[dalpal]

Kitten needed home, so we took him in. Kitten is about 3 months old.

I have two older cats, both over 10. One male, who is very sweet and passive. My female is a typical "catty" cat. Loves humans, but always beat up on her male housemate.

Kitten comes in....in about two weeks, he and adult male have started getting along. I've seen them play a few times and they'll both curl up with me on the sofa.

Female....hates kitten still. Growls, hisses, runs away.

Kitten is not aggressive towards female. He will normally just sit a safe distance and stare at her, sometimes even lay down when she starts hissing, once even yawned. But doesn't invade her space.

He's a happy go lucky fellow...gets along with all the dogs and the male grown cat....but will my female ever learn to tolerate having him in the house? Is there anything I can do to help the process?

[dressagetraks]

In 2 weeks?

That's doing GREAT, from my experiences with a female ruler of the roost. As long as it's just sound effects, an occasional slap, they're doing fine. Sounds like the kitten is doing very well, too, not too upset by her. Just give her time. It took ONE YEAR for HRH Rosalind (supreme ruler of the house) to accept the seal-point kitten I brought in to the point where she would stop hissing and growling routinely. She still voluntarily does not like to curl with her, although Tenuto, who is a bit passive aggressive, loves to find Rosalind already curled and join her. We've progressed from Rosalind throwing Tenuto down when this happens to Rosalind just looking peeved. HRH to this day still curses at the dog and sometimes tries to prong her, which is funny since the dog is a BMD, a walking bearskin rug, and cannot feel pronging. But I got the dog in November 2009. Everybody else loves the dog and curls up. We have peace in the house, but still with occasional sound effects.

Some cats just have more bluster and hiss in them than others, and 2 weeks is a very short time for such a cat to adjust to a new kitten.

Just give it time. Good thing the kitten has a more accepting buddy around for companionship in the meantime.

[dalpal]

Cool..thank you. I've added dogs in the past...but this is my first cat. All new to me.

[M.K.Smith]

My older female despised the addition of the barn cats to the household to her grave. She didn't fight with them, but was clearly offended by their presence. They'd try to be nice to her and she'd turn her nose up and ignore them or leave.

[Zu Zu]

More time ` this too will pass...

When you are just about to give up ~~ thinking the "bickering" will never stop then

you will find them curled up together sleeping..

sometimes it takes a scarey thing like the vaccum to make them realize they are "all in this together" !! and they CAN get along !

[Daventry]

sometimes it takes a scarey thing like the vaccum to make them realize they are "all in this together" !! and they CAN get along !

Yep, I agree. We introduced a new kitten a few years ago - our male and female were in their early teens, and it took a long time for them to become friends. As long as the female isn't getting aggressive and hurting the kitten, you will be fine (she's just politely telling him to stay out of her way!)

[lcw579]

My older female despised the addition of the barn cats to the household to her grave. She didn't fight with them, but was clearly offended by their presence. They'd try to be nice to her and she'd turn her nose up and ignore them or leave.

Our Queen Cat hates the new dog. He's been here for 5 years. She tolerates one of the new cats (he's been here 3 years) and will allow him to sleep on the same bed with her. The other new cat (2years) who rolls around on the floor making eyes at her and tries so hard to get on her good side? She looks at him with disdain and walks away.

[danceronice]

It's taken Marcus a little over a year to decide that he doesn't have to snarl at Sundae (the littlest barn cat now indoor cat) every time she comes within three feet of him. They're not best buds, but they're okay with each other. So at two weeks, I would not be worried yet, provided it's not kitty World War III.

[Laurierace]

My cats have hated each other from day one. The generally avoid each other or stay as far away as possible from the other if they must be in the same room. They never fight but there is occasional growls and hisses if one surprises the other by coming too close.

[ravenclaw]

I have 6 cats (all indoor/outdoor). Whenever a new one comes into the mix, the kitty apple cart always gets turned over and it takes a while for things to settle.

I have noticed that the length of time might have something to do with the energy/personality of the new cat. One of our cats was very insecure when he first came and he had some inappropriate social skills. All my other cats HATED him at first. For a long time, there was growling, hissing, him being chased up a tree, and minor spats several times every day. It took a good 6 months for the others to be OK with him and for things to settle down. Then another cat came who has always had a very good personality...laid-back and sweet and confident but not aggressive. The other cats were all fine with him within a couple of weeks.

Just give it more time. They'll figure it out and everything will be fine. The girl kitty may never love the new kitten, but if nothing else they'll learn how to co-exist.

[RedMare01]

Also agree that you're doing great for two weeks.

I call it the kitty version of the Cold War. My female, the oldest, has been waging it against her two younger brothers for years. She tolerates them most of the time, but there is still occasional growling (youngest one is almost two). And heaven forbid one of them tries to touch her or sleep next to her. The Cold War gets a little warmer then!

Caitlin

[appychik]

Yep, I'd give a few more weeks to months. I added a new kitty to our established "herd" (aka 2 7yr old female cats + 1 9yr old dog) back in August. It took MONTHS for the one female to accept the kitty. And of course the other female is so laidback, she never installed any manners on the kitty.

Now, everyone gets along fairly well. The dog LOVES his kitties and they all adore him too. The kitty still has absolutely NO manners and continues to harass the two females (the kitty herself is a female as well), but at least we don't get too much hissing anymore.

Nothing bothered me more when I worked at the vet clinic, then a family getting a new pet and then getting rid of the old one because it didn't like the new one. Give them TIME. And make sure they have the space to escape one another. We still lock up Gizzi (the kitty) every night in a separate place away from the other two girls. They need their "anti-Gizzi" time just as much as she needs to be away from them.

[kristinq]

sometimes it takes a scarey thing like the vaccum to make them realize they are "all in this together" !! and they CAN get along !

Haha! Now, I just have images of dalpal frantically chasing the kittehs around with a vacuum. Haha!