New Kitten, Current Cat Is A Curmudgeon. Ideas?

Cf24248

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Hi!

So, I have an approx. 7 year old cat that showed up when we was 1 as a stray. He showed up at my fiance's parents house. They had a cat already, and Monty, the newcomer (our cat) would regularly actively hunt him down and attack him. They were both inside/outside cats. He would trot through the house looking for his parents cat in all his hiding spots and attack.

He is now a housecat and has been for years, and moving away seems to have snapped him from that "this is my turf" behavior. At his parents house you couldn't keep him inside, he would literally take out screens and jump from the second floor through the awnongs to get outside, and he's quite happy inside now and has been since the day we moved to a new 'territory'

I adpoted a stray kitten recently, and have been diligent in keeping him isolated (he has been vetted). Monty shows more fear/apprehension than anything, which I take as a good sign. I've let them explore each other's territory, fed him in 'enemy territory' without the kitten around, fed them on either side of a closed door, and recently started cracking the door while they eat about an inch. My issue is if Monty gets too interested, instead of apprehension, he tries to get in through the door crack and displays the same interested hunting behavior he did with fiance's parents cat. He has been making slow progress, he used to walk around and hiss when I'd bring him (alone) into the kitten room and he graduated to being comfortable amd playing. He used to run from the closed door the second he finished eating, now he stays to lick his bowl clean. I've been feeding him wet food (a special treat) with his dry when they eat close together. I can't decide if this is comfort with the idea of a new cat or confidence in his ability to fight it!

It is hard to let them see each other without being able to touch each other. My other room has a clear, lockable cat door installed. Do you think it would he be good to let the kitten in that room and lock the cat door for some time each day so Monty can see him but not interact with him? Or do you think the visual stimulus would trigger the hunting behavior?

Do you think I'm just pushing too fast? I should clarify the kitten displays no aggression, fear, or anything to Monty and is very keen to meet him. Even when he is hissed at and swatted through the door crack it doesn't phase him and he wants to play. Typical rambunctious kitten behavior. I'm pretty confident we can make it work with enough time, I'm just unsure how to do the visual access and if it's too soon. I think introducing too fast is maybe what triggers the hunting behavior because he still feels threatened?
 

Furballsmom

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Do you think it would he be good to let the kitten in that room and lock the cat door for some time each day so Monty can see him but not interact with him?
Hi! You could do this and see what Monty's reaction is.
If this doesn't really seem to work, you could get a couple of baby gates (ebay maybe? or maybe on Nextdoor) stack them in a doorway which, if the kitten isn't small enough to wriggle through, would be a good way to handle allowing them to see each other.
I don't know if you've seen this? just in case it helps;
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
 
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Cf24248

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I did read it! I've been following the Jackson Galaxy guide, and his pretty much said visual contact too soon can ruin it and I am scared to ruin it and have to start over. That guide is a little more free on visual stimulus, so I wasn't sure if I should go ahead with it or not.

I think either way I will wait until tomorrow... He is a little over stimulated from today's 'see each other through the crack' session, I think because he could touch kitten amd kitten kept reaching out through the crack at him and it was too much. He's crabby now, and walking around hissing if i pet him the wrong way or he gets too stimulated playing he will hiss.

I did take the blanket out of the kitten room. And spread it on the floor, I figure I can play with him on it and give him treats. He was very interested in it and eventually ran away from it, no aggression or growling involved.
 
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Cf24248

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Another question- are cays visual animals? In the sense that if Monty can see us playing with the kitten through the door, will that help him understand the kitten is good?
 

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hmmm, I see your point about him being grumpy.

If he sees you playing with the kitten I don't think that will help. As a matter of fact, it could make him jealous.

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

Can you try some music? There's an app Relax My Cat, or kusc.org or MusicForCats.com. This might help to calm him a bit.
 
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Cf24248

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Hmm. Maybe I should takt a step back and cut out visual stimulus for now, including door cracks. I fed him by the closed door just now and he bolted as soon as he was done without licking his bowl clean, which is a step back, so I think i am going too fast. Relevant- Monty is THE most food motivated cat I have ever seen in my life and will go to extreme lengths to get it, including ripping apart boxes of people food and breadbags and stealing scorching hot bites out of pans on the stove. Any opportunity to lick a dirty dish he takes. He will drink dishwater if we let him because it has food crumbs in it. So him not licking his bowl clean is a good indicator of his stress level. This is the other reason behind giving him wet food with his dry but only If he eats near the kitten's door.

He's been perching at the top of the stairs (kitten is upstairs) because he likes to look down so that's where I spread the kittens blanket. Plus side is he bolted over to his top of the stairs perch, on the blanket, and is grooming. So not TOO much of a step back if he is comfortable enough sitting on it to groom.

I may just be asking too much of him too fast. Of course, I still welcome everyone's thoughts and opinions. My fiance isn't much help, and hasn't read any of the guides I sent him, and says "growing up we just threw our cats together and they always got along fine" and "I'm not sure Monty will ever change his mind" so while he does what I ask of him its mostly just me handling the cats. I'm the animal person of the two of us. :)
 

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I think you're on the right track.
By the way, after things have settled down, can you start giving him more canned food? Think of a daily ratio of 2/3 wet to 1/3 dry, something like that :)
 
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Cf24248

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I have considered it often! He currently gets Core Wellness brand grain free food, 1/4 cup 2x day as directed by vet. He's a big cat- not fat, he is a healthy weight, just big, around 13 pounds. I just haven't quite pulled the trigger as his dry food is pricey alone, and the wet food is almost $2/can for the same brand (or similar grain free foods). I had intended to ask my vet more about it when I bring kitten in for neutering. :)
 
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Cf24248

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Ok here's a question unrelated to behavior. Kitten has been getting the same dry food that Monty has (Core Wellness) mixed with the wet, albeit more than he should probably be getting as a kitten, I'm eyeballing it as a little less than Monty gets. Do I really need to be feeding him special kitten food? It's pretty handy to give him the same stuff but I'm happy to buy kitten mix if needed.
 

Furballsmom

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Hi! as long as you have a food that states on the label that it's All Life Stages, you'll be fine.
 
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