New kitten - what do do if the older cat in the house is jelious?

Question

Please help, my adorable cat (female) is every upset because my husband brought home another kitten. I am paying a lot of attention to her and it doesn't help. My cat is becoming aggressive and upset. She eats less and she hisses at me and my husband (and at the new kitten obviously). I really want my little baby cat to feel like she is welcome and loved. We'll have to return the other kitten if the older cat doesn't go back to herself. Right now she is a very unhappy cat.
Please advise
Thank you

Answer 1

Don't worry.. Let me guess.. you've had the kitten for less than 2 weeks??

Your older cat is nott jealous or upset because you're not giving her as much attention.. she is upset because a stranger has invaded her territory. Cats are extremely territorial.. Hissing, growling, spitting, etc.. is all normal behavior.. it is also temporary... Give it time.. they'll work it out..

THe older cat may act like a bully to the kitten for awhile, she's just trying to extablish heirarchy..

Within 2 weeks you should see some improvement

as far as hissing at YOU.. this is simply because your older cat is upset and confused... She'll get over it.. Also maybe she smells the kitten on you when you go to pet her..

Give them both lots of love and attention... don't keep them separated too much (Because, obviously, to not be "strangers" anymore they have to interact)


This is completely normal behavior, and I have gone through this senareo half a dozen times. EVERY TIME the older cat and kitten end up being GOOD friends..

Just give it time.. You'll see improvement..

Answer 2

I suggest that you don't just play with the older and the younger seperately also play with them both at the same time. If your older cat gets snotty towards the younger one (hissing) when this happens either tap her in the nose or the ear gently but enough to get her attention and tell her no but do NOT let her leave the situation no matter how much she complains. I have five cats and when they had a new kitten introduced they proceeded to do the same thing, this was how I got over the obsticle. If your cat won't eat do not force her and do not get concerned about it, she will know that you are and she is getting the desired reaction from you. Stay calm, she will get hungry and give in. If she does not there is a more serious problem with the not eatting and you should take her to see a vet. Do NOT seperate them otherwise the older cat will believe that she is in charge and will still pick on the younger cat. Good luck.

Answer 3

Your older cat feels isolated because you have someone else to cuddle and play with, so therefore, jealous. Animals are very territorial. You have to give both cats their own space. Different area of food and water, different litterbox in a different area. If the older cat is angry with you, it might be because you smell like the other cat. That will take some time for her to get used to that "other cat smell." Try to keep an open & understanding mind.
If your older cat is use to sleeping on your bed at night, then do not change that. Do not move her usual eating spot. Do not, try not to move her litterbox.
Buy your older cat new cat treats and let her have her space. If she is an indoor/outdoor cat, great, so let her outside when she wants to. Before you open that door to let her outside, pet her (without holding the kitten) and talk to her with a loving voice while you have your hand on the door knob. Doing these things for a month or so, she will calm down. If she isnt fixed yet, get her spayed (fixed) and that will calm her female hormones down more.
Its the same as when you adobt a human child. You have to give the same amount of love and attention without making the other feel unloved.
~good luck

Answer 4

All cats are highly territorial and a newcomer will initially be seen as an intruder. Territory means everything to a cat. It's the source of food, shelter and love, which is why if they think that they may be in danger of losing it, their reaction can be quite hostile.

Cats rely very heavily on their sense of smell, and because the kitten won't smell familiar to your cat, this will also be unsettling to her. To minimise stress to both cats, it's best to initially confine the kitten to a separate room and let them "meet" each other by smell before you allow them to meet face to face. This gives the kitten time to pick up the "communal" scent of your home, and if she smells familiar to your cat, she won't feel quite so hostile towards the kitten. You can help by wiping a soft cloth (like a hankie) over your cat's cheeks and the wiping the cloth over the kitten.

The web articles below offer good advice and step by step instructions on how to introduce a new cat to a resident one.

http://www.tulsa-animalshelter.org/tips/intro%20cat.htm
http://messybeast.com/first-impressions.htm

Be patient, it can take up to 6 weeks for some cats to accept a newcomer. Remember to give your older cat lots of attention and affection to help reassure her. When she is well behaved or calm around the kitten, reward her with food treats as this will make her associate the kitten with good things Once your older cat reaslises that the kitten is there to be her companion and not her replacement, she will calm down.

Answer 5

Just give the older cat some time to get use to the idea that there is a new kitten in the house. It may take a while if she is use to being the only cat around, but eventually she should get use to the idea that there is another cat in the house.

Answer 6

Hi

I have just introduced a kitten to my 14yr old cat and she is not happy either, although not as extreme as your case, in fact my older cat (Smudge) is scared of the new addition (Ceefer). If it is less than one month don't even begin to worry as it can take a long time for cats to learn to at least tollerate each other.

You have 2 main areas to focus on, keeping your new kitten safe and then re-assuring your adult cat. I would make sure you never leave them together unattended as the older cat may harm kitty, also do not try and force them to be friends. At first my adult cat was out all the time and now a few weeks in she has started coming in in the evenings as I try and keep my new kitten in the lounge to give my adult cat the run of the house, it is a very slow process. I keep the kitten in the lounge room overnight, making sure he has plenty of food/water and toys to keep him busy. Once kitty is safely locked up for the night I take this opportunity to spend a little time before I sleep encouraging my adult cat to come in and be fussed. As your adult cat starts to feel more relaxed it will calm down.

Cats are rulled by scent and I would suggest that from time to time you remove the kitten from it's chosen "room of safety" and let your adult cat enter and have a sniff round. I have also purchased a plug-in Feliway diffuser..... this is a device that plugs in to an electrical socket that contains the synthetic scent hormone, which then permeates throughout the house. Each plug-in will cover an area of 50 to 70 square metres and lasts approximately four weeks. Alterations in the cat's environment such as visits to the vet, moving house, new arrivals, or nervous cats may manifest themselves as a change in behaviour such as urine marking, scratching, loss of appetite and refusal to play and interact. The diffuser helps to restore a feeling of calm in the cat. It is deffinately worth a try and can be purchased online or from your vet.

It is a very long drawn out process and you just need to be patient. Don't hold either of the cats when they come face to face, as this may make them feel as if they are trapped and make them aggressive..... Don't try and force them to be friends, they need their own space. Let them both have clearly defined "safe" areas of the house as even though they may not be face to face they will still be getting used to the each other via their scent in the house.

I hope this has helped and hang in there. :0)

Answer 7

Some cats just do not like other cats.