New kitten getting snubbed by resident cats, not sure if huge issue

[Kittypet]

The details are these: we got a new kitten. A three month old orange cream tabby, very sweet, super social and hand raised by a foster so used to older cats and the like. Sunny (M), is the name we decided to go with. Now, we have two resident cats that have been with us for about 2 years now, going on 3. Chip (M) is the oldest at 2 years and Newton (F/Newnie) is just behind him at 2 years also; they were born a month apart but were a bonded pair when we originally adopted them so they've kind of been a duo ever since. We discovered shortly after their adoption...that Chip has some serious anxiety, both separation and general. He can't be left alone without us or his sister for too long before the stress gets to him and he gets sick.

Last time we left, for our honeymoon of two weeks, he got a male cat equivalent of a UTI and was urinating blood for a while. Regardless, we got that initial medical issue taken care of and have just been aware of his anxiety and general fear of noises, people, and anything that's not us or his sister; which he is now being medicated for (kitty prozac, essentially...none of the natural alternatives worked to calm him and he was pulling out his fur with his over grooming).

I've always wanted to bring a slightly younger third cat into their midst, more when they were younger and still a lot more playful, like around a year, but the stars didn't align until recently, but the main reason for the third younger cat was to get another sibling socialized into their duo so that if anything ever happened to either Chip or Newnie they wouldn't be too alone in the end because they'd have that third cat to lean on. So, we got our sunshine boy, finalized the paperwork on this last Sunday, and brought him home.

I've introduced cats before.

I know the whole deal and the steps that need to be taken to ensure the transition goes smoothly...apparently the girl who was fostering him did not as she pulled him out of his carrier in the middle of our apartment while I had the kittos waiting in the bathroom and insisted I let them out to meet him. :|

I wasn't happy about the idea because I know my cats, but she insisted repeatedly and I was starting to get a little anxious for her to leave us to our own devices so, like an idiot, I complied. It went about as well as you would think. Newnie hissed and growled at Sunny, Chip ran and hid under the bed...it was pretty much a failed meet and greet which the foster girl just laughed at and continued to try and push Sunny on Newnie. It made us all uncomfortable and eventually I was able to get the new boy out of her hands and into his playpen in our bedroom which was supposed to be his save haven while we did this transition.

I know it's only been about 2 days at this point, but Sunny's a brave boy and a social one- he wants to say hi and play so he left the room bravely on the first day and went straight up to Chip's face, after we'd managed to get him out from under the bed, and gave his nose a good boop with his own. Chip hissed a little, but he was generally more intrigued than upset and I thought we were gonna be all aces with Newnie since she's the more social and playful of the two anyways. We figured she'd be warm to him from the start, but due to that forced introduction I think that foster girl pretty much shattered that notion.

Now when Sunny gets a brave streak and ventures outside the room he's met with these two cats, one (Chip) who stalks him around with his exploration of our small one bedroom apartment, only hissing at him and giving him a swat if Sunny turns to acknowledge him, and the other (Newnie) who just straight up hisses and growls then escapes to someplace far away and high up to avoid him at all costs.

Is this the fault of that rushed introduction? Will the resident cats ever get used to the new kitten or have we pretty much doomed ourselves?

I'm only concerned because after getting a swat from Chip, Sunny has been pulling a Chip and running to hide under the bed whenever one of the other cats spots him and gives him a hiss and a growl. I don't want him to be afraid to explore or socialize! And I definitely don't want him developing the same anxiety that Chip has.

So guys, what can I do?

 

[Jcatbird]

I think that backtracking a little while might help. Can you put up a baby gate to let the residents get to know him at their pace? They were the ones rushed so giving them time to sniff the kitten and watch him without actually having the kitten run up to them or into “their” space could help everyone to relax until they feel it’s okay for Sunny to explore. I realize that Sunny may object so if that happens, try putting the residents in another space, room or high shelf before releasing the kitten. After Sunny has a little time to run around, put him back behind the baby gate. The bathroom is where I usually put new members here so just “childproof” the bathroom and start fresh.
I have had to back up at times myself. Every cat accepts others at their own pace and you are right about rushing it being the wrong way to go. It can be corrected though. Just give the residents time to adjust. Usually kittens are accepted fairly quickly. Sometimes the older kitties even become like foster parents. In fact, some swatting may happen because they are teaching the kitten proper behavior as they see it! Lol Teaching house rules! Please do post back and update us or ask any further questions you may have! Also , welcome to TCS!! I’m sure others will be along with more tips. Many here have experienced similar problems. Hello to you both, Sunny, Chip and Newton!

 

[moxiewild]

That foster was way out of line, and I would I talk to the shelter or rescue about this. Seriously.

Aside from potentially ruining and/or delaying successful introductions, she could have very easily gotten Sunny hurt or killed. Some cats can be so reactive that the moment they lay eyes on an intruder/strange cat, they will enter a manic, fight-to-kill mode (but any “fight mode” is potentially lethal when talking about a cat vs kitten).

It happens in an instant and there is NOT enough time to react. She placed Sunny in terrible danger, and if he was of equal age, they all would have been in potential danger.

You don’t have to be angry when you talk to them about it, but I do think you should let them know how detrimental that can be, especially with a cat who already struggles from severe anxiety.

First thing’s first - start over. It’s never too late to start proper introductions, or to do reintroductions. Search the forums for both in the search bar.

Once you have Sunny isolated in his own room, I would give it maybe a few days - a week before starting to even scent swap. When introductions go poorly or a fight happens, I give everyone some time to be completely separate and forget. Then slowly introduce scent swapping, and go from there.

Jackson Galaxy is a wonderful resource for introducing cats, so check him out (and his show, My Cat From Hell).

Sunny isn’t going to like being isolated, but it really is necessary. If it won’t stress your resident cats out too much, keep him in the bedroom with you to help ensure he gets enough interaction.

Otherwise, a spare bedroom or bathroom will have to do.

Be sure there are safe toys in with him - no strings or things he can chew up and swallow, but jingle balls, springs, and rubbery dental toys are usually okay. Roller ball towers are also great for kittens to play with alone.

Give him a cat tree if possible, and cat tunnels are always a big hit.

Since he’s a kitten, it will be really important that you have multiple, high intensity, interactive play sessions with him daily. Think wand toys. Go Cat wands are my favorite with all cats.

Since Chip is struggling, I would work on increasing his confidence (Jackson Galaxy also has some great resources for this too).

Ideally, you’ll want to optimize his vertical space. Cats who hide can often gain more confidence by increasing their vertical space.

So, cat trees, window seats, and cat shelves. Shelves are usually the most economical choice because you can easily use cheap shelves from Walmart or Target so long as they’re wide enough.

I would also amp up your play time with Chip too. Maybe while your husband is playing with one, you play with the other. But play therapy in cats is a very real thing, and usually very effective.

For Sunny and/or Chip, you may want to consider cat music on low volume when you’re not around. Solo harp, Classical (especially string instruments), and David Teie’s Music for Cats are all good options with scientific evidence for their efficacy in calming cats.

(I am not tech-savvy at all, but my boyfriend finally convinced me to get some Echo Flex’s for the cat rooms so that I wouldn’t have to worry about cords in the kitten rooms, and it is now very easy!)

Feliway diffusers can also help!

The biggest things are going to be proper introductions, and probably play therapy for Chip (and regular playtime for Sunny, of course).

Kittens can definitely learn behavior by observing unrelated adults. So if you don’t separate, it seems likely that Sunny is going to learn how Chip responds to stressors, especially with what you’ve already described observing in Sunny’s behavior.

Also keep in mind that it is very normal for adults to be annoyed with kittens - but if you observe Chip actually becoming distressed, or Sunny scared, that needs to be addressed (especially since it sounds like Chip might be a prime candidate for FLUTD or cystitis, which is aggravated/triggered by stress).

Separating/isolating cats is never fun - especially bundles of energy, like kittens. And it’s more work. But this will be temporary, and you’ll get through it.

 

[ArtNJ]

I agree, backup a bit and do a process. I wouldn't worry at all about the foster-woman at this point though; just a blip. If I thought about her at all, it would only be to wonder whether I should drop her organization a note. We literally had a poster with a new kitten inside the walls in her house for 6 weeks. No safe room the kitten has grown comfortable in means you have no idea where the kitten is going to try and hide when they meet. Not to mention, some kittens are highly stressed just by meeting their new people -- its only common sense to stagger people vs pets. Up to a week of stress on a kitten's part isn't that uncommon.

Do keep in mind that adult cats don't hurt kittens, and that even after a process there might be growling or defensive swatting. They can work out some stuff on their own. The foster-woman's approach works out tolerably most times when the newcomer is a kitten, and it would likely work out in your case in the end -- its a common enough approach from people that haven't put a lot of thought into it. Its just not something I would expect any rescue org to endorse.

 

[Kittypet]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I'm glad we can get a second chance at this, I was so worried. I'll definitely give these a try and take a step back to my original plan, this is so appreciated~

As for the foster girl, I might mention something to the head of the organization because it clearly states in the contract how we're supposed to do the introductions slowly to help new adoptees transition, so she just went completely off the book with...whatever it was she thought she was doing lol she was a nice girl so I don't want to get her in trouble per se, just upset that she foiled my original plans :/

But yes, thanks again, I'll look more into the forums to see if I can get a better idea!

 

[ArtNJ]

I'd probably drop the note and mention that she seemed super nice but needs some education. No introduction process may be an arguably reasonable choice when introducing two young kittens to each other (the easiest introduction of all), but adult + kitten is harder and way too many of us have experienced an adult cat feel severe stress from a kitten. While I myself have only seen garden variety stress, some of our posters have had adult cats that haven't eaten for a while, have had litter box accidents and/or have given themselves hot spots pulling out their own hair. Sure, it may not *usually* make much difference to throw kittens and especially young adult cats right together (senior cats have it harder adjusting), but its just not good advice (leaving aside that she forced you into it). And we really did have a woman with a young kitten that hid in her walls for 6 weeks - an awefull experience for all. Kittens are really adaptable for the most part, but some are very very scared for a while, and do need to adjust in a safe room to avoid stuff like that.

There are a number of guides in the articles tab, but this is the most useful one for intros:

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide – Cat Articles

 

[Kittypet]

No one has really had any issues with appetites or extreme stress. We've been keeping up with their schedule and giving the 2 year old cats extra play time while allowing them to watch the kitten play in the room without being worried that he'll run up to them and get up in their face (we got a gate). There's been a bit of hissing from both adults, but both of the residents seem to really want to play and then once the kitty gets too close they either hiss and just back up and wander off lol

The kitten is fine, he's not scared of my male, and actually did a bit of pawing with a felt spring toy through the gate with him, I was so proud of them both, but he gets poofy when the female does a spook and runs under the bed to watch her for a bit before coming back out to play again.

I'm sure things will be okay, it's just going to take some time.

 

[Jcatbird]

I’m glad you got a gate. Sometimes the other cats just feel more secure seeing a barrier in place. Slow and steady should do it! It sounds like the residents have made a lot of progress. I know the kitten might be startled but your description of Poofy made me smile! Kitty adorable!

 

[Kittypet]

Wow, you're not going to believe how much progress we've made! We took that step back with the gate gave them a few days and then when the hissing stopped we decided to do a supervised session and immediately Chip, our 2 year old male, was smitten with him. He was on him with sniffs, clawless baps and walking him around the living room- it was like he was showing him the house lol

Newnie, our female, is still a little sassy, but I think she's being over dramatic. We had a big play session last night with everyone and a new toy and she was jumping and playing with the baby, while Chip supervised because it's like he's become Sunny's bodyguard when Newnie gets too frustrated he steps between them, and then she'd catch herself, realize what she was doing, and grumble then walk away only to come back a few minutes later and do it all again!

Sunny's just Sunny, ray of sunshine and happiness so he's fine with everyone, not afraid of the big boys anymore or hiding from fear; not even from Newnie's hisses! He even came with me this morning to get breakfast for everyone, went right up to Newnie while she was stretching and gave her a nose boop before we continued on our way. I think it either caught her off guard because she was midstretch or we're making more progress with her, but she didn't hiss or growl. She just took the boop, blinked, and watched him totter after me.

We are so surprised with how these relationships are developing.

Honestly, we thought Chip was going to be our biggest problem because of his anxiety and it was going to take him the longest to get adjusted because of how sensitive he is, but boy has he and Newnie proved us wrong! Cats are very strange critters, I'll say that much! lol

Is there a place I can post a cat tax to show the whole family? Or is posting images here allowed?

 

[ArtNJ]

That is great! A cat with pre-intro anxiety is probably a "risk factor" going in, just like age, but ya never know until you put them together and give them time.

You can post some pics in this thread. You could also go over to the New Cats On the Block forum in the social section of the forums, or the Fun Pictures and Videos sub-forum, but its not required to do so and I'm sure the posters here would love to see a few pics.

 

[Kittypet]

We actually made even more progress just today when we had Sunny out to play with the others! Chip started grooming him, little kisses on the head, I can't believe how adorable those two are. I can't wait till Newnie comes around.

These are my babies: Chip, Newton (Newnie), and, our new boy, Sunny.​

 

[ArtNJ]

Awe, thats awesome!

Looking ahead, if you haven't seen an adult cat play with a kitten, it can sometimes seem a little (or even more than a little) off putting and even look like there is a risk of injury; the kitten might squeal too at times. Just realize that if the kitten comes right back and doesn't hold any sort of grudge at all, you can trust that. My 4 year old was and is exceptionally good with our new kitten, but he does make her squeal once in a while. She might disengage for 10 seconds or something, but she comes right back. And often gets the better of the wrestling

 

[Jcatbird]

Awwww! They are all beautiful babies! Thank you so much for posting photos. That’s a favorite thing around here because we love them all. Please do keep posting as they make progress. The news is wonderful!!

 

[Kittypet]

I wanted to give another update! Not only has Chip accepted Sunny as his baby brother, but Newnie has stopped hissing at him and is actually approaching him on her own!!! I took this picture just this morning to get proof for my husband, who is at work:

I'm just so happy that everything is going so well! Thanks for all your help, and yeah, ArtNJ, Chip and Sunny were playing for the first time the other day and he did make him make the weirdest noises so I'm glad you warned me lmao I would have panicked for sure! I've been watching them pretty closely and see that Sunny always comes back for more, and even that, after giving him a nom or a nip, Chip always gives him a couple licks too so it all seems pretty balanced and safe.

Bonus pic of Sunny idolizing Chip

 

[Jcatbird]

Awwww! I love the good news and the photos! Chip and Newnie are doing very well with accepting Sunny. It looks like Sunny has found family! It reminds me of my Wanda Heart when she joined us a few months ago. Thank you for the update. It’s so nice to hear happy news.