# New kitten...jealous cat?



## hobbes the cat (Sep 27, 2005)

We just got a new 4 month old kitten. Our 1 year old resident cat has recently stopped growling and hissing at her and has started to play and chase her around. However, anytime somone pets him and the new kitten comes close he growls and hisses at her. I'm not understanding his behavior, considering that he is coming around to her and playing. 

Can anyone tell me if this can be changed and what can we do?


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

This too shall pass  Yes, I think they do get jealous. An they sure let you know! When I got my kitten, even after they were buddies, if I was petting the little one my older cat would sit and glare. The minute the kitten would get down his brother would jump him and rough him up! Or if I was petting my older cat and the kitten came over he'd jump down in a huff and give us a dirty look. Through it all the kitten seemed oblivious and just went about his business. It was kind of funny. But after a couple of months he stopped and now I don't have to feel guilty anymore!


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## emma elise (Sep 27, 2005)

Do you mind if I ask you guys how long it took you to get the new arrival and existing cat to be friends as I'm in the same boat right now and its taking a while! Difference is my kitten (tom) is now just under 6 months about to be neuteured so I'm hoping this will help as its not been going so well over the last 6 weeks when I broought home the new arrival.

Em


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## hobbes the cat (Sep 27, 2005)

It's good to know that this will pass as well!  

To answer your question, emma elise, it took about a week to actually get our cats to even go up to one another. Our resident cat was not liking the new kitten AT ALL. When we first got our 4 month old, we isolated her in the bedroom for about 3 days, not letting the resident cat see her. This way he would get use to her scent. Then we started placing the resident cat in the kitten's room and letting the kitten roam around the whole house. We gave that about a day or two and then we finally placed them in the same room. There will be hissing and growling...nothing to worry about, unless a fight starts. If we saw that the hissing and growling got really intense, we put the cats in seperate rooms and tried again the next day. (don't try to break up the fight yourself, try making a lot of noise to scare them...this will avoid getting bit or scratched). It took a lot of patience but finally our resident cat warmed up to our new kitten. The growling started to cease and they began to play. We still seperate them at night, just to be on the safe side....but they become better friends everyday (except for the jealousy, which we are going to work on)! 

I guess it really depends on your cats. The important thing is to be patient and try not to force them to like one another right away. Hopefully it will be easier once your neuteur your kitten. We wish you the best of luck!!


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## emma elise (Sep 27, 2005)

Hi there - thanks for your reply! Well, we've done everything pretty much the same as you have with the introductions and keeping them separate etc. There is still growling from Charlie but mainly when Isaac bounds up to him which he doesn't like. ISaac is very over boisterious in his play when he tried to play with Charlie, and Charlie doesn;t take it as play. When Isaac isn't bouncing up to him and kind of jumping him, Charlie just kinds of watches him and they have lots of 'nose sniff's. We have also found that the 'meetings' sometimes go better in the garden which is slightly more neutral territory and they even lay down near each other.

Patience is the key here for sure and its good to hear other success stories. I'm keeping everything crossed that the 'snip' next Weds makes a difference!!!!


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## emma elise (Sep 27, 2005)

Hi - thanks for your post however Charlie being jealous wasn't my concern (the original post 'new kitten jelaous cat' wasn;t mine). I take great care to ensure that I give the kitten no attention whatsover when the older cat is also in the room and if I have any interaction at all its always to make a huge fuss of Charlie. I realise the obvious thing is not to give a new arrival more attention than the original household member!! However thanks for your feedback


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