Help please! Is it too late to start again with new kitten?

IMPORTANT: If your cat is in any distress or discomfort, please consult your own vet as your first priority.
Post Reply
Familyoffive
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2021 6:51 pm

Help please! Is it too late to start again with new kitten?

Post by Familyoffive »

I'd really appreciate your help and collective wisdom please.
The introduction of our new kitten to our older cat happened faster than we would have liked, and now the older cat barely comes into the house, and seems very scared and nervous when she does (mainly just to eat) - even though we are now making sure their paths don't cross at all. It's been two months. Older cat was also a rescue who was taken from her mother when she was only 7 or 8 weeks old, and has never had any other positive interactions with other cats
Is it too late to totally reset and start again (ask a friend to take the kitten for a few weeks, get back to normal, then start slow scent swapping etc) or has the damage been done? It breaks my heart to see our older cat like this but we'd also obviously love to keep the kitten if at all possible.
Thanks in advance x
User avatar
Mollycat
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 2705
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:58 am
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: UK

Re: Help please! Is it too late to start again with new kitten?

Post by Mollycat »

No, I don't think it's too late, although some cats struggle to tolerate a newcomer no matter how carefully and slowly the introductions are done. A very slow step by step approach, you might not even need to have someone else take the kitten if you isolate it immediately and strictly in one room with everything it needs there.

However, I'm sensing perhaps you're wondering if kitten is such a good idea after all? Perhaps it might help to talk through all possible options so that you know you have choices, ratehr than feel trapped and forced into making one thing work. Not suggesting and course of action but simply knowing you have choices can be a big help to feeling more calm and level headed and able to make good decisions as well as seeing through some challenging times with introductions.
Familyoffive
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2021 6:51 pm

Re: Help please! Is it too late to start again with new kitten?

Post by Familyoffive »

Hi Mollycat, thank you so much for your thoughtful and insightful reply. It's reassuring to know it's not necessarily too late!

It would also be really helpful to think through options. All the humans in the house are already very attached to the kitten and while I'm not having second thoughts I am worried I've done the wrong thing (ie put both the resident cat and kitten in an unfair situation) and feeling a little overwhelmed.

I just want both cats to be happy, even if they're never going to be best friends - but right now even that feels a huge task... so anything that helps me feel more level headed and able to make the right decisions can only be a good thing!
LaurenC18
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2021 9:08 am

Re: Help please! Is it too late to start again with new kitten?

Post by LaurenC18 »

Hi, do you have a update as to how things are going?

I rescued a kitten last week and my eldest cat is not taking it too well. She's sleeping outside most of the day but coming home for food and a quick cuddle. Just worried she won't be the same again and I've ruined the dynamic. My other cat has taken to kitten extremely well and enjoys playing with him but will definitely put him in his place when he annoys her.
Post Reply