Older resident cat and new kitten!

[Givemepizzaa]

Hi all! Lots of helpful forums already about this topic but I wanted to seek some more advice!
I have had my resident cat, Odin since he was a baby and he’s now nearly 2 and he’s neutered.
he used to be an outside boy and would always befriend cats in the street and try to play, now he’s been a house cat since March (looking to move with a garden in near future, he loves house cat life though). That has all gone very well as he’s a confident boy! But he’s got a lot of energy and likes to play so we got him a new friend!
Ozzy is 9 weeks old and super tiny, he’s 1KG to Odins 6KG (he’s a big boy).
We’ve been slow at introductions and they play through a baby gate with Odin trilling at Ozzy and meowing for him etc, lots of unclawed paws through the gate, he lays on his side and back to play, Ozzy is a big fan of him! But when we let them meet face to face, Odin stalks, chases him and pins him down and bites until Ozzy cries and we have to intervene - this doesn’t put Ozzy off too much, but last night Ode puffed his tail up massively and started wiggling it really fast and charged at Ozzy and wouldn’t stop until we pulled him off him! It seemed very predatory and aggressive - but no hissing and no growling! It’s very confusing to try and figure out how Odin feels. They are in separate rooms with their own separate resources, But Odin has started using his litter tray a bit less however no other changes behaviour. (The tray situ is being monitored closely, have moved it now to other end of room in case he wants more privacy lol) some pics of the babies because why not!

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Congrats on the new kitten! Hopefully in time Ozzy and Odin will be besties. But for now, it does sound like you might have to keep with the separation and introduction a bit longer.

How long have you had Ozzie? Generally introductions between a kitten and younger cat go quickly, but not always.

The puffy tail almost suggests fear, and sometimes adult cats can be scared of kittens. How does Odin react when the kitten squeals? And do be careful when you separate then, that you don't get scratched or bitten.

Here's the TCS article on How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat | TheCatSite

Plus
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide – TheCatSite Articles
How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction | TheCatSite

 

[Givemepizzaa]

Thanks so much for replying and your advice
It’s very early on as we’ve only had Ozzy a week today! We did the recommended switching scents for a few days and then letting Odin explore Ozzys room while ozzy was in a diff room, and then Ozzy in a carrier for the first meet!
They’ve had two face to face meets and both have been the same way. When Ozzy squeals Odin carries on and doesn’t let go of him which is def a concern. But equally Ozzy jumped on him while Ode was laying down calmly and he was chilled with that. It’s a very odd mix of behaviour lol
I agree, we will leave face to face for a bit and carry on with the baby gate and treats for the calm behaviour and feeding near each other etc for a while!
many thanks again

 

[rubysmama]

Keep spending as much time with Odin as usual, so he doesn't feel like he's being replaced. Again, the fact that Ozzy doesn't seem too scared is good.

Here's a few older threads similar to your situation that might be helpful:

New kitten and resident cat: fighting or playing?
Older cat playing or upset with new kitten?
adult cat bites new kitten without hissing, Playing or Fighting?

This one has a video of a kitten and older cat playing, which might be reassuring for you, once they get to that stage.
Kitten vs cat fight, that's not normal, is it?

 

[Mamanyt1953]

ActuaIIy, what you are describing is not that outside of expected behavior. And the fact that Ozzy is not frightened reinforces my thoughts on that. Pinning of a new cat, particuIarIy a kitten, is very common. Mama cats do this to teach Iessons in manners, and it is very common for oIder resident cats to do the same thing to new kittens in the home. Due to the fairIy extreme size difference between the two, you do want to monitor cIoseIy, but onIy step in if it seems to be getting too rough. A IittIe squeaIing is normal. Swatting (with cIaws in) is aIso normaI. Ozzy is the equivaIent of a chiId of about 5 years. He isn't being hurt, or terrified, he is objection to being toId that he is NOT in charge.

This does NOT repIace the exceIIent advice given by rubysmama , but kinda adds to it, and with a bit of insight into the process.

 

[nurseangel]

Hi, welcome to TCS! I think everything is going smoothly (actually smoother than it often does) but I would keep them separated just as you have been until your baby gets a little bigger. If someone already said this, I apologize. I am tired from work and didn't read everyone's comments like I should.

 

[Givemepizzaa]

ActuaIIy, what you are describing is not that outside of expected behavior. And the fact that Ozzy is not frightened reinforces my thoughts on that. Pinning of a new cat, particuIarIy a kitten, is very common. Mama cats do this to teach Iessons in manners, and it is very common for oIder resident cats to do the same thing to new kittens in the home. Due to the fairIy extreme size difference between the two, you do want to monitor cIoseIy, but onIy step in if it seems to be getting too rough. A IittIe squeaIing is normal. Swatting (with cIaws in) is aIso normaI. Ozzy is the equivaIent of a chiId of about 5 years. He isn't being hurt, or terrified, he is objection to being toId that he is NOT in charge.

This does NOT repIace the exceIIent advice given by rubysmama , but kinda adds to it, and with a bit of insight into the process.

Thank you for taking the time to reply and for your insight! Im glad that it’s usual behaviour he is displaying and a show of dominance!
I was slightly worried he was trying to bully him a bit as some of the pinning isn’t in reaction to Ozzy it’s quite unprovoked - they had a supervised face to face today and Odin charged and jumped at Ozzy but my partner was sat next to the kitten and grabbed him out the way just in case as it didn’t seem that friendly.
He was also yowling for Ozz today when he was in his little bedroom. Very mixed signals! We think we will leave face to face for now and let them have some more time to get accompanied via the baby gate!