how do i get my cats to like eachother?

Question

i just adopted a female kitten who ive been trying to introduce to my resident cat (female, 2 years old) for the last 2 weeks. i've followed all the steps ( keeping them isolated for a week, interchanging smells etc) but even still, whenever my resident cat sees the kitten, she hisses and makes a high pitched noise. im afraid they'll never like eachother and ill have to give the kitten back.

Answer 1

you'll never be able to make a cat do anything....if they don't like each other, they'll simply avoid each other (for the most part)

Answer 2

Hissing is normal, will your resident attack the kitten is the concern. My old cat hissed at the new member, but never attacked it. Eventually they became best buddies. Since it's been two weeks, at this point, I join them together, with you present and see how it goes.

One important note, the new kitten is not as important as your resident cat's possesiveness, do not show a lot of affection for the new kitten until they're closer, or do this in separate rooms. Jealousy could be the cause of aggression. When I got my new cat, I only petted it when the other cat was out of the room, so my cat never felt threatened either.

Don't leave them alone until you're secure that they'll get along.

Last suggestion, have separate pet food dishes, in two different areas. If your resident cat hogs the food, you might have to feed them seperately for awhile. I had to do this.

Best wishes! :)

Answer 3

Well you are doing good so far, letting them exchange smells at times. And here is one thing on having two female cats in the same household, well females are very territorial than males and the resident cat is probably hissing because she is trying to tell the kitten it is her house. A good way to let them get to know each other more, is to put some corn syrup on both of their backs, just rub it in because it not harmful to them or their fur at all, and let them smell each others fur and that will make them see that they smell the same and so they are the same. It will make them think they are the same. They will decrease the hissing or any fighting if so. But you can't STOP the fighting, always remember that. As they grow they will get used to each other. ( this same exact thing happened to me. They get along with each other more now. They even were very violent with each other, but now they are well. )

Answer 4

Wow, I never heard about the vanilla thing!

When my big tom met new kitties, he hissed at them for a while then he cleaned their ears and protected them from the neighborhood tuffs.

Don't worry so much and try to micro manage all the inter (or is it intra) feline activity. Just give them the same space and a little time to get use to each other. Cats like other cats, the hissing may be just to establish dominance.

Just make sure they don't hurt each other badly. Think of the covens of female cat that live at the Roman Coliseum, they share babysitting duties. Female cats are especially communal.

Answer 5

Put the 2 year old into a kennel cab so that she can't hurt the kitten. Kittens are usually curious so she will probably go near the crate and take a whiff if the strange animal inside of it! If it works better, then you should switch. ( kitten in crate) This will get them used to each other so they will be more comfortable around each other. Do this every day until they don't really care about each other anymore. Then, you should see how they do out of the crate.

Answer 6

I don't know that you can. I have a cat that I spoiled and got one cat 9 months later and they get along fine. But we adpoted a stray over a year later and the first and third cat hiss at each other all the time. Luckily my first cat is an outside cat so they don't often pass. BUT my advice to you is that cats have their own personalities. It could just take time and aging for the kitten-- or it might not ever be a good match. Sorry that's probably not what you want to hear.

Answer 7

DON'T TAKE NEW KITTY BACK! That isn't fair to kitty. I have a 7 year old female Kitten who absolutely hates other cats. But we let a stray move in and after a while she got over it. She still hisses and carries on like she's running the place, but the new kitty knows his place and they at least can live together. Just show them equal attention and stuff, just like you already read about.

Answer 8

Some cats take a bit longer to come around to accepting another pet in the "den." My advice is to do the steps all over again:
1. separate them (confine new kitty in one room).
2. periodically change their positions; i.e., old cat confined in the room and new cat outside of that room
3. let then together after a few days under strict supervision.
etc...

Alternatively, you can confine the kitten in a cat carrier while your old cat sniffs and examines her. There will be a lot of hissy-pissy but as your old cat realizes that the new cat is no threat, shell come to first tolerate her presence and then to full acceptance. It just takes time.

They will eventually accept each other, you know.

Answer 9

It seems that the cat you already have doesn't want to give up her place as the only cat in the house. Perhaps you should just let the cats stay together while you supervise. Or you should take the kitten back. That's all I can tell you.

Answer 10

Feliway and Comfort Zone...it's the friendly cat hormone

Feliway has been proven to be effective for:
* controlling urine spraying
* controlling urination outside of the litter box
* calming multi cat households
* ending or lessening fighting
* reducing cat's anxiety, stress, anger, fear
* deterring scratching of furniture

Comfort Zone

* Ideal for calming fighting felines
* Reduces anxiety, stress, anger or fear
* The friendly scent makes cats happy

Answer 11

I've heard to put a drop of vanilla extract on both the cats neck and under both of their tails. Once they realize they smell alike they should be friends. I've never tried it personally but I heard it works. Good luck.