My mother took in a stray kitten (12 wk old female) and after waiting a couple weeks for possible lost kitty notices, decided to keep her.
The thing is, they already have a cat (8 yr old female)
who “owns” the house, and is understandably jealous of the kitten. (they haven’t put them together yet, but the old cat freaks when she sees the kitty through the sliding glass door.)
Any suggestions how to peacefully get the old grouchy cat to accept the young newcomer?
First introduce the older one to the scent of the other through rags and bedding the kitten has slept on. Continue with the “through the (looking)glass” exposure. Play with the kitten routinely before handling the older cat so that it begins to realize that the smell of the younger one is accompanied by desirable strokes and all that.
Otherwise, please review post title…
In many cases it is easier to introduce a kitten to an old cat than to introduce another old cat.
Cats are territorial and will protect that territory, of course, but often an older cat will tolerate a kitten. By the time the kitten becomes a cat both cats will have become familiar with each other.
Zenster has made a good suggestion with the scent approach.
Thank you for the prompt reply Zen. I didn’t think of the scent thing, could work. And also, thanks for the laugh, I realized the opening I gave after I hit submit. Dangit!
I will email mom your reply. She is elderly, and likes the stuff I send her from “Those Internet people”
Old cat and new cat?? What am I missing?
You have quite a challenge ahead of you. Generally, it is a bad idea to introduce a kitten to household dominated by a cat older then 7-8 years, especially if the older cat is female. Cats are not pack animals.
I’ve mixed a stray kitten and my own adopted kitten with my wife’s older cats before we got married, and since cats are not pack animals, they generally have no sypmathy for kittens. My wife’s 5 yo male was a good sport about it, but her 3 yo female totally went into manic depression in both cases. And, ironically enough, when my cat became older, I took in a stray baby for a night, and HE fucked with the little guy!
But I’ll throw a few suggestions to you anyway:
1.When introducing the kitten, it’s a good idea to put the little sucker in a seperate room or part of the house or room, if you can (it looks like you are doing this now). Slowly let the newcomer wander around a bigger and bigger territory. This way you are not violating the older cat’s territory so abruptly, and a slower transition can occur.
2.If the older cat hisses or attacks the kitten, don’t interfere unless the kitten is seriouisly getting hurt. This allows the older tabby to establish her dominance. Hopefully when she makes her point, she will tolerate and hopefully befriend the youngster.
Hope this helps!
From an article I read:
Cat-to-Cat Introductions
1.Cats that grew up around other cats usually adjust more easily to a new feline housemate. Confine the first pet to one part of the house while the new pet explores the rest. Then switch their territories. This allows each to become familiar with the other’s presence and allows the newcomer
to locate places to hide if conflict occurs.
2.After a few days, place the new cat in a carrier and let the original cat discover the newcomer on its own. Note how they react to one another. When you decide to let both have freedom in the entire house, maintain two litterboxes and feeding areas to prevent one from guarding these resources from the other.
3.Spend ample time with your original pet alone so that it does not become jealous of the new pet.
4.Let the pets set their own pace and ease into a relationship. Do not force them together. They may take two or three months to come to an understanding. If things aren’t progressing as you’d like, consult your veterinarian.
Oh, and be sure both are spayed or neutered. This helps prevent aggression and spraying. My older female still hates the two male kittens I brought into the home, but it still works. It took a little while for everyone to settle down. They occasionally squabble, but it is nothing big. But then again, she hates every other animal she has ever met, except me. I adore her.
“Red Cat and Blue Cat”?
Dr. Suess.
Ya gotta love him. 