Suddenly Stalking Kitten

[hurtingheart]

Tips for stopping an adult cat from attacking the new 4 month old kitten?

I kept her in another room for a week at first. They sniffed each other under the door. I rubbed them with clean socks to exchange their scents. Left the kitten's blanket in the living room so they could get used to her smell.

Eventually I let the kitten out into the kitchen area(closed off with a baby gate) so they could watch her. This went on for about another week.

After the hissing stopped I let her into the rest of the house. The older cats kept their distance but appeared to at least tolerate her presence.

After several days my youngest adult cat (the most dominant) has started stalking the kitten at various times throughout the day. She doesn't hiss or growl, but corners her and slaps her repeatedly until the kitten hisses and fights back. Then it starts to escalate until I intervene. The kitten is very hyper and outgoing but not aggressive unless cornered.

Older cat is on prozac for aggression problems (towards me). I also give her an herbal liquid for anxiety and aggression, called devil b gone. And there is a feliway multicat diffuser, as well.

Any idea why she's suddenly aggressive towards the kitten or what I can do to discourage it? They don't need to be best friends. I just want to be able to leave the kitten out overnight without worry.

 

[ahunter]

One of my cats used to bully the other. It was very stressful and I'm not sure we found a specific solution other than time. For what it's worth, you might retry the separation period. This time, switch other stuff too such as beds, litter boxes, food dishes. You could even switch their spaces by putting the older cats in an enclosed room and let the kitten roam. All these ideas come from Pam Johnson's book: Cat Vs Cat.

What does their play time look like? Maybe try taking out a wand toy for play, as that will give all three cats opportunity to play, and reward the older cats if they show positive reactions towards the kitten. This will encourage them to feel good about the kitten. Alternatively, could the older cats be jealous? Have you tried having separate play times with each of the cats? All these ideas also come from Pam Johnson's book: Cat Vs Cat.

Some of my friends in this situation have resorted to keeping their cats in separate rooms. Our three cats eventually did forge a bond, but it took a year for that to happen. Like I said, I can't pinpoint exactly why they changed, and so I don't know if anything here will help. All the best!

 

[hurtingheart]

Good suggestions, thanks!

 

[Nancy Ninetails]

I would definitely begin the introduction process over again at separation. You don't want your kitten to become cat aggressive from the experience. Since your older cat already has some aggression and anxiety issues, he may need several repeats of the introduction process to settle down.

 

[danteshuman]

I would suggest site swapping. Meaning your kitten gets run of the house & gets to play with you while your older cat is locked in the kittens room. Then locking the kitten up in a room, releasing the older cat and finally putting the kitten back in it's room. That way your kitten isn't trapped all day & gets run of the house. Plus your older cat gets to smell the kitten up and use the kittens litter box. Which hopefully equals less territory aggression. You might want to invest in a baby gate.