How to stop my kitten from hissing at the new comer??

Question

I have a 7 month old ragdoll and I just brought a 3 month old ragdoll home. They are both females and the sweetest kittens... HOWEVER my 7 month old hates the kitten, hissing and swatting. She is ok if I hold the kitten and if she can lay away from the kitten and watch it play. The problem is the kitten just wants to play with the older one, and the older one will hiss and swat anytime the kitten comes up to her. We are currently keeping the kitten in her own room, my older kitten is starting to get used to the scents and is starting to sit outside the door and just watches it. Has anyone introduced 2 kittens?? Whats your advice? How long does it normally take???

Answer 1

It took about 3 months to get my two cats to fully accept my new kitten. I did exactly as you are doing. I started by introducing them slowly, let them all become familiar with each other's smells and had the kitten in the same room as the other two in a large pen so that they could see and hear him but not touch him. I did this for about a week (putting the kitten back into his own room each evening so that none of them got too stressed). Then I let them all into the same room but supervised in case a fight broke out. I pulled them apart if it got too heated but after a few encounters the adult cats started to calm down.

They all started to get used to each other but would occasionally take a swipe at the kitten or hiss at him. I just had to ride along with it, breaking up any encounters that got too angry and stressed.

Two things I found out during this:

1) My older cats were just worried they were being replaced. I had to convince them that the kitten wasn't taking their place, e.g. I made sure I fed them first and made lots of fuss of them.

2) My kitten got very stressed. Having used his litter tray fine when in isolation, he suddenly started going in all sorts of unusual places around the house (which was pretty unpleasant!). I had to help him get into some regular routines and makes lots of fuss of him too.

Basically, it might take longer than you'd hoped, but persevere and your cats will get there in the end.

Good luck :-)

Answer 2

hi i have got 2 cat both 11 years old and i have just got 2 kittens 9 weeks old my  cat was hissing at the kittens but she is coming in more now so it mit take a few week for the 7mth to get used to the 3mth. what you are doing is fine just watche the older one and have fun with the to

Answer 3

Keep doing what you are doing and having the kitten in it's own room while they are getting used to each other.  Hissing and swatting are normal as long as the swat doesn't include bloodshed.  They have to establish a pecking order - and who is the alpha cat (not always the older cat).  Once they seem comfortable with the scent of each other, put them on leashes and have one person hold the leash loosely for one cat, and you have the other (so you can pull them apart safely if they fight and draw blood).  Let them hiss and work it out, don't force them together, if they want to go separate way, let them.  Good luck!

Answer 4

Let them work it out...

It's a cat thing... sibling rivalry!  

Answer 5

we had a similar problem with our cats. there wasnt much that we could figure out to do, however i think it would be best to keep them apart for a bit so they can adjust to each other  

Answer 6

I'm pretty sure I answered this before but I will also add that the hissing may never stop completely.  I have four cats in the house and while they generally get along, there is the occasional conflict and hissing happens.  Its how they communicate.