Not Sure How This Is Intro Is Going....

[PaulinPilsen]

I’m in the process myself of introducing 2 cats - females, 8 month old and a 13 month old. It is surprising that the 8 month old is the aggressor against the 13 month old. They are seeming to work it out 3/4 of the time, but then there are episodes where the 8 month just gets really aggressive chasing the other, especially in the morning. And the kitten is relentless. This morning, I separated them. I felt sorry for my 13 month old who seems to just want to co-exist peacefully, but gets chased on sight. She has to crouch and hiss in defense posture. I have been hoping these two can become friends but now I don’t know, and I’m not sure. The younger cat seems so much more possessive. I’m not sure if I can attribute this behavior to her kittenhood, and that some of this is excessive play. It has been about 4 days now. There was a week of total separation in separate rooms.

Like in the pic above, There have been many moments where the cats were together, near me and swatting the same toy as I played with them. They seem to have no problem eating near each other. This makes me feel good, until the younger and smaller white cat gets the idea to bully the older cat around. I hate bullies.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. The things to watch for when introducing cats is 1) fur flying, 2) blood, or 3) one cat appearing to be very scared or stressed.

If there's no fur flying or blood, and both cats seem to be "enjoying" the fights, then they are probably playing. Hissing, growling and swatting, btw, are all normal methods of cat communication.

If one cat seems especially scared or stressed, or starts having behavioural issues, then you probably need to separate them and start the introductions again.

Here's a few TCS articles that may be helpful:
How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction
Is Your Cat Stressed Out?

Are they both cats spayed? If not, that should be your next move, as hormones could make them territorial/aggressive.

You may have already seen this, but the TCS article Are My Cats Fighting Or Playing? explains the body language to watch for, plus includes pictures and videos of cats both playing and fighting.

Good luck. Hope they become best buds soon.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

OH, I'm reasonably certain that at least part of this is the age of the younger kitten. They're pretty much all balls of energy and cattitude at that age. Take a look at the articles that rubysmama suggested, they're very good, and hang in there! Give your older girl a break when needed, but try not to step in too often. Some things they are just going to have to work out.