Submissive Resident Cat

[lo4ren]

Hi!
We have a 6 year old cat (Barbarella) and have just adopted a new (4 month) old kitten and are working through the introduction. I’ve seen a lot of articles about dominant resident cats but it seems like as the days go on, the kitten is becoming more and more dominant. Babs has always had a fairly conservative nature and will hide if she’s uncomfortable. The kitten, on the other hand, came from a cat café so has been around heaps of people and kittens and really just wants to be with people. The kitten will lie across doorways to “block” Babs in rooms, will rub her scent all over my husband and I and is always trying to eat her older sister’s food. Babs does hiss at her but is ignored pointedly. As such, she’s been eating less (even when we put the kitten back into her pen), hiding in cupboards and her (usually clockwork) routine is disrupted.

We’re only a week into the introduction so are considering re-segregating them to calm Babs down and let her adjust but are worried that her lifestyle will be impacted if she’s no longer able to eat her own food and sleep in her own bed and wander around the house as she likes. Is this normal kitten behaviour? Does anyone have any tips on how we can increase Babs' confidence around the kitten, or are we just over-reacting?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[FelisCatus]

Have you looked into getting a pheromone diffuser like Feliway (multicat formula)? It would help the cafe kitty call down.... 99% they were using pheromone diffusers at the cafe.

Congrats on the new furbaby!

 

[lo4ren]

Thanks for the tip, we ordered one this afternoon so fingers (and paws) crossed that it helps!

 

[Dacatchair]

I sort of have a similar problem. My 17 month old resident cat loves our new 5 month old kitten, and they spend hours a day playing together and they often choose to sleep together instead of with me.

But my older cat is very reserved and stoic in how he shows affection. He likes to curl up in the crook of my legs at night and when he is feeling really affectionate he may come under the covers for a cuddle and 15 minute purr. But then he gets claustrophobic and has to leave. The kitten is a cuddle bug and will spend the whole night curled up under my chin. When the older cat carefully approaches for our special snuggle time, and sees the kitten already curled up there, he recoils and leaves like he has been slapped. Which breaks my heart. He also walks away when the kitten wants his food or when the kitten won't give him a chance to play with me and the wand toy.

What seems to help is I have been feeding the kitten separately because he seems to maybe get the runs from my bigger cats food, so during the time the kitten is in his room with his food, (which is often kitten eats a lot) me and my low key cat get some one on one time. And I take the older one for walks on a leash, something the kitten has yet to experience. And the older cat is allowed into my workshop with me and kitten is not. So I am hoping giving the older one some protected, one on one time away from the kitten, will help him not feel pushed out of the lime light.

 

[Kflowers]

There has been some problems with the difuser's plugs over heating, so keep an eye on that.