New Kitten... Resident Cat Aggressive Or Fearful? Help!

[Thatgirl]

Hi! I have a 5 year old tabby who is very sweet and laid back. She followed me home from a pool one afternoon and BAM I had a cat. Since then she's lived as a single cat and with another cat... I watched my friend's cat for a few months and Sazz (my cat) warmed up to her. It's been 3 years since she's lived with another cat. However, a few days ago my boyfriend and I rescued a Selkirk Rex from a breeder. The kitten needed surgery for a prolapsed rectum. She's recovering very well! Here's my question/concern:
I know it'll take time for them to get uses to each other and maybe I'm overthinking... But Sazz (my old cat) hides, growls, and scurries around since the kitten has been here. She can sit next to me and the kitten will be across the room and Sazz will melt into me and be overly affectionate (resting her head in my hand, etc). However, when the kitten moves Sazz will growl. Is she scared of the kitten? Angry? Advice!

 

[danteshuman]

I'm guessing she is insecure & telling the kitten this house/people belong to her. Feeding/treats/brushing/petting/play around the kitten should help over time. You could also do the slow introduction process, where they smell but do not see each other.
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide

 

[ArtNJ]

If a little hiding and hissing/growling is all that is happening, things are going well enough and should improve on their own. If there is fighting, you need to do a formal introduction process along the lines suggested in danteshuman 's link. Its all pretty normal. That said, do not allow unsupervised interaction for a bit since there is usually a risk of fighting early in this kind of scenario, and that would really set things back. If things even look like they are headed to actual fighting, distract with treats or toys and separate for a bit, and if it looks like an ongoing issue, proceed with a formal reintroduction. A formal introduction is widely agreed to be good process, but if things are as mild as they sound like, just saying you may not need to back up and do that.

To answer your question, if the resident is hiding, hissing/growling, thats fear and lack of confidence in interacting, and its normal. It doesn't always make any sense. You even get big adults doing this with little kittens.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. The fact that Sazz has gotten along with other cats is a good sign that he will eventually accept your new kitten.

In addition to the article danteshuman posted, here's another one that might be helpful:
The Multi-cat Household

Plus, at the end of this one, it mentions body language to watch for to determine if a cat fight is real, or a "mock" fight.

How To Safely Break Up A Cat Fight

Can you post pics of Sazz and the kitten?
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post