Hi everyone, I'm new to the site and hope I'm posting this in the right place. I'm very sorry if it's wrong and would really appreciate to be pointed in the right direction.
I have a problem that I would really love some help with.
I am trying to introduce a 4-year-old female rescue cat to my house where my five-month-old male rescue kitten is now established after being with me for almost three months. My kitten was an extremely shy kitten and still prefers to hide from new people, but we've gone from hissing at me and hiding under and behind furniture to demanding food, sleeping on me, being vocal and trusting me to cut his claws. Now I've brought in the 4-year-old and the kitten is terrified.
The older cat is very confident and she's got lots of energy, likes people, typical adjusted cat whose only fear is the vacuum cleaner. I introduced them very slowly and the kitten initially seemed to be interested in the cat. He followed her at a distance while she kind of warned him to stay back while she walked around the house. No hitting or fighting or real hissing.
Then something must have happened while I wasn't looking - I went to work thinking they were getting to know each other and came back to a petrified kitten who was stuck on a windowsill, sitting in his own faeces, and the adult cat lounging in a different room. Watching them, I see how the cat watches him but doesn't seem belligerent at all. She looks at the kitten, goes up to him, but when he hisses she loses interest and goes away. However, if the kitten runs away from the cat, she chases after him. Still no claws or biting or any noises at all from the cat. The kitten is the one yowling and hissing and spitting. He runs into corners and onto windowsills, he evacuates his bowels there (out of fear?) and won't move until she goes away. I keep them separate while I'm not home and only let them together when I could supervise. I've had them in the same room and held the adult cat so she can't chase the kitten, but he still growls and hisses and hides.
Then one day I saw that the kitten's ear had been torn. This has happened twice now. So the adult cat must be using claws but she always seems to be play chasing rather than attacking. I'm not understanding this cat behaviour and I don't know how to make the situation better for the both of them.
My question is: can these cats be together? I'm inclined, even though it will break my heart, to surrender the cat back to the rescue. They both deserve good lives and I don't know that she or he will have one with me if we're all in the same house.
Thank you for reading all of this and I really appreciate any advice you can give me.
I have a problem that I would really love some help with.
I am trying to introduce a 4-year-old female rescue cat to my house where my five-month-old male rescue kitten is now established after being with me for almost three months. My kitten was an extremely shy kitten and still prefers to hide from new people, but we've gone from hissing at me and hiding under and behind furniture to demanding food, sleeping on me, being vocal and trusting me to cut his claws. Now I've brought in the 4-year-old and the kitten is terrified.
The older cat is very confident and she's got lots of energy, likes people, typical adjusted cat whose only fear is the vacuum cleaner. I introduced them very slowly and the kitten initially seemed to be interested in the cat. He followed her at a distance while she kind of warned him to stay back while she walked around the house. No hitting or fighting or real hissing.
Then something must have happened while I wasn't looking - I went to work thinking they were getting to know each other and came back to a petrified kitten who was stuck on a windowsill, sitting in his own faeces, and the adult cat lounging in a different room. Watching them, I see how the cat watches him but doesn't seem belligerent at all. She looks at the kitten, goes up to him, but when he hisses she loses interest and goes away. However, if the kitten runs away from the cat, she chases after him. Still no claws or biting or any noises at all from the cat. The kitten is the one yowling and hissing and spitting. He runs into corners and onto windowsills, he evacuates his bowels there (out of fear?) and won't move until she goes away. I keep them separate while I'm not home and only let them together when I could supervise. I've had them in the same room and held the adult cat so she can't chase the kitten, but he still growls and hisses and hides.
Then one day I saw that the kitten's ear had been torn. This has happened twice now. So the adult cat must be using claws but she always seems to be play chasing rather than attacking. I'm not understanding this cat behaviour and I don't know how to make the situation better for the both of them.
My question is: can these cats be together? I'm inclined, even though it will break my heart, to surrender the cat back to the rescue. They both deserve good lives and I don't know that she or he will have one with me if we're all in the same house.
Thank you for reading all of this and I really appreciate any advice you can give me.