away from your resident cat, in a room with a door you can close. Let your resident cat have the rest of the house.

Keep playing the music, keep loving on your resident kitty, don't let the kitten out. This may take several days. Don't start with the eating on either side of the doors yet either until your resident kitty's stomach is settled and she's been eating for a couple of days normally, at least. She needs time to come back to herself.

Hang in there!!

 

[sloanie]

Okay so my cat and kitten can be in the same room together but my cat keeps hitting the kitten and being all twitchy i can't tel if its playing or fighting

 

[Furballsmom]

Can you get a video? Can you look at youtube videos of cats and kittens playing and compare?