Older cat agression towards kitten

BumblebeeGirl

Hi all,

Does anyone have any tips in how to successfully integrate a cat and a kitten 6months)?

Kitten ended up with a bloody paw after i tried a supervised meeting last night.

The two have been kept in seperate rooms over the last 2 weeks with a glass door inbetween them so they can see each other.

Thanks.

B

SillyMangoX

Have you tried switching their bedding so they get used to each others smell?

Nody

I've just had 3 foster kittens (4, 4 and 3 months) who've gone through this with our own cats (3 year old sisters). We started with the kittens in their own room as you've done with feeding in front of the door of high quality food (wet food served once a day) to start assocciate good things with the new smell. After a bit over a week we started to close our cats in and let the kittens roam around for an hour or two to get their smell out there (before this we used to move pillows between the room that the cats were sleeping on).

After this we used a childrens door gate to let the cats see and smell each other but not properly get through to the other side and finally we started to let them being out together (supervised). There were hissing at the start from our older cats to mark limits but this was reduced over time and now our cats accept (one case) and play (second cat) with the kittens.

This over all took about a month but you need to move at the speed of the cats; it can be done faster and it can take longer. Another thing you should look at is playing with something like da bird when they are together to distract them or feeding them in the same room. If you see one cat getting ready to go for the other go in with a blanket/sheet of wallpaper to break the eye contact.

BumblebeeGirl

Thanks for replies.

I have switched them afew times. When the older cat goes out I let the kitten into her room, the cat has access to the kittens toys and safe room at night as the kitten sleeps with me. The cat initially played with her toys but then peed in her tunnel! Not a good sign at all.

Do you think I should have another supervised visit or how should I proceed? The older cat played a blinder last night as she acted submissive for about 30 minutes but the second I looked away she attacked the kitten. It could have ended in a trip to the vet or worse if I had let it go on for longer.

I have had cats all my life and never had this problem :mad:

BumblebeeGirl

SillyMangoX wrote: »

Have you tried switching their bedding so they get used to each others smell?

Switch bedding? I never considered that.

Nody

I'd look at doing feeding sessions together. Put down the bowls about 2m apart in the room for a week or two (always feed your cat first) and move them closer during the second week and remove the kitten once the feeding is done. Once again the important part is to limit their interaction time so if 30 min was to much start with 15 for a week, then 20 etc.

Also peeing in the tunnel is about marking territory; our cats peed in the kittens toilet (and then all three kittens had to go in and pee themselves their to counter mark ) so I'd not be overy worried about that.

BumblebeeGirl

Sorry for the delay in replying.

I have tried feeding them together and older cat has no interest in eating when kitten is around, now the kitten is very nervous when she sees the cat so she wont eat around her either.

The cat had another go at kitty last night, she was very aggressive and wants to hurt the kitten as much as possible:(

Any other ideas??

Pumpkinseeds

We have 2 cats one is about 6 years old by our vets estimate and the other is 4. The youngest cat was a feral kitten that arrived one day and he was very nervous of us and our other cat. They won't eat together, never have and never will. The older chap has his food in one area of the kitchen and the younger chap has his on a work surface higher up. They can both see each other and it keeps them calmer knowing where the other is.

Did your other cat sleep with you in your room before you got the kitten? I'm just wondering if he feels usurped. Cats tend to have a hierarchy and if the kitten is getting more attention, which it obviously needs, as well as taking his sleeping place with you it might be making him fight to be topcat. Try to make sure you're giving the adult cat lots of fuss and reassurance.

BumblebeeGirl

The older cat is used to sleeping on the landing upstairs at night, but since the kitten has been sleeping with me we had to put cat downstairs as she was scratching and headbutting my bedroom door to get in to her.

When she sees the kitten through the glass door she doesn't react as much as she used to at the beginning, but she'll attack her whenever she gets the chance.

I understand hierarchy in cats but this isn't like a light slap or a display of dominance, she full on attacks and bites the kitten.

Pumpkinseeds

Yep they can be aggressive alright, I know from experience with my 2. Have you tried a Feliway plug in diffuser, we've found that they do make a huge difference in calming down our 2. I always know when its run out as things get a bit edgy with our older and larger chap stalking the other one for sport when he's bored:D

I know it'll be tedious to start from scratch again but it might be worth re-introducing them again.

brrabus

BumblebeeGirl wrote: »

The older cat is used to sleeping on the landing upstairs at night, but since the kitten has been sleeping with me we had to put cat downstairs as she was scratching and headbutting my bedroom door to get in to her.

When she sees the kitten through the glass door she doesn't react as much as she used to at the beginning, but she'll attack her whenever she gets the chance.

I understand hierarchy in cats but this isn't like a light slap or a display of dominance, she full on attacks and bites the kitten.

How long have you had the grown cat?? Has it always been the only cat in the house until the introduction of this new kitten. From experience, it is always harder to introduce a new kitten to a female cat, male cats if neutered are much more laid back.

Nody

Have you tried something like Feliway? Also how "escapable" is your house? As in can the kitten get away by taking alternative (higher) routes or is there only really one way to go? What about playtime with the older cat?

BumblebeeGirl

brrabus wrote: »

How long have you had the grown cat?? Has it always been the only cat in the house until the introduction of this new kitten. From experience, it is always harder to introduce a new kitten to a female cat, male cats if neutered are much more laid back.

We have the cat 8 years, we had another male cat which died about 4 years ago, so she has lived with cats before. This kitten is female though.

I currently have them completely seperated, kitten lives upstairs and cat downstairs, they can see each other through a glass door.

I haven't tried Feliway but where would I plug it in if both cats live in seperate parts of the house?

I should have added earlier, the older cat has been having problems with other cats/kittens coming into our garden since our male cat died afew years ago. He used to keep intruders out but now she is being bullied from all angles. So Im guessing she sees the kitten as one of the intruders from the garden??

BumblebeeGirl

Nody wrote: »

Have you tried something like Feliway? Also how "escapable" is your house? As in can the kitten get away by taking alternative (higher) routes or is there only really one way to go? What about playtime with the older cat?

The older cat gets brushed (long haired) and played with every night. Shes a big girl so the kitten doesn't really stand a chance of running/escaping when she attacks her.

Nody

Sounds as the older cat feels her space is being taken away from her (her territory has shrunk, there's an invader she can't get to). I'd plug it in downstairs as that were you'd like to intruduce the kitten to; also make sure they swap spaces every day for an hour or two. I'd also recommend reading through Jackson Galaxy's piece on cat to cat introduction.

BumblebeeGirl

Nody wrote: »

Sounds as the older cat feels her space is being taken away from her (her territory has shrunk, there's an invader she can't get to). I'd plug it in downstairs as that were you'd like to intruduce the kitten to; also make sure they swap spaces every day for an hour or two. I'd also recommend reading through Jackson Galaxy's piece on cat to cat introduction.

Thanks for that- what if the older cat keeps peeing on the kittens toys during the swap? That can't be good?

brrabus

BumblebeeGirl wrote: »

We have the cat 8 years, we had another male cat which died about 4 years ago, so she has lived with cats before. This kitten is female though.

I currently have them completely seperated, kitten lives upstairs and cat downstairs, they can see each other through a glass door.

I haven't tried Feliway but where would I plug it in if both cats live in seperate parts of the house?

I should have added earlier, the older cat has been having problems with other cats/kittens coming into our garden since our male cat died afew years ago. He used to keep intruders out but now she is being bullied from all angles. So Im guessing she sees the kitten as one of the intruders from the garden??

I agree with what Nody said. The cat is used to having you and the house all to itself and not its property has been invaded, by saying its property I mean both the house and you. We are just mere servants to cats, they are the masters.

BumblebeeGirl

So I switched rooms last night for around 40minutes.

Older cat sniffed around the kittens area for about 5mins but then wanted to come back into the living room where the kitten was. Shes impossible to please at the moment!

They still have no interest in eating near each other but I'll keep trying.

Pumpkinseeds

Hee hee what are we like with our moggies? They worry us silly with their little strops and foibles and then all of a sudden they'll just get on with each other, or at least tolerate each other. When they do decide to tolerate each other and you're looking at them in shock they'll give you the 'what?' look as though butter wouldn't melt. Gotta love them:D

brrabus

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Hee hee what are we like with our moggies? They worry us silly with their little strops and foibles and then all of a sudden they'll just get on with each other, or at least tolerate each other. When they do decide to tolerate each other and you're looking at them in shock they'll give you the 'what?' look as though butter wouldn't melt. Gotta love them:D

Never a truer word spoken I love my moggies, they rule my life.

Pumpkinseeds

BumblebeeGirl wrote: »

We have the cat 8 years, we had another male cat which died about 4 years ago, so she has lived with cats before. This kitten is female though.

I currently have them completely seperated, kitten lives upstairs and cat downstairs, they can see each other through a glass door.

I haven't tried Feliway but where would I plug it in if both cats live in seperate parts of the house?

I should have added earlier, the older cat has been having problems with other cats/kittens coming into our garden since our male cat died afew years ago. He used to keep intruders out but now she is being bullied from all angles. So Im guessing she sees the kitten as one of the intruders from the garden??

A Feliway plug in covers about 400 sq metres. I would really just focus on having it in an area where your older cat spends most of her time, as it sounds like she's the one that needs the most reasssurance right now. The intruder cats don't help. I know my older chap gets stressed out if we have any un-neutered toms come into our back garden and goes on patrol between the front and back door. Our younger chap just hides behind him doing the 'you go first and I'll hold your coat' bit.