Older cat hates new kitten PLEASE HELP

[Khalea]

Hello everyone!
I know this is common and there are MANY with this problem, but I think each one is different so I wanted to share my issue.

We had a female cat, and, worried that she'd feel lonely, we brought home a kitten for her. It was hard at first, the older cat didn't like the new one, but we had them see each other through plexiglass, smell each other's scents and so on, and when we let them meet after a few minor problems they got along super well.
Sadly, our older cat died of leukemia (of which we were unaware) at less than two years, this September.

We waited a couple months and brought a new (female) kitten home for our (female) cat, who is now the older of the two. We had to keep them apart for almost a month because we didn't know if the kitten had any infectuous disease, but after two weeks we started letting them see each other through plexiglass, and they alternate the spaces and sleep in the same places so I guess they know each other's smell?

Trouble is, we tried putting them together, and while the kitten DEFINITELY wants to be friendly and playful, the older cat at first simply didn't show much appreciation, then she began to puff her tail, chase her in a not very friendly way (at one point she even arched her back), and, now, she growls at her throught the plexiglass.
We had them play with two different ropes in the same room but nothing, she still hates her. I am honestly very worried. When she was kitten her bigger sister didn't like her, yes, but never to point of growling, puffing her tail or being aggressive.
She isn't EXTREMELY aggressive, though. She lies down every now and then and just stares at her, then suddenly chases her, runs from her, chases her again, and when we heard the kitten meow in an unpleasant way we took the older one away. It seems like the more time they spent together, the more she couldn't stand the newcomer instead of accepting her.

Does she just need more time? Will they get along? What more can we do?

We really want them to get along. Need them to get along, honestly.

HELP!

(Just so you know, the older one is neutered, the kitten is too young, we'll able to neuter her around next month)

 

[ArtNJ]

Well, older cats don't hurt kittens, so thats something. And growling, even a puffy tail is nothing. However, I don't like it when the kitten gets chased or chase-swatted for no reason (its another thing if its because the kitten is being a PITA). It means that maybe a little caution is warranted, maybe going a little slower or backing up a step. But, at the same time, an intro process can only do so much, and they need to work stuff out. If the older cat is insisting on her space, the kitten will get it eventually, and its not such a bad thing that the older cat is sticking up for what it wants. The older cats that are merely scared tend to have a tough time adjusting to getting jumped on all the time. So its a balance, and I can't tell you whether to back up for another few weeks or go forward -- your in the best position to make the call. Its not rocket science, you make the best call you can and see how it goes. In the end, either choice would probably work -- the kitten sounds like its too young to be perceived as an adult, so it won't be hurt, and things should improve over time. But maybe a couple more weeks could help. Just don't extend the intro so long the kitten gets into the range it could be perceived as an adult -- that would be wasting the risk-free time where you don't have to worry about actual fighting.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS.

First off, condolences on the loss of your female cat. Way too young to lose her. RIP sweet kitty.

About your current situation, have you read articles on cat introductions?

TCS has this one: How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat | TheCatSite

As well as: How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide | TheCatSite

And How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction | TheCatSite

Generally as long as there's no fur flying, bloodshed, or that one cat doesn't seem scared or stressed, things are probably ok. But it can't hurt to take a step backwards and see how it goes.

How old is the new kitten, and the older one?