Resident cat attacks new kitten. Desperate need of help!

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trixielim

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When they ignore each other completely & can calmly eat from a plate on each side of the screen door.

When you let them meat get an extra thick piece of poster board (the kind with foam between the two layers) or a 4 foot by 4 foot piece of card board. If you see a stare down starting block the line of sight with the poster board.

Cats staring at each other is like one cat yelling “I’m going to kick your a** !!!!” Or a drunk person saying “hold my beer” a fight always follows. So better to block with cardboard (so the would be victim can go to safety) or block the line of sight- pick up the bully- place the bully in a roomwith the door closed for 10 minutes. Not a time out, just a reset.

Try to get rid of all dead ends & if necessary block all unders (to prevent stuff like a fight breaking out under the bed.)
alright, we will try doing this! we actually had this one instance when both cats did nose to nose, and we decided they were ready to meet face to face since they seemed comfortable beside each other. after we fully opened the screen door, our resident cat suddenly attacked our kitten without any prior signs of aggression, leading to a fight under my bed and the kitten pooping from fear. they haven’t been comfortable around each other since then (resident cat is hostile, and kitten is afraid of cat), and it’s been around a month now since the incident. we weren’t expecting a fight, and thus, weren’t prepared enough. will follow your advice for the next time. thank you!
 

Alldara

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thank you so much for your advice! we have tried playing with both cats together by the screen door, but sadly, our resident cat isn’t interested in her toy anymore and would instead, just watch the kitty play and then hiss at her. we will try to play with them again.
This is actually great. When she watches the kitten play, she is learning the kitten's body language. Eventually she will feel comfortable to play herself. Keep encouraging her to play while the kitten is on the other side playing but don't force it.

I skip the feeding close step of Jackson Galaxy's guide for Nobel because he will just not eat if another cat is watching him. However, high reward treats did work. If there is space under that screen door, rub the treat on the kitten's cheek and then toss it under the door. Resident cat will think the kitten is providing the treats.

If you choose to keep the feeding (which you can, doesn't hurt), then start the resident cat at the far side of the room, rather than right at the door. You are moving them towards the door, as the resident cat is comfortable. That part I feel can be unclear in JG's guide.
 

Alldara

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alright, we will try doing this! we actually had this one instance when both cats did nose to nose, and we decided they were ready to meet face to face since they seemed comfortable beside each other. after we fully opened the screen door, our resident cat suddenly attacked our kitten without any prior signs of aggression, leading to a fight under my bed and the kitten pooping from fear. they haven’t been comfortable around each other since then (resident cat is hostile, and kitten is afraid of cat), and it’s been around a month now since the incident. we weren’t expecting a fight, and thus, weren’t prepared enough. will follow your advice for the next time. thank you!
You will need a few instances of positive interactions through the gate before introducing them. They should both be tired out when you do this. Your resident cat should be comfortable to fully play while the kitten is in view before same-room introduction step.

Lastly, they should be doing something, like eating or playing during their first few non-barriered interactions. Whatever works best for your cats.

In my home what worked best was feeding Magnus and Calcifer with no barrier but sitting down with my legs stretched out in between them. They felt safe because I was the 'barrier'. This was after they were playing by poking one another through the gate.

Nobel likes to sit somewhere high and have a human next to him. Then he can play by swatting a string or have some treats while he watches the new cat explore and play. It helps him to learn the new cat. So we would have Magnus or Calcifer play with a wand toy until they got sleepy. Then the kitten usually curls up and sleeps somewhere. Nobel could see this too. After a few weeks of this, Nobel was allowed to approach and sniff the sleeping kitten.
 
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trixielim

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You will need a few instances of positive interactions through the gate before introducing them. They should both be tired out when you do this. Your resident cat should be comfortable to fully play while the kitten is in view before same-room introduction step.

Lastly, they should be doing something, like eating or playing during their first few non-barriered interactions. Whatever works best for your cats.

In my home what worked best was feeding Magnus and Calcifer with no barrier but sitting down with my legs stretched out in between them. They felt safe because I was the 'barrier'. This was after they were playing by poking one another through the gate.

Nobel likes to sit somewhere high and have a human next to him. Then he can play by swatting a string or have some treats while he watches the new cat explore and play. It helps him to learn the new cat. So we would have Magnus or Calcifer play with a wand toy until they got sleepy. Then the kitten usually curls up and sleeps somewhere. Nobel could see this too. After a few weeks of this, Nobel was allowed to approach and sniff the sleeping kitten.
thank you so much for this! i hope our two cats will get along soon.
 
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