Today my husband and I brought home a new, adopted kitten. She is 8 weeks old. Our current cat, who is a year and a half old and grew up with other cats until he was just shy of a year old is very aggressive and is hissing at the kitten and my husband. Luckily, he isn't aggressive towards me so I've been staying in the bedroom with him, while my husband is in the living room with our kitten. Are there any tips to speed up a "slow introduction" for these cats, as I am in the process of job hunting, and my husband commutes from another city.
By Becca H.
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I always make the kitten an extra room. It helps the kitten feel secure and it gives you time to take him around on a tour during the times you are home. I don't put the kitten down, I walk through the house like I was holding a baby and tell the kitten, this is Bruno, This is Banjo, my dogs. I have a cat that was used to being outside, a kitten, and she needed quite a while in the bathroom. I put in a litter box and small food bowl, and a small dish of water. This is her room until she feels more secure. This sometimes takes weeks. I will leave her in there anytime I do not have her out playing with her.
I also use the bathtub for baby kittens I am bottlefeeding, the bathroom is a perfect choice because it is easily cleanable.
Little by little, the animals will see each other in a non threatening way. It takes a little time. The main thing is to let the kitten know he is protected from the older cat who should never be punished for hissing alone, unless he charges the kitten.
I had one cat that turned out to be way too aggressive, and wild. I feel he was a hybrid of some type. I rehomed him, because he was in the habit of trying to scratch people's faces when you looked at him. I am sure you will find these cats will get along after a certain amount of time together. If you don't want to do this and use the bathroom as a kennel for the kitten, than you could keep them in seperate rooms or something. The thing that will happen a lot is that the older cat will stop the younger cat from eating.
Hissing is not really an aggressive act, it is an aggressive act if the older or the younger one chases another one through the house for no reason in a mad way. I always intervene here.
Also get lots of catnip and throw it around the house in different spots. The loose kind. You can go to drsfostersmith for that. Also I keep a small cat carrier in the bathroom for the kitten to go into. My latest one who is my daughter's kitten, has learned to open and close the bathroom door, so now it is obviously time for her to be out. There are hissing and wide eyes, and disgusted looks going on. She has tried to chase my older cat and I do not allow it. First I go and comfort my older cat and put him up and then I go and comfort the kitten. She is pregnant, so she is kind of overprotective. :)
I am sure this will all work out...do put pics on here if you can I would love to see your two babies~!
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