HELP

Hi,

I have a 14 year old neatured, female cat(Cherry/Puss). She has a bit of a temper but she always has but is very kind to Mamma(Me!)

I bought a 12 week old kitten on Thursday. She keeps hissing at the new kitten, nothing scary or harmful but I'm worried my older cat will think she is being replaced. I have been giving her treats and petting her a little more than usual.

The new kitten(Nala) is very playful and takes no notice of Puss hissing at her and his very care free and is not stressed at all. They can eat together but if Puss see's Nala playing or getting too close she will hiss and growl at her. I have Puss in the bedroom with me and my partner one night then swap with the kitten so they can get used to each others smells.

As they are eating together I'm guessing they will be fine in a few weeks or so? As my cat Puss, if she REALLY didn't like her, we would 100% know it. Just want some clarification really.

I am going to try the sock method also!

Thank you so much

P.s. no arsy, sarcastic replies please!!

xx

This sounds pretty normal to me.  Ideally, when bringing home a new cat you would keep the newbie isolated for a period of time so existing cats in the household can acclimate to the presence of the new one.

That they are eating together is a good sign.  It is normal for Puss to want to hiss and growl at Nala to say "This is my turf and I am in charge here."  If, though, Puss is aggressive to Nala to the point of injuring her, that is a sign of trouble.  Similarly, make sure you have two litter boxes so they don't have to share.  The toilet is as private to cats as it is to humans and having a stranger around may make her uncomfortable using her box.

Not sure where you are located, but another reason to keep a new cat isolated is to prevent possible spread of disease.  Make sure both cats are FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus) negative and depending on the age of the kitten, she may need deworming and FVRCP vaccinations.

That's great news!
They both have separate litter trays, food bowls etc. We are going to the vet soon to get everything checked out thank you for your reply!