My two 3 year old adult cats terrified of new kitten...

meistersar

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I brought home a new kitten two days ago (will be three late this afternoon) and my two adult cats seem very afraid of it. It's 8 weeks old, so very small compared to them and definately not agressive or even too rambunctious about approaching them.

Here's what I've been doing and the results, maybe someone has some more tips.

Kitten is usually confined to our computer room where I can keep an eye on him during the day while I work in there. He also has his own large crate (it was a puppy pen previously and much larger than say...a shelter cage) for nap times, and also keeping his litter and food in there right now since I want to wait to make sure he's worm free (took him to the vet yesterday for his first shots and worming) and also so the other cats don't have to share food and litter with a stranger. He sleeps in there at night as well, so he's not out and about wandering the house getting into trouble or having accidental run ins with my two older cats.

My two older cats are siblings (brother and sister) and they turned 3yrs old in March. They are both very friendly and comfortable around people...I think they think they ARE people XD but they seem very afraid of this little kitten. The female is a little bolder, and sometimes she will come sit at the edge of the computer room and watch the kitten toddle around and play. She's also come into the room and sniffed at his cage a bit, but she still doesn't want kitten too close and will hiss if he gets within 5 feet of her.

The male cat is worse, he's taken to staying at the far end of our house and really doesn't want to be anywhere near kitten. The mere sound of kitten mewing sends him running. He will watch from the end of the hallway while the kitten toddles about, and today he actually got within about 12 feet of it, but he seems very afraid. If kitten gets within about 10 feet of him, he does the hissing and retreat thing.

I know this is going to take some time, but does anyone have any hints to make all cats more comfortable? I've been trying to spend time with my older cats in the afternoon while kitten naps so they don't feel ignored or unloved, but I worry that they...especially the male ...(I have to admit, though, it is kind of silly and funny to see a 12 lb cat hide from a 2 lb kitten...) are under too much stress. I don't want them getting sick or becoming afraid to be around me if I'm in the computer room.

Thank you in advance!
 

howtoholdacat

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I agree that it is kind of funny. When I got my youngest cat, Kit, she was about 8 weeks old as well. My 3 year old male thought she was great! He loved her right away but she's super feisty and she hissed at him. He hid behind the couch with his feelings hurt and wouldn't come out until I got him and petted him. He's too sensitive!

It sounds like you are making a lot of smart choices. I'd continue doing what you're doing and just give them some time. Two days isn't a very long time to adjust new cats. If you force the situation it could backfire. Once you know more about your kitten's health and are ready to turn her loose they'll probably sort it out all by themselves.
 
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meistersar

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Well, I'm trying to take it pretty slow, I just hope I'm doing it right. I've been taking some of kittens toys into the living room for the other two to sniff at once in a while too, so they can get used to the smell. Right now both my older kitties are in the living room playing and chasing their cat laser while dad teases them with it, so I think that is a good sign. Yesterday and the day before the older male didn't want to come into the living room because it's next to the computer room were the 'evil monster in his cave' is at


He's such a big wuss
 

howtoholdacat

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Sounds like a fun house! Sounds like my house, which were it not for the fun I'd have left by now! Crazy kitties run this place!
 

epona

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Get some bedding that your older cats sleep on and rub the kitten down with it - this will make him smell more like them, and as cats recognise each other by scent, he will not seem so much of a stranger to them if he carries some of their own scent. Also rub your older cats around the cheeks (where they have scent glands) with a cloth and rub the cloth over the little one.

Also take the little one's bedding and leave it in a non-threatening place somewhere within the other cats' territory - not in their favourite sleeping place, but in a corner somewhere where they can approach and sniff it without having to meet the kitten face to face. Put some of their favourite treats on it, so they associate the scent of the newcomer with good things. Hopefully over a few days they will get used to the new scent in their territory and will be happy to approach the bedding without hissing or showing fear.

Feliway can also help to calm them all down and feel more relaxed.

Introducing a new cat into your household can take a lot of time (perhaps many months) and patience!
 

goldenkitty45

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I know a lot of my adult rexes were "afraid" of kittens till they were older. And they were right there when born too.

But it will take time. My concern is that you got the kitten at 8 weeks old. Where did you adopt him from? Its better they stay with mom/siblings till 10-12 weeks old - that way they learn crucial social behavior around other adult cats.

Perhaps the kitten is looking at the older ones as "mommy" and they are afraid of the kitten. Keep the kitten separated for about 2 weeks. What I would do is to switch the rooms for a few hours. Put the adult cats in the kitten's room; let the kitten explore outside of the room he's in under your supervision.

They can get more used to all his smells without confronting him physically - that might help. Another trick is to sprinkle a little cornstarch baby powder on ALL the cats so they smell the same.
 
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meistersar

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He was from a private home. Honestly, the place I got him from was a pretty bad situation. I won't go into it here, but I consider him a rescue at this point and I often wonder why people don't just pay the 60 bucks to get their animals fixed so this sort of situation doesn't arise... But that is also part of the reason I got him to the vet the very next day to have his blood tested for FelLK and get him his first shots and worming. (His test came back negative)

My two 3 year olds I got from a shelter and they were only 5 weeks old, less than a pound each, and I had to feed them a mix of kitten forumla and use a blender to blend their kitten chow with it because they could not eat it entirely solid yet. So while new kitten is a bit young, he is probably better off here than where he was at (*sigh*) and I do have some experience in raising kittens that are a bit too young to be away from mama.

He's taken to crate training very well (I believe that it's just a good, practical idea to crate train kitties as well as dogs. He's comfortable in there and I don't have to worry at night that he's stuck , getting into something he shouldn't, or trying to pester older kitties) and so far he seems to be thriving. He's playful and energetic, and other than the occasional crying for his family, he's adjusting just fine.

I will try a few of the tips people have mentioned here and hopefully it will ease some of the older cats' stress. Luckily, they haven't shown any real aggressive tendancies towards kitten, they just seem to want their space right now and try to figure out what this little thing is and why Mom brought him home. They don't rush at kitten or do anything more than hiss if he toddles too close, in which case they usually retreat a bit and hunker down to watch again.

Usually I've been keeping them in entirely seperate rooms, however I have left the computer room door open so if older kitties want to peek in, they can (the female has done this several times) if only to see I'm still there. If I see them peeking in, I usually talk to them or get up and go and pet them a while to try to show them that nothing bad is going to happen and that 'monster' in the 'cave' isn't going to eat them.
 
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meistersar

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On a note: Kitten is the offspring of what I think is probably an American Bobtail (Papa was there as well as Mama...and several other cats, they all lived in a crowded basement with no ventilation... :/ ) and a mix-breed short hair. Papa was a very LARGE kitty with a 2 inch tail and tabby pattern and med-long coat. He was much too large to be a manx and didn't have the manx build either (I've had a manx kitty before)

Kitten is all gray with a tail about 2 inches long. All the other kittens had either rumpy riser tails, stubbies like my kitten, or very short 2/3 normal length tails. Hence why I think the father may have been an American Bob and they picked up the trait from him.
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by meistersar

My two 3 year olds I got from a shelter and they were only 5 weeks old, less than a pound each
This could be why they're a bit skittish of the kitten. When I initially introduced Sho and Tomas, Sho acted scared and did hiss a couple of times. He didn't realize at first that the little furry thing was another cat.

Maybe yours are equally confused, it smells like a cat, makes cat sounds, but it's smaller then they are.
 

betsy2562

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I am now trying this myself and have isolated the kitten behind a gate but she has already learned how to climb it.  My older cat seems afraid and still hisses.  It has only been 5 days but I am worried.  I will try some of the suggestions above.  If you have any other ideas, please let me know.
 
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