Older cat and Kitten

[thestrayedproject]

Hi all - long time lurker in need of some advice.

I have had my beautiful black male cat Lewie for 4 years. It has just been him and the dog for the past 4 years until recently when we decided to get a new female kitten, Saffi. Saffi has fit in brilliantly, she is friendly, sassy and so cute.

Did the usual recommended way for introducing the two cats. Lewie was initially very curious and after a few bouts of hissing etc they have been playing together and eating together and grooming each other- they sleep separately for the most part. However recently (the kitten is now 7 months old and has been spayed around a month ago) Lewie has been a bit more grumpy with the kitten - generally hissing as she walks past, batting her occasionally if she tries to play and the odd growl. There have been no fights (other than play fighting that they still engage in) and the kitten isn't scared or running away to hide - she just sits there bless her......I know they are still quite new and the kitten probably still a bit too playful for Lewie's liking but I was just hoping for some reaffirming that this is normal behaviour.

Thanks in advance!

[Lilith]

Aww, Saffi, I like that name. I have 15 snakes, one is a 'butter' corn, called Saffron, Saffy for short.

Yeah, Lewie's just putting her in her place, or what Lewie thinks her 'place' should be...sometimes it's the kittens who get bolshy with the oldies. They're all different.

I used to breed Siamese, and I also had a group of 'moggies' who, when the kittens were growing up, would just fold their arms and roll their eyes...that time again was it? One of the older cats was a three-quarter Siamese called George aka the Beast of Bodmin lookalike. George was tremendously dignified and stood no nonsense from anyone, be it my youngest queen Majdhar who had a crush on him, or from the latest kitten Tao, who met him face to face on the stairs one day.

George growled.

Then, in the shiftiest way possible, not realising I was watching, George looked over his shoulder for any observers, and turned back to Tao.

Readers, he washed him...

Lewie and Saffi will be curled up together in no time

[Crewella]

That does sound perfectly normal - even when I had five related cats that all slept in a big heap there were times they'd hiss or swipe. Your two get on pretty well, by the sound of it.

[thestrayedproject]

Fantastic - that's what I was hoping. Thanks guys.

They do have their moments - caught lewie washing saffi earlier while she laid there purring