My older cat doesn't like my new kitten..help!

[nikkichristine]

I've had my cat, Floyd, for about 5 years now...and he has always been a very loving cat. He even got along with a 15 year old cat that I had that has now (unfortunately) passed away a few months ago.

About 2 weeks ago I got a new kitten, Storm. Storm seems very interested to meet Floyd, but Floyd is constantly hissing and batting at him. Floyd is declawed in the front so I know he can't do much harm, but it still worries me. I still give Floyd the same attention I always have, but as soon as he sees me give any attention to Storm, he gets mad at me.

I understand that he is probably jealous, and before Storm came, Floyd basically ran things with my other cat Tiger and my dog Peaches. I don't want Floyd's loving personality to change for good, and I want he and Storm to get along...what should I do????

 

[evnshawn]

I read a few days ago (can't remember where) that it is often not a good idea to get a kitten for an older cat. They didn't mean old, necessarily, just one that was no longer as active as a kitten. They said the best thing to do was to get two kittens. That way, they could play with each other, and the older cat could join in or not, as he wished.

When we got Pepsi and Skittles, we had intended to only get one kitten (as a companion for Ace, who was about eight years old at the time). But Skittles was so cute and begged to come home with us, so what can you do? We took him too. I'm so glad we did (though doing so was unintentional), because as the kittens were growing up, I could see that Ace would have been really grumpy if he had kitten energy unleashed on him all the time.

Is it possible that this is your problem?

 

[cyberkitten]

Did you introduce them properly? Give the newbie his own space for a few days and gradually get them used to one another - giving Storm something of Floyd's with his scent on it and vice versa so they get to know that each other is around.

There are numerous articles online about this topic.

Here are a couple:

http://www.catsinternational.org/art...roduction.html

http://www.carepets.org/catsub/cat_pdf/intro_catcat.pdf
(Note: This one requires adobe acrobat)

 

[catlover7731]

Did you introduce them slowly? letting them smell eachother through closed doors, rubbing eachother down with a towel so they can smell their smells? Do you show them the same attention? You may need to seperate them and reintroduce them again. Good luck , Cheryl

 

[maherwoman]

I would suggest to instead get a cat that's about 2yrs old as a new friend. That way the cat is just out of the extra excitement of being a kitten, but still having more energy than your old friend, that way possibly encouraging him/her to be more active.

Another thought...do you really need to replace his old pal?

 

[angel19]

Make sure you show your older cat the same, if not more attention then you used to so that he knows he is still loved. And make sure that its the same kind of attention you show the kitten. Don't just pet one, and then lovingly play with the other... if that makes sense.

I know when I introduced my cat to my kitten she took a few days of smelling, but after that she would do anything to protect him!! Now I am having some similar issues as you, because I have introduced 5 kittens to my two older cats!! (they aren't doing as well..)

 

[plaidbird]

About 2 weeks ago I got a new kitten, Storm. Storm seems very interested to meet Floyd, but Floyd is constantly hissing and batting at him. Floyd is declawed in the front so I know he can't do much harm, but it still worries me. I still give Floyd the same attention I always have, but as soon as he sees me give any attention to Storm, he gets mad at me.

QUOTE]

Hi Nikki,

I have been in the same situation here at my house recently. Though my boy is just over a year old, and I bottle raised him. This kitten business is changing his world !

I don't think the claws are our main worry. The bigger male could kill the kitten with his teeth if he should want to. So I have been keeping complete control over their interactions.

What has been working for me, is I do NOT touch the kitten at all when my big boy is feeling insecure. He never saw me touch the baby at all the first two weeks, as I could tell he was upset. I hold my big fellow just as much as before and in the same ways. He gets lots of kisses and cheek rubbing, and very special food treats.
I've been feeding them together with food dishes a few feet apart and given the favorite food in big fellows dish.
He has been too pleased with the menu

to worry much about the baby being there.

I have not seen this as exact instructions on any of the expert sites, but it's working well. I cuddle my boy and the kitten watches... we look at her like... 'yeah, that's a kitten'.

What are WE going to do about this ?

She learns her place as number two, and still gets tons of love and cuddles, as big boy needs lots of time out of the room, doing grown up cat stuff. He doesn't need me all the time any more... so she does seem to be getting hours to his 1/2 hours... if that sorta makes sense ?

It was two weeks before he was able to accept me holding the new baby... and still had moments when it was not acceptable. I let him call the shots, and now at one month I can hold either or both with no problems. I really think the key is allowing my big boy to remain number one

... and it is picked up by them so subtly we need to believe it, not try to fake it.

We need to remember how to speak cat, and listen more than we speak.

Anyway.. This is your odd ball opinion added to the thread. I always read all the expert articles, stir them together, and come up with what works for me. Each cat is different and so are we. In the end I asked my cat, and he told me.

 

[nikkichristine]

Thanx for all the help.

I did introduce them slowly. I kept Storm in my room for about a week, and Floyd knew he was there, so I let them meet...and immediatly Floyd was mean to him. So I gave it more time...and still the same problem. I can't keep Storm in a room forever. He still has his food & litter box in my room...while the other two cats have thiers downstairs.

I've just never had this problem before. My first cat was Flowers, who I got as a kitten. Then when she was about 5, we took in a stray, Barney, who was also about 5...and they were fine. Then, about a year later, we got another kitten, Tiger, who was fine with the other two. Then Flowers passed when she was 10 and we got Floyd as a kitten. Barney immediately fathered Floyd because Floyd was a 5 week old orphan stray. Then at 15, this past Spring, Barney passed and we got Storm a few months later. Currently, Tiger is 9, Floyd is 5, and Storm is almost 3 months...and we have an 8 year old dog, Peaches.

I just wish they would get along w/ Storm

Oh...and I didn't replace Barney...a couple months passed and I decided to get a new kitten. For the most part, we've always had 3 cats, and I decided I wanted to add to the family.