New kitten changes old cats behavior

[annamh17]

Hello! I got a new kitten around 5 days ago. For the past 5 days I have had the new kitten in my bedroom from my cat whom I have had for a year. Today we brought the new kitten out on our couch and let out other cat (named kitty lol) see the new kitten and smell her. About two hours after putting the kitten back in my room my old cat kitty, who is not very vocal started making a lot of sounds. Even saying her name caused her to talk to us. She has been running around the house making sounds that sound similar to whining and howling. Does anyone know why she would be doing this? I presume it's from the kitten but I don't know how to proceed with having the two integrate. Thanks you!

 

[emandjee]

Hi there, annamh17!

Welcome to TCS.

I think this article on this website gives an overall how to's on cat to cat introductions: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats 

It seems you've already done the part of introducing scent and sight to the resident cat too quickly? From your resident cat's reaction, she sounds stressed. Perhaps getting a calming diffuser or collar will help her ease her nerves? She's probably feeling threatened that there's a new cat and is anxious or insecure. I'd try to keep everything as routine as possible for your resident kitty to relax again and feel comfortable in her own home. You may need to keep them seperated again for a while to see if that helps your resident kitty return back to normal. The whole introductory process should be dictated by your resident cat and let her set the pace. Any quicker can produce undesired results.

  Going slower will always be the surest thing and everyone will be happier, though sometimes can be quite time-consuming and taxing on the catparent. Patience is key, and you'll only reap all the benefits later! 

Please hang in there, and think of your resident kitty's position--a new kitty has invaded her territory, and no one has asked her about how she feels!