We have an 8 year old female cat and brought home a 3 month old male kitten. We put the kitten in a separate room to start out. I rubbed each with a rag to get the scent and place the kitten's rag in my cat's favorite spot and the same with the cat's rag for the kitten. After a week we let the older cat see the kitten for a few seconds and continually increased the exposure.
Normally it is a good idea to bring home an animal of the opposite sex like you have done. Your first cat is feeling like you don't love her anymore because there is a new cat in your home. I would suggest paying a lot of attention to your first cat. Give her extra love and praise all the time. When she is mean to the baby cat, pick him up and say "oh my poor baby, are you OK". Tell your other cat, he is only a baby and it isn't nice to hit him.
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How do I get my older cat to like my kitten? I have 2 older cats. The male has taken to her, but the female won't. She bites her, cut her, and keeps swiping her.
I really don't want to get rid of of the kitten as she's settled in apart from a few blips. Can anyone give me any ideas on what to do?The older cat is jealous. Give her extra attention. Give each cat a blanket with the others scent. This will help them become accustomed to each other.
One of my cat sitting families was never able to get the fur kids to play nice so a gate went up and the upstairs and downstairs cats came to be with separate food, litter, and snuggle times, never to meet on the same side.
This was the best solution after trying everything from positive feedback to pheramones to calm the crazy girl. It works for them!
Prayers that you find a happy solution for all!
This seems like pretty normal behavior. Male cats are always happy to have another female, the females not so much.You should expect hissing scratching etc for a month or two. As long as the kitten is not traumatized and is not being physically hurt (aside from a few scratches) thing generally calm down. After 2 to 3 months they will have worked things out.
You can also try brushing the new cat and then use the same brush on the older cat. Cats' fur emits pheromones in the dander and by putting one cat's scent on the brush and then brushing the other cat it may help them to accept one another.
My Vet recommended this to me, and it works, but takes a few weeks.
