My new cat Athena!

[angelwngs]

I have a cat named Ace that I have had since December 11th, 2013. I just got another cat named Athena like 2 weeks ago or so. Ace and Athena still don't get along very well. They chase each other around trying to claw at each other. Ace still bites me and even with the new cat he hasn't stopped. I was hoping by adopting him a playmate he would maybe stop being so aggressive towards me and turn his aggression towards the other cat playfully, but he hasn't. Do I need to take him to a Veterinary Behaviorist he is almost 2 years old and should have already grown out of his kitten ways. What do I do?

 

[itsnotpeanutbut]

About the biter:

First of all, take the biter to the vet and have him checked out. There might be a medical reason behind it. If he's completely fine, well..

What are you doing when he bites you? Is he coming up to you just to bite you? Does he bite you when you pet him? Does he bite you when you're playing with him?

If he just comes up to bite you, then I'm pretty sure you've adopted a dog rather than a cat. Cats prefer their claws over their teeth, when it comes to being aggressive.

If he's biting you when you pet him, he most likely just doesn't want to be touched. This may be because he doesn't trust you, but could also just be that he's the type of cat that doesn't want to be touched. I do think that both can be solved by building trust. It's as easy as giving him food at specific times of the day and playing with him for 20-30 minutes a day. Do this for an extended period of time and the bond between you and him will most likely improve.

If he's biting you when you're playing with him: stop playing with your hands and feet. If you ever witness 2 cats play fighting, you'll notice that it'll involve a lot of grabbing and biting. If he sees your hands and feet as playmates, he'll start wrestling with them the only way a cat knows how to wrestler: with claws and teeth.

About the introduction:

And regarding the introduction: how did you introduce them to each other? Did you just put the newcomer in the same room as the resident cat?

If so: take a few steps back and put them each in connected rooms, separated by a door. Let them be like that for a week or 2-3, occasionally opening the door a little so they can see/smell each other. Everytime you feed them, but their bowls on opposite sides of the door. Over time they will learn that the other cat means no harm and they will most likely come to accept each other a lot faster.

However, that doesn't mean that all cats can be friends with any other cat. One may just hate the personality of the other one.. But at the very least you should be able to get them to tolerate each other. 

Think of it this way:

Imagine waking up one day and there's a guy in your home whom you have never met before. A total stranger, just sitting there, in your home. Would you welcome him straight away? Give him your food? Believe his explanation of how he got into your home? Or would you rather throw him out? Call the police? Distrust his intentions? Grab your semi-automatic assault rifle to chase him out?

Now if you were to meet that very same guy at work, odds are you'll sart talking, get to know each other, become acquaintances. And once you get to know him, you may think about inviting him over for coffee one day. There you go: the beginning of a good friendship.

Then again, that guy may just be a complete ass with the complete opposite ideology as you. You manage to tolerate the guy at work, but you'll never invite him for coffee. Ever.