Angry Shelter Kitten

OK- maybe I'm just overreacting and rushing to judge the situation, but I got a kitten today from a local shelter and I'm really concerned that she isn't a good "fit" with my "family". I have four other cats besides the new girl-- two of them are kittens who are 10 and 8 weeks old (the new kitten is around 12-13 weeks). The other two cats are grown, neutered males.

The new kitten is a long-haired tortoiseshell who was at the shelter for approximately 4 weeks after being found on the street. She is VERY playful, and bites and scratches like crazy-- but she's fairly friendly to people unless there is another cat/kitten in sight. If she sees one of the other cats, she will growl, hiss, bat at them and at times run after them to try to attack them. She seems like she wants to play, but then all of a sudden she changes her mind and grows and hisses and freaks the other kittens out. If I am petting her and she sees one of the other cats, she starts growling at me and attacks my hand or arm or whatever is nearest her. Clearly she doesn't like other cats.

What I am not sure of though if that is a permanent thing or just because of the new environment. Unfortunately in my experience, a start like this has never ended in a peaceful co-existence between cats and believe me I've had my share. At the same time, I've never had a "shelter" cat before, except a kitten I got when he was maybe 5 weeks old and had only been at the shelter for a few days, who was sick and who I nursed back to health, always with other cats around. I also am wondering if this is a characteristic due to her being a tortoiseshell. The torties I have had have always been very feisty and domineering, though they did learn to coexist with other cats.

Any suggestions? I have lived in "multiple cat" households growing up, and we occasionally had an outcast cat here or there who basically lived in one room so as to not fight with the other cats. I really do not see this as something I would be willing to do with this cat-- first of all, it seems like such a limited and restricted existence, second of all, I simply do not have the space. I of course can do this short-term, but my experience has shown that short-term isolation of cats does NOT resolve the problem and ends up a permanent solution. I'd rather return her to the shelter while she's still a kitten and a home can be found; even though that runs the risk that she will get put to sleep.

I'm just venting here, and I know full well that in a couple days I might have a different outlook completely. I just need some encouragement or advice or words of wisdom.

It might not be that she doesnt like other cats. You just got her today. She is scared! She is in a new place. That is very,very stressful for cats. Put her in her own 'room' for awhile. Let the other cats run around and get used to her scent. Then do the opposite. Put the others away and let the new kitty run around and get used to the environment and scents.

There are a few people on here that can direct you to some really good links about introducing new cats to resident cats. Dont expect it to work perfectly immediatley, or even within the week. It can take a month+ for cats to get used to other cats. Dont try to rush it, it will just put more stress on all of the animals. It is not that she is not bonding with you, she doesnt know you, she doesnt trust you. Give her space, let her roam at her own free will. Let her come to you.

I just got a tortie and she was the loviest thing in the world, but my older cat sara took a few weeks before i could let them in the same room together, even supervised... they would tear each other, and me up!

You can also use the search function and type in Introducing Cats and it will pull up a whole bunch of threads where this is talked about.

Good luck! And remember, it takes time!
This article was written by Hissy(Mary Anne) She can definetley give you any advice you need about this!
http://www.thecatsite.com/Cats/Cat_B...cing_Cats.html

Thank you! for your response. I know this baby is probably scared, the shelter she was at was just... a real backwards place compared to many of the shelters we're lucky enough to have in this area... and I'm sure she had run-ins with other cats that have caused her to be so upset. She even growls when she eats, when no other cats are around. I'm sure she's had it bad. It just is weird to me that it's the new cat attacking, I was so worried about how my other cats would be but they just don't care. The older ones are used to kittens now that I've added two in the last 6 weeks, and the kittens love everything. It just is the opposite of what I expected. But I hope she comes around. She's a sweetheart on her own.

torties can make wonderful pets. Yuo just need to give this girl some time - introuced them really slowly and properly (there is a good article on this site aboy=ut doing this!). It can take weeks , not one day and one needs patience!! This little one is probably so scared!

Originally Posted by notme1295

She even growls when she eats, when no other cats are around. I'm sure she's had it bad. It just is weird to me that it's the new cat attacking,

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She might have had to 'compete' for food at the shelter. Chloe has no problem eating out of a bowl at the same time as Sara. But when I give treats, they have to be on opposite sides of the room. After you give Chloe her treat, if you stick anything(a hand, bottle, toy, ANYthing) she seriously goes balistic batting at it, hissing, growling. Unfortunatley I learned this the hard way when I tried to pet her after giving her a treat. She still does it and she has been here since April. But it is not as bad. She may outgrow it, she may not. I just had to adapt.

I was so worried about how my other cats would be but they just don't care. The older ones are used to kittens now that I've added two in the last 6 weeks, and the kittens love everything. It just is the opposite of what I expected. But I hope she comes around. She's a sweetheart on her own.

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I am sure she will come around. Time and Patience is all you need! Even though it may take months for her to come around(which I know sound like a really long time) it will go by much faster than you think!

Good luck! Let us know how she progresses!

You need to have patience and not put all the cats together. She should not even be seeing another cat right now, as she has had her whole world turned upside down and she will react to your stress level as well. So just calm down and breathe, and separate her from the others. Shelter cats generally live in crowded conditions (unless they are lucky enough to live in a cageless environment. She has had to fight for food and litter pan privileges or she has been stuck in a cage all by herself and had to deal with the people coming to her poking their fingers in the cage, lifting her up against her will and crowding her.

Back off from her for now, put her in her own room, spend quiet time with her reading out loud and just let her decompress. You have a lot of cats, you are going to have conflict unless you have a large enough place where they can get away from each other and not have territorial disputes.