I have a 4mnth old female kitten (molly) and have just bought home a 9 week old male kitten (max). Molly started off hissing and growling at Max so i placed Max in his own room where he has his own litter tray, food, water, bed and toys. Molly was very curious and began sniffing through the crack of the door and hissing the hissing stopped after a few hours and she would just sit there and sniff so i put Max into a carry case and placed him the lounge Molly went up to the cage and sniffed starting hissing and growling the next day i followed the same routine the hissing and growling stopped when Max was in the cage, so i let him out for a while fully supervised the growling as completley stopped now but molly is still hissing and occasionally swipes at Max and has pounced on him once so i took Max back to his room. I have never shouted at Molly i show her alot of attention and praise her with treats when she stops hissing Max but i dont no what to do about the swiping when Max is out will molly hurt him or is it just playing. Max doesnt seem too bothered he isnt scared of molly and still tries to get near her and i have never heard me yell in pain or growl so im not sure what to do. Any advice please.
Daily Kitten Chat Forum » Cats & Kittens
introducing a kitten to my other kitten
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You are introducing them slowly which is good. If you use lotion or perfume rub some on your hands then pet each cat.. they will both have your "scent". Hissing and growling is normal and it takes some cats a bit more time.. I'll bet they will be buddies real soon! :)
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I agree with the last poster. Wise advice.
Posted 2 years ago by katzenmother #
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You are doing the right steps but you are doing them just a little too quickly. Molly has been the 'only child' for a couple of months and it will just take a little longer for her to accept Max. Give her a week and they should be fine.
Posted 2 years ago by CheetahBoysmommy #
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Well it's been ten days in our house since I brought tiny sumi home, and miso's hissing has only abated very slightly. She still spits at the bedroom door where sumi is installed, as she passes by. I am now feeding miso and sumi at the same time, either side of the door, though miso only reluctantly approaches her bowl. However, we have got to the stage of miso sniffing sumi's scent on various items, and not going into a spasm of rage. I also open sumi's door a tiny crack while the two girls are eating, and sometimes miso hisses, sometimes not. Last night I picked sumi up and miso saw, so I let her watch her. She did so intently, without hissing. I have also left sumi's room open, while I have her safely out of it, but miso doesn't want to go in. So, I've brought her in, protesting of course, and she's examined everything. Its slow, slow, slow, but I remain hopeful.....How are things with molly and max now?
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Hi Pud, welcome to TDK! - another UK poster, hurrah!
You're doing all the right things, there's no timescale to these introductions, they can get along instantly or it can take a while - as Eleniki above can testify!
Keep going exactly as you are, and don't under estimate the power of treats - most cats will eat together without hssing if the temptation is great enough, and that helps them understand that the other cat isn't a threat.
When we first introduced Eric into the house, one of our other cats - Pickle - hated him. Absolutely HATED him. They're now best buddies, and rarely found apart. Hope this gives you some confidence! :o)
Posted 2 years ago by MadcatwomanintheUK #
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Hi Eleniki - yes, Pickle's a girl. It wasn't too long before we could leave them, as they just each departed to their own corner of the house (I'm including Pickle's sister Button - her in the avator - in this) - but it was a good 3-4 weeks before the hissing stopped. Eric is still not Button's favourite thing, but they sleep by each other on our bed every night (as does Pickle - not much room for humans!!), and are fine when we're at work during the day. Have faith!!
Posted 2 years ago by MadcatwomanintheUK #
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Cool, that is such good news. As I post, miso is sitting staring full on at poor little sumi, who I have in her carrier for a visit to the big world of the House Outside Her Room. I'm not giving in on this one - miso thinks if she keeps up the aggression, sumi will go away, like the last poor kitty I tried to home with her in January. But she was an adult, older and much bigger than miso at that time. I thought it would be fairer on miso to get a tiny kitten - less threatening. Although she still seems to find her a threat...
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Tuna, tuna and more tuna - and a Feliway diffuser, very good for relaxing anxious and stressed out cats. Give it a few days and try playing iwth them together too - they may unite against the great Tickler enemy!
Posted 2 years ago by MadcatwomanintheUK #
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Pud, any news on molly and max's peace process? In our house it's slow. It's been over 2 weeks now since I brought sumi home, and miso is now at the stage of eating her dinner on the other side of the barricade I have set up at the door of sumi's safe room. I can open the door, as long as both girls are eating, and miso doesn't mind too much, just the odd hiss in sumi's direction. Sumi has now learnt to hiss back of course - she has a good teacher! But miso seems mellower. She allows sumi to play, as near as 2 feet or so away from her, without hissing too much, but I have to be 'corralling' sumi, otherwise she'd dance up to miso, and probably get swiped to kingdom come. Miso even had a sniff at sumi's tail, with me holding sumi, and miso being carefully monitored. But it really is one step forward, 2 backwards. You think 'oh great, we've made a quantum leap forward this evening', only to be plunged back into despair the following morning. But for all that, I really do believe they will be playing together in another 2 weeks or so. Sumi's scent seems to have finally become part of miso's surround smells, and she doesn't hiss at us when she sniffs our hands anymore. Would love to hear your progress.
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Ok, really huge step forward this evening. Miso was asleep and I brought a sleepy sumi right up to her face, slowly, while shielding miso's front paws in case of a swipe. Miso did nothing, just stuck her tongue out!! Then the two girls sniffed each other's faces!! You have no idea how amazing that was, after 17 days of WAR!! Then cheeky little sumi put a paw up to miso's big black face......and miso just opened her mouth in a slightly dazed sort of way. Her tongue was still out - it looked hilarious! This went on for minutes - but sumi was getting a bit cocky, so I removed her from potential harm's way. But I feel so great! I would not have believed this possible even 3 days ago. To anyone who is feeling pessimistic and worried about integrating two females, one of whom is extremely territorial - don't give up! It really does now look like it will work!
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Just to report, that against all hope, miso and sumi are now playing together. I just can't tell you how amazing this is, and how relieved we are, and delighted. It gets a bit rough sometimes (on sumi's part, not miso's - miso is a big scaredy cat and tiny sumi bullies her like crazy) but today, another first - they fell asleep on the back of the sofa together. It took one month - a whole month of perseverance and set-backs, worry and aggression - but we made it!! Two females, one very territorial and a bit neurotic, and the other only 6 weeks old when she arrived, very confident and bossy, and now I just know they're going to be the best of friends. Never say never!!!!
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