Theyre not getting along... Intro not working so well!

Ok I got another cat on sunday. He is a 5.5 month old male INTACT (getting neutered on the 23rd of this month) all black kitty... He is very sweet and playful. I have been seperating him from my other 2 cats during the day while I am at work (he has been staying in the second bedroom). Ive been following all the intro tips, minus the fact that I let him out at night to see how he interacts with my other 2 kitties (under major supervision only). Well... Him and my other kitten Nollee get along ok (more or less they co-exist but dont pay much attention to eachother), now my older cat has been a serious issue. My older cat is a 5 year old male (he has lived with other kitties in his lifetime and he gets along with my kitten Nollee really well). Everytime I try to let the kitten out Tiger (older cat) goes through bi-polar mood swings, he is all fine with smelling Osiris (new, intact kittys) butt, but whenever Osiris tries to pass him, swats at him, or runs in the apartment Tiger goes ballistic (very violent outbursts... not just the basic hissing and growling). He attacks the poor kitten and then I have to seperate them again. Last night Tiger attacked my bf when my bf decided he (Tiger) needed his nails trimmed, the kitten Osiris was roaming around and when Tiger was getting his nails trimmed he was growling and then went ballistic on my bf (Tiger is my bf's cat). My bf stated that Tiger is usually this way with new kitties, but not for this long and not as bad. He was sort of like this with Nollee but not near as bad.

I love my Tiger but Im not sure what to do? Could he be more agressive because Osiris is a male cat and intact at that?

I hate keeping the little kitty cooped up 24-7 so I often times put my other 2 cats in a different room for 2 hours so Osiris can roam threw the apartment with out being attacked or stressed. Im giving all my kitties the same amount of attention, and I keep them seperated with short trial periods of them all together.

Do I just need to be more patient? Any tips?

Maybe at this point you should let them fight. That sounds crazy, I know, but if you keep a close watch on them to make sure they aren't hurting each other, they may actually get used to each other. Also give extra special attention to the cats that have been there longer than the new kitty. They are just jealous of the new kitty.

With our cats, when they were introduced, they were fighting a lot. But we kept and eye on them as they fought and relalized they aren't really hurting each other. They still fight occationally but it is nothing big.

So I'd let them go at it. Just be sure they aren't killing each other. You will know when the kitten has had enough...

This is what I would do, anyway...

All the cats are doing is sorting out who is the dominant one. I'd let them duke it out a bit. Unless you see blood, there really isn't anything to worry about.

I am not sure if I have any usefull advice since I never do slow introductions. I usually just put them together right away and go with it. Ive never had a problem. They seem to get used to each other pretty fast that way. I keep a close eye on the though.

I wish their fighting was just fighting... but there is hissing, growling, screaming, puffed tails and hair raised, slashing, biting, chasing (it is very hostile on Tiger's part)... Luckily the kitten always fits in a place where the bigger cat wont go. It just freaks me out when the big cat gets so psycho like that (he is 16 pounds and the little kitty is 6 pounds... not a fair fight). I know that the fighting spurts are inevitable, that is why I try to seperate them for a bit after each spat so they calm down. Everytime Tiger attacks Osiris, Osiris starts farting up a storm (so nasty), the poor guy is trying to make friends. Im always giving Tiger and Nollee tons of attention so they know they are my number one babies. I know that Tiger is stating his dominance, I just dont want to have to take Osiris to the vet from any wounds Tiger attempts to inflict. I often have to pet Tiger and talk to him, after he attacks Osiris to calm hm down...

My bf agrees with you guys but its hard for me... Im trying not to show stress in these situations because if I do it doesnt help the cats either... Will they ever co-exist or get along? Anyone elses cats ever been so hostile during the introduction period?

Trust me, if Gemini is able to get along with Hobbes, I am sure Tiger will too

You just need to understand that they are animals, this is what goes on in the animal world. Fighting over teritory and dominance, etc. They will start to get along, or at least coexist without horrible fights. They may never be the best of friends, but they will get used to each other and understand each others place.

I believe that reward and punishment is the only thing that cats will respond to. So maybe when they are in a really bad fight, remove Tiger and put him in a secluded room. You can sit with him and talk to him, just don't let him out until he's calmed down. When Tiger is being nice to the kitten, reward him with a treat...nice as in walking past without attacking the kitten.

Cats will heal small scratches themselves. And the only reason you should have to take the kitten to the vet is if there is a lot of blood...which in my experience, won't happen.

That is exactly what I do when they fight. I put either Tiger or Osiris in a different room... usually Tiger if he needs to really calm down and we sit with him, pet him, talk to him... LOL explain to him that we know he is boss and soon Osiris will too. Then I usually go to check on Osiris. Osiris is such a good sport, nothing keeps him down. He is not skiddish at all, my other kitten Nollee was very skiddish and was quickly informed who was the dominant cat when I brought her home (which is Tiger) so maybe Tiger took better to her because he didnt feel challenged.

The other day when Tiger and Osiris came nose to nose Osiris swatted at tiger hard (Osiris plays really rough with his swatting, it isnt cute swatting... its quick, hard, and fast) well Tiger didnt like it and went ballistic... Giving Osiris the triple swat. I seperated them for the day because it happend right before I left work.

I do let the 2 dominant cats roam the apartment all day while Osiris stays in the second bedroom (theyre not ready to be together unsupervised)... The 2 cats I already have would scratch a door up if I tried putting them in a room for the day, and since they were there first they get the freedom to roam. Luckily our second bedroom is a nice size so I dont feel terribly cruel.

Like you I was nervous about integrating two cats at first. Granted, both of mine are the same age (5 months), but there was some more vicious playing and fighting at the beginning. It took a few days for the one that was here first to fully establish herself. I knew they were ready to live together full-time when she finally started meowing for him (I think) when I'd break up and seperate them.

I think it really helped to brush them right after one another without cleaning the brush, feed them together (right next to each other) even when they were seperated for the rest of the day, pay extra attention to the established cat when the are together and finally, I gave the new guy a bath on the 5th day and things really sped up. He still had all of the smells from the shelter that they came from and this may have increased her aprehensiveness.

None of the above is working. The kitten is challenging my older cat and that is why there is still all this ongoing violence. Just had another attack 2 minutes ago. My older cat is stalking the kitten like crazy and always shoving his nose up his butt (which is a good sign on my older cats part)... Well the kitten loaths the older cat putting his face near his butt and testicles and he turns around quick to attack my big cat, and then my big cat goes nuts on him. When I finally get them to break it up I always pet the oldest cat first (he is the dominant cat of this house)... Its a shame because my older cat is willing to accept the kitten under his rules:

Tigers Rules (aka Big cat)

1) "dont run past me fast or I will attack"
2) let me smell your butt and dont turn and think your going to attack me, "Im much bigger than you"
3) "Im the one who is allowed hissing and growling, not you"

If kitty would just accept that this is how it goes down, there would be less fighting breaking out (sure dont think Id want another cat shoving their nose up my butt and at my testicles but thats how it goes)...