New kitten. Frightened adult.

Hello, I just brought home a 15 week old Bengal cat today. Of course he was terrified so I moved to put him in my room with food, water, liter and close the door. When I showed him, while in the pet carrier, to my 5 yr old Siamese his tail immediately fluffed up. He didn't growl or hiss, but now seems to be hiding out, and not being much of himself.

Do you think they'll get along together or will my Siamese hide when I finally introduce the kitten?

Your Siamese needs more time to get used to the idea of the little intruder. Let him smell and hear the kitten for a while before he actually has contact with him. Switching bedding is a good trick--it switches their scents.

It's ok. They just need a little time to get used to each other! For example, our cat, Jerry, absolutely despised my kitten, Nimbus, when we brought him home. His tail would poof, he would hide a lot, and smack the kitten with his paws. However, its been a few weeks and they get along pretty well now. They play with each other and sometimes I find them asleep on the same bed. I even caught Jerry licking Nimbus' face the other day. SO cute

Just don't force them to be together. Allow the kitten to get comfortable in his surroundings first. Then, let the older cat come to the kitten when he's ready. Watch them, but don't interfere. I think it's OK to let the big cat put the kitten "in his place." The older cat will be more accepting if he knows that he's still the top cat (Jerry would pin Nimbus on the ground the first few times Nimbus tried to play with him). However, If they get too aggressive, separate them, but don't punish. Also, I would show your older cat some attention (possibly more, in the beginning) when the kitten is around.

It might also be a good idea to purchase/make new toys for the kitten. We gave Nimbus some of Jerrys old toys (because he didn't play with them anymore) and Jerry was NOT pleased---he grabbed his old mouse toy from Nimbus and stormed off with it the first day. Of course, Jerry made sure to use everything that I had bought for the kitten (Even the scratching post, despite being declawed!). It's all about the big cat asserting his authority.

Anyway, I think they will eventually get along and your older cat will start to realize that having another playmate is a good thing!

Good Luck!

-Kristen