i think i need a cat whisperer!

[Haute Couturess]

i have the cutest new little kitten Twinkle who is a scottish fold. I have an older cat that is a boy, he is about six? and i thought because he is so affectionate and loving he would love to have a kitty to play with since his old playmate is getting over the hill and may not last too much longer.

problem is, he is not getting along at all, he keeps hissing at the little kitty who is so sweet and it is killing me! i have tried petting them both down on the floor, making nice with the older cat so he knows he is not being replaced, giving cat treats and special food when the kitty is around so the older cat associates him with good things coming out....i feel i have tried everything.
i wonder if this has to do with the other cat being neutered and my new kitty still having his cujones? they will be gone soon though, he is going to the vet next week.

where do i find a cat whisperer?

 

[vanojr9]

I don't want to bum you out at all, but I had the same problem (introduced old cat to new cat and they did not get along!) and I consulted my vet, the humane society, everyone I could think of on the topic, and everyone told me that certain cats just won't get along together. If you've got enough space (a big house) that they can basically stay away from each other, it can work out ok, but they may never like each other. I had to find a new home for the new kitty finally because I came home to a bloody older kitty after a particularly bad fight (the older is declawed and the younger was not). But I also lived in a small apartment where they couldn't get away from each other! The neutering could really help, and hopefully they will eventually tolerate each other, but I don't know that there's much else that you can do. Making sure both either have claws or are declawed could help too though. Maybe once the new kitten gets a bit bigger the older cat won't feel as inclined to pick on it too.

 

[invisicat]

Your problem may very well stem from the younger one being intact. The older cat may see him as a threat to his masculinity. Since you have to wait until males are a certain age to get neutered, it sounds like you may have a problem. The only thing you can do is what you have been doing--make sure you give the established cat lots of attention. It may just take some time. Good luck.

 

[Blue824]

Introducing cats to each other isn't simple... you can't just stick them in the same room and be like here, get along! It is a process... you need to keep them separate at first... and then have short periods of time when they're together supervised. The periods slowly get long and longer. There is hissing, there maybe be some swatting, stay out of it unless it gets REALLY bad... this is what they do. Cats are territorial and they don't just welcome someone new. Take it slow with them, and hopefully they'll learn to tolerate each other... and the best case scenario is that they're awesome friends... but that doesn't always happen.

I've always had multiple cats pretty much since I first have had cats. The last introduction was about 5 years ago. My other two learned to tolerate him, but were never super friendly. There were rough moments. The eldest recently passed away and now the 8 year old and the 5 year old are great friends. Lol, it just took 5 years for them to really like each other

Anyway, just give it time. Good luck with it all!

ETA: I would definitely not leave them alone together while you are not at least in the house until you are perfectly sure they are comfortable wtih each other. Just for reference... I think the last time it took us a good month before we let them stay together without anyone being home. Or else there really might be a bad problem, like with vanjour's kitty.

 

[Tibu]

I hope everything works itself out for you and your kitties. I love Scottish Folds! Introducing a new kitty can be really tough. My mom had some serious fighting going on between her cats and she now swears by the book Cat vs. Cat: Keeping Peace When You Have More Than One Cat by Pam Johnson-Bennett. The author is a cat behaviorist. It might be worth checking out.

 

[la miss]

Cats are like realy little mule-headed people with fur and four legs. No advice here, as I can't even control my own cat - who is a holy terror! Perhaps they will get along better with time?

 

[Haute Couturess]

wow thanks for all the suggestions! neuter day is very soon so that should help...big kitty keeps trying to sniff junior's rear lol so that is probably a big sign! they do eat next to each other peacefully so it is not that bad, i can see that twinkle wants to play and snuggle and is smart enough to know not to cross big kitty's path right now. my other cats sort of behaved this way growing up whenever a new one came into the house but eventually we were all one happy family! so it will probably be, i wish it would be sooner!!! lol. thank you!

 

[madamefifi]

I hope everything works itself out for you and your kitties. I love Scottish Folds! Introducing a new kitty can be really tough. My mom had some serious fighting going on between her cats and she now swears by the book Cat vs. Cat: Keeping Peace When You Have More Than One Cat by Pam Johnson-Bennett. The author is a cat behaviorist. It might be worth checking out.

This book ROCKS!! I read it last year prior to getting two new kitties (we had 6 already) and it was a lifesaver for everyone involved! The transition from a 6 cat to 8 cat household went off virtually without a hitch.