hi and advice!!

Hello everyone,

I'm a new user and just finding my way around. I have a cat and a new kitten! therein lies the problem my cat (3yrs old) who is called kitcat is very nervous of the kitten(Dom)not helped by the fact that he keeps running towards her, to play I think but she gets frightened and runs away. I have taken the advice of these forums and am now trying to introduce them really gradually and things do seem a bit better. You all seem to have several cats, how have you managed to get them to be friends and settle down together??
Any extra suggestions or miracle cures gratefully recieved!!!

Hi, Domino! Welcome to the Cat Site. I'm sure if you've been reading the forums, you know about putting the scent of the older cat on the kitten and vice versa by rubbing both with the same towel. I have introduced new kittens to an established group quite often and have had good luck. The kitten always seems to bring out the playfulness in the older cats. Just give them some privacy by separating them and introducing them very gradually as you have read. I believe your older cat is just maintaining her spot as king of the hill. Keep us informed!

Hi domino!

I am glad you have joined us. I'm going to move your thread over to the Behavior forum, where it may get a few more views and replies.

Hi Domino.

In addition to gradual intros and also the towel rubbing thing, patience in the extreme may be required. It can take some cats quite a while to adjust to having new kitties around.

Make sure your existing cat doesn't feel left out. Give them both quality time individually and try to introduce them to playtimes together when you feel the time is right.

Good luck, and great to have you here.

We had to introduce a new cat into the home - but they were the same age (both kittens), and our first, Lazlo, had only lived with us a week. But I was given suggestions that helped.

In addition to what you are already doing, you can consider trying these things.

We played with Lazlo first, then Shelly. We leave dry food out all day for them, but when we washed the bowls and put them back down on the floor to fill up again, we would always fill Lazlo's first. We feed them wet food twice a day. Again, we always fed Lazlo first. And the first few days, we put their bowls on separate sides of the room - not near each other.

Height is also a display of just who is alpha cat. I don't know if or how this can help you - we didn't have room for a cat tree, but if you don't already have something, if you can provide a place for your older kitty to get up on to lounge around on, that may help too.

Your little kitty is probably a bit of afraid of "the big bad cat."! That will just take time and patience.

...and bear in mind, they might wrestle. I don't know, because of the age difference. But our two guys wrestle around every day. As long as no one has an arched back, a straight ridge of hair down the spine and a fluffed tail with ears back, and no one is getting hurt, we just let them work it out. Who is alpha cat seems to change from time to time. Doubt that would happen with such a range of age - but once they do start interacting, I'd thought I'd just share that one with you, too!

Hi all,

thanks alot for your replies, they have been very helpful, I'll let you know how things go!!