My cats dislike the new kitten, what can I do?

Question

I recently brought a stray kitten home with me and right away, my current cats disliked him. One hissed at him, the other two just ignore him. One stayed out for 2 straight days, they are all still eating, their behavior has just changed so much.

Anyone have a solution to this problem?

Or should I just give them some time to get used to him?

Answer 1

Give it time. It is suggested (and I've found it to be true with me) that when you bring a new cat home, separate it from the others for a few days then slowly introduce the new cat to the other cats while giving the old cats lots of love and treats. Cats are territorial and don't like change. I'd give it at least two weeks, if not a month before you expect to see any real progress. If you don't see things calming down a little after two months, I'd look into things like Feliway or Bach's Rescue Remedy. It can take up to eight months for cats to fully adjust to each other according to one animal behaviorist. It took my first and second cat nine months. It took my second and third cat two months and my first and third were immediately fine with each other. Good Luck.

Answer 2

If they are not attcking the kitten, this is already a huge step. I brought home a kitten a few months ago, and my cat looked like he was trying to kill it. I kept them apart for a while, just fed them together, to associate each other's presence with food. The kitten just loved my cat, and accepted his aggression. So after 1 month my cat loved it too, and now they are really in love, I mean they sleep together, groom each other, etc. After that, I brought home a second kitten. The 2 kittens became pals, but my cat and the new kitten never got along (they ignore each other). Every cat has his own personality, and relations between them are personnal. They will get used to the new kitten, but they will not necessarily all become pals. Just make sure to introduce it gradually and keep them all satisfied, so that they don't chase it away or run away. Make sure to keep them inside, especially the new comer, for at least a month or two. And neutering helps things.

Answer 3

We have had, probably, 25 cats in the 15 years that we have been married. We currently have 3 (all females). Believe me when I tell you that the other cats WILL get used to the new kitten. Cats can get their noses bent out of shape really easily, especially if they believed that they were the center of the universe in your home. Our current cats are 12, 4, and 2. When we got our last kitten (the 2 year old) the fur REALLY flew when we brought her home! The other cats treated her like she had the plague or something! It took a lot of time and patience, but now, 2 years later, I am very happy to report that they all get along fabulously! They have figured out their own "pecking order" and they stick to it. They all eat together out of a communal bowl of dry food we put on the counter for them every day and they even share the same litter box. They sleep together and bathe one another. Sure, there are occasional scuffles when one will hiss at the other or bat at the other cat with her paws, but nothing serious. It's adorable to watch them when they chase each other and play! We have a deck off the back of our house with several patio chairs on it. Each cat has picked a chair to be "hers" and absoulutely WILL NOT get up in one of the other chairs. If you pick her up to put her on a chair she knows is not hers, she will immediately jump off and go to her own.

Answer 4

My cat did the same thing when we brought my kitten home. For the first few days, my cat didn't really know what to do with him and ran away from him, but now they are good friends and I think she would be heartbroken if he ever left. Just give it time, believe me, if it's a kitten, the older cats are much more likely to accept it than if it had been another adult.

Answer 5

I had the same thing happen when i brought home a new kitty....my one cat hissed and swatted at the kitten everytime it came up to her....the other cat played ignored it till the kitten started to play with it and then before i knew it everyone was getting along fine....Just give it time and make sure not to 'baby' or 'pamper' you new kitten anymore then the other cats...

Answer 6

Yeah, I believe time is the best remedy. They just need to adjust to the change. Cats don't like change, so it will take a little while to get used to the new addition. Be sure to reassure the ones already there that they are still loved by you by giving them plenty of attention, but also let them see you paying attention to the new little one too, so they can sense his acceptance by you, their leader. They should calm down and be back into their comfortable routine before too long. Your cats' behavior is completely normal and is all part of establishing the "pecking order" in the group. Good luck!

Answer 7

Give them time to adjust to a new body in house.
My oldest took no notice of my Birman Kitten, but my 2nd oldest hated the Kitten, and would hiss ect at him, also it was his way of showing he is last in th pecking order of him. But now my birman is 3, they tolerate 1 another. They sleep together ect, but he still wont take no messing from birman,he just growls a warning at him, if he gets in his face to much. Just giove them time to get used to the newbie and things should settled down as kitten gets older.

Answer 8

You have to give them time. Your cats believe your home is their territory and you just brought in some stranger. Your cats are teaching the kitten that they have sonority and deserve respect. They’ll work it out eventually.

Answer 9

Make sure you give your old cats attention too.