Cat Aggression Towards Kitten

Please help! My 3.5 year old cat Audrey is a total hand full. She already had ongoing behavioural issues, for example, weeing on things like my quilt, but a stray kitten literally appeared at my door step 12am on a Sunday a few months ago, which has esculated the problem so much. Now rather than weeing on things, she's also sprays everywhere. More concerning, she took her aggression out on the kitten Esmerelda and bit her on the front paw drawing quite a good dollop of blood. I've locked Audrey in the next warmest room with food, water, litter. I love Audrey very much, but I feel like I'm living in a nightmare. My vet told me that anti anxiety medications are the next step and cost about $85 per month. The Feliway spray doesn't seem to help. It's very distressing for me, Audrey and the kitty. Please help with your good advice.

I'm sorry to hear that.

We have similar issues with some of our cats. A phobia of kittens seems to be natural, as in the wild a cat only interacts with their own kittens and strange kittens mean competition and danger from an angry, protective mother. There is also the jealousy factor.

A sudden change in routine throws cats off a lot, they like things to be consistent.

Here are a few tips that may help. I hope some of them work:

Keep the kitten in one room and let Audrey have run of her house. This way she feels like she is given the privleges.

Keep multiple litter boxes that are clean with the litter she likes around the house to encourage using it.

Make sure she has food, water, and multiple hiding spots available

Keep Audrey's routine

Make sure Audrey is spayed and has no health issues such as worms, parasites, ect so that she has the least things bothering her.

Make sure the new kitten is healthy before introducing them. Think about getting it fixed, this may help.

Make introductions slowly, on neutral territory, and let them figure things out. Even if they run from each other or ignore each other its better then fighting

Consider finding another home for the kitten. It is kitten season right now and a lot of people are adopting because of the time-off during summer

If you make a small outdoor pen for Audrey she may be less likely to spray in the house. Cats with access to the outdoors tend to leave their "den" along and only mark their yard.

I hope things get better for them. Female cats tend to be picky about other cats in their territories. I have a mother and daughter that have been together seven years and still fight. Sometimes its just part of being a cat.

Thanks for your reply. I've had the kitten who is now desexed and microchipped (last week) since she literally showed up on my doorstep back in March. I couldn't find a good home for her then but am trying again now. I've got a few days before I go back to work so am thinking of putting them both in the same room as me so fully supervised and playing with them and feeding them, so hopefully exposure therapy and a positive environment will help them become friends!! I'm using Feliway but seems to make little to no difference! I'll keep you posted. Have a good day.

First, thank you for taking Esmerelda in and taking such good care of her!

How did you go about introducing these two? I wouldn't suggest forced interaction for the two cats. This is likely to make matters worse.

I would recommend reintroducing the two. Put the kitten in her own room/space. The two should not have direct interaction for the time being, especially if you end up not keeping the kitten.

Has Audrey had a full check up to rule out medical causes for her behavior?

If you do end up keeping Esmerelda, you will need to go *slow* with introductions, especially since it appears that Audrey has territorial issues. I would expect the introduction to take at least a few months, but could take longer.

Because Audrey was having issues prior to Esmerelda coming in, medication may very well be needed, regardless of the kitten stays or not.

If you are in the US, price check on http://drsfosterandsmith.com to see if you can get the medication cheaper than your vet.

Thanks also [@]CatPack. I think I'll need to put Audrey on medication regardless, as you said. I think the other person was right about kitten phobia. I think Esmerelda being a short haired, white kitten reminds Audrey of her intense dislike of the Tonkinese kittens she was forced to share her kitten space with before I "rescued" her from that environment! Audrey's good side is incredibly sweet, loving and she is normally a real full on purrer. I just want her to be that girl again and with Esmerelda! Esmerelda's said a perfect cat in every way, I hope Audrey doesn't change that good nature.