We have 4 cats that all seemed to get along for the most part. The pecking order has been established and things were peaceful.

We "needed" to get a kitten and when we brought it in the house, there was the usual hissing and growling from all. I am used to this as I have seen it before and after a few days, it usually goes away and everyone gets along.

Well, not this time. 3 of the original cats are fine. 2 of them just avoid the kitten, the male dominant one plays with her and they get along great. What we have is a problem with the fourth one that we had taken in last year... this was the newest cat. She is vicious. She stalks this kitten and jumps her. She holds the kitten down and claws her and bites until she is pulled off. This is not playing even by cat standards. This happens constantly. We can't even leave the house without locking one of them up for protection. Sleeping is the same thing.

You might say it's jealousy since she was the newest one but she never got any special attention. She wasn't treated differently. In fact, she kind of shyed away from much attention anyway. Like I said, the other cats are OK with her and my buddy, Rigby, plays with her as if he's teaching her.

So where is the problem and how do I handle it? This has been going on for 6 weeks now and I'm losing my patience.

My friends had 3 parakeets 1 male 2 female. They got along great until they got a third female. Then it was territory war because the one original female felt the male was hers.

We have a sort of similar situation. We rescued two females from our back yard. We used to feed them when they were strays and know they hated each other even back then. That hasn't changed even after bringing them indoors and getting them spayed. Matty delights in chasing Dido (and clawing at her) until she climbs to the top of the cat tree to get away and then hisses back from her perch. (It's a game they play, but a mean game.) We can almost see Matty smiling as she walks away. There's a pecking order too when eating -- Kuro (the patriarch) first, then Little Debbie (the matriarch), then Matty. Dido will slink in later after everyone has left the kitchen and hope there is something left to eat.

I'd advise you to continue what you are doing to protect the kitten. As it grows up, things may improve, but cats are like people -- some just never get along and become friends. Can you play with the two of them together, maybe with a tennis ball they can bat around like a hockey puck, or give them each a nice, smelly catnip toy (or fresh catnip)?

We have tried introducing them and playing with them. The kitten cowers and as$-face stares at her... there is no playing.

Funny, the cat I feared would have the problem seems to love her like his new buddy. I never saw him play this nice with another cat. He plays with the others but in a mean spirited sort of way but with the kitten, he is more gentle and even lets her sleep near him.

We have tried introducing them and playing with them. The kitten cowers and as$-face stares at her...there is no playing.

Funny, the cat I feared would have the problem seems to love her like his new buddy. I never saw him play this nice with another cat. He plays with the others but in a mean spirited sort of way but with the kitten, he is more gentle and even lets her sleep near him.

I have been in the same situation as you are in right now TWICE, and it is not fun by any stretch of the imagination. Usually you would think that adult cats would just be gentle with a kitten seeing as how they are like children or babies to us, but sadly this is not the way with all cats. I would think after this much time has passed things would have settled down somewhat, and technically if they were going to get better you would have seen an improvement by now. When I went through the same problem we ended up giving our adult (originally stray/feral) male to a family member who has no pets, and things are much improved for my remaining cats as well as Smokey who has a new home all to himself. He has grown to love his new owners, and actually sleeps in the bed with them every night; something that he never did here with us. I hope that you don't have to come to this solution, but sadly you may have to if things are not improving. :( Good luck to you!