Hi everyone! I have a neutered male Siamese mix, about two years old, who has been with me since January and is very sweet. When he was at the shelter, he was housed with other cats and they recommended eventually getting a feline friend for him. That wasn't possible until the beginning of this month, when I moved. Last Tuesday, I brought home an approximately eight month old female spayed kitten who is very small for her age. I did a slow introduction, keeping the kitten in a separate room and initially blocking her from the resident cat's sight. The door separating them is glass, so after a couple of days I took away the cardboard that was blocking the glass so they could see each other. My older boy seemed curious but very cautious, while the kitten was so interested in meeting him.
I had a few play sessions with them in the kitten's room yesterday and those went fairly well; the kitten was very engaged in playing, while my older cat was mostly sniffing around or watching her. A couple of times, she came over to him and he swatted at her a little bit but seemed more curious than aggressive. He also chased her around a couple of times and batted at her, but didn't growl/hiss, didn't have his ears flat back, etc.
Today, we opened the door between his space and her space and let them wander for a while. He mostly slept in her room while she explored his room, but he eventually came back into his room and started swatting at her again. I thought it looked more curious than anything else, but she suddenly seemed fed up and started hissing, ears back, whenever he came too close. He also tried to bite her tail once when she climbed onto his cat tower. I separated them at this point and they've been sleeping in their rooms since. She seemed like she really wanted to meet him before but now seems more cautious/defensive.
Sorry this has gotten pretty long, but does anyone have any thoughts/advice on how to make sure they get along and neither feels threatened? I know it's not as bad as some people's cat introductions, but I'm having trouble telling what's play and what's fighting, if the kitten feels like she's being bullied, if the older cat sees her as a toy, etc. Any help would be much appreciated!
New kitten hissing at resident cat
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Mollycat
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Re: New kitten hissing at resident cat
Early days, and hissing isn't such a big drama as we humans like to think. Hissing isn't really all that aggressive, it's just expressing an opinion or sentiment, mostly it means "don't get any closer because I'm not comfortable and if you push me I could lash out".
Wanting to meet and curiosity from behind the safety of a screen is one thing, being in the same space is another level. I would take it easy and give them more time behind the glass, then let them sniff with the door slightly open but not free wandering, then progress to being in the same space for a limited time and supervised. The longer you have them be comfortable with every step, the more solid their friendship is likely to be.
The little one is 8 months and spayed? What do you know of her history? eg picked up as a stray, left mother for the first time, or was she homed as a kitten and now been given up? Any idea what kind of household she came from or why she has been given up?
Wanting to meet and curiosity from behind the safety of a screen is one thing, being in the same space is another level. I would take it easy and give them more time behind the glass, then let them sniff with the door slightly open but not free wandering, then progress to being in the same space for a limited time and supervised. The longer you have them be comfortable with every step, the more solid their friendship is likely to be.
The little one is 8 months and spayed? What do you know of her history? eg picked up as a stray, left mother for the first time, or was she homed as a kitten and now been given up? Any idea what kind of household she came from or why she has been given up?
Re: New kitten hissing at resident cat
I'll definitely try the sniffing through the slightly open door and see if that lets them smell without the swiping.
The rescue estimates she's 8 months, and she was spayed last month. The original owners apparently said she's older than that, but she's tiny even for 8 months, so it seemed more likely they just weren't keeping track of all their cats well. She came from a hoarding situation; I don't know a lot of the details but they had a lot of intact cats who were probably all related. She's almost certainly a product of incest; she was born with a deformed hind leg that was amputated a couple weeks ago (she couldn't really use it much anyway, so she's adjusted very well).
My boy is also missing a hind leg, although his was amputated for a severe fracture that couldn't be repaired. Don't know much about how that happened or what his history was, he was found limping around in a parking lot.
She is very outgoing and friendly; he's a little bit more timid but not overly shy.
The rescue estimates she's 8 months, and she was spayed last month. The original owners apparently said she's older than that, but she's tiny even for 8 months, so it seemed more likely they just weren't keeping track of all their cats well. She came from a hoarding situation; I don't know a lot of the details but they had a lot of intact cats who were probably all related. She's almost certainly a product of incest; she was born with a deformed hind leg that was amputated a couple weeks ago (she couldn't really use it much anyway, so she's adjusted very well).
My boy is also missing a hind leg, although his was amputated for a severe fracture that couldn't be repaired. Don't know much about how that happened or what his history was, he was found limping around in a parking lot.
She is very outgoing and friendly; he's a little bit more timid but not overly shy.
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Mollycat
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Re: New kitten hissing at resident cat
Two cats six legs, a pair of tripods, love it.
Ok so if Madam was from a hoarding situation she's likely been used to less than ideal human socialisation, still playful but learning how to play with a human? Knows how to stand up for herself around other cats and not afraid to step out of line, whereas he having been an only cat is probably quite keen to put her in her place - I can see a little purrsonality clash potential there. She could also be a little more insecure even though she didn't have much use of the leg before and really want to emphasise to anyone who will listen that she's not to be bullied or messed with?
I'm interested in your 8 month old kitten because my girl who I took on at 6 years old following a breakup in her home, has some big issues dating back pre her first rescue aged 9 months. All I knew was it was a loud and chaotic kind of home. I believe I have figured out a lot more about it since, and I'm always interested to learn more about how the cat's mind works and how early experience forms the adult cat.
Ok so if Madam was from a hoarding situation she's likely been used to less than ideal human socialisation, still playful but learning how to play with a human? Knows how to stand up for herself around other cats and not afraid to step out of line, whereas he having been an only cat is probably quite keen to put her in her place - I can see a little purrsonality clash potential there. She could also be a little more insecure even though she didn't have much use of the leg before and really want to emphasise to anyone who will listen that she's not to be bullied or messed with?
I'm interested in your 8 month old kitten because my girl who I took on at 6 years old following a breakup in her home, has some big issues dating back pre her first rescue aged 9 months. All I knew was it was a loud and chaotic kind of home. I believe I have figured out a lot more about it since, and I'm always interested to learn more about how the cat's mind works and how early experience forms the adult cat.
Re: New kitten hissing at resident cat
Haha, I love my little tripod pack.
She's definitely pretty attention and comfort seeking with people; she immediately climbs into your lap if you sit on the floor, so seems like she's excited to finally have personal human attention. She definitely seems like a "queen of the house" kind of cat so I think I agree with your assessment of trying to tell him not to mess with her.
We've actually had some more positive interactions; they've been able to be around each other without constantly staring and have booped noses a couple of times, although older kitty still gives her a little whack if she gets too in her personal space, but I haven't heard her hiss at all today. Older boy seems to be trying to play with her but sometimes seems to see her more as a toy than a playmate and comes on a little strong at times, and she just runs away. But, neither seems really freaked out by the other anymore, so I think we're making progress!
Aww, sorry for your girl's issues. My girl doesn't really seem to have many negative mental/emotional issues yet (although it's only been a week), but I could see how her bold personality could tie into her past, and she does like to be around my boyfriend and me whenever possible, so may have some separation issues. Honestly my boy seems a little more affected by his past, definitely more timid with strangers and has some separation anxiety.
She's definitely pretty attention and comfort seeking with people; she immediately climbs into your lap if you sit on the floor, so seems like she's excited to finally have personal human attention. She definitely seems like a "queen of the house" kind of cat so I think I agree with your assessment of trying to tell him not to mess with her.
We've actually had some more positive interactions; they've been able to be around each other without constantly staring and have booped noses a couple of times, although older kitty still gives her a little whack if she gets too in her personal space, but I haven't heard her hiss at all today. Older boy seems to be trying to play with her but sometimes seems to see her more as a toy than a playmate and comes on a little strong at times, and she just runs away. But, neither seems really freaked out by the other anymore, so I think we're making progress!
Aww, sorry for your girl's issues. My girl doesn't really seem to have many negative mental/emotional issues yet (although it's only been a week), but I could see how her bold personality could tie into her past, and she does like to be around my boyfriend and me whenever possible, so may have some separation issues. Honestly my boy seems a little more affected by his past, definitely more timid with strangers and has some separation anxiety.