I got a 6 week old female kitten about 4 days ago, and I already have a female 6 month old cat called keely. At first keely would just hiss at the kitten then after a day or so it was fine, now she seems to have gone into depression mode and doesn't seem to have any energy like she used to all she does is sleep in a different room to everyone else, I pay her loads of attention but she doesn't want to know. I was just wondering if anyone has any answers for me as I feel so bad for keely and I don't know what I can do.

Thanks x

Just go on with your day to day activities, keely will come around once she knows the kitten doesn't pose any sort of risk of taking over the household. She will figure it out. She will establish a pecking order, in fact she is probably thinking about that now as she is sort of hibernating. Don't worry, they will be the best of friends soon. Just get two litter boxes.

Tick

Thank you for your help. I have two litter boxes I'm just worried as she won't eat :(

She is punishing you for the kitten, kerbie, temp her with some milk, cream, tuna and just love her to pieces when she accepts what you have to offer. Either that or a dead mouse (sorry, that would be the ultimate sacrifice, just kidding).

Hugs

Okay I will try that thanks again tick :)

Well you've only had the new kitten for 4 days. It'll take more time for them to adapt to each other. Cats will often be jealous of a new pet for a week or more (I know this from experience), and might even give you the cold shoulder. Most of the time, they will come around and become more and more curious of the new member of the family. It also helps that Keely is still a kitten. Im quite sure, within the next month or so, they will be best buds.

Or a mouse for her ready to play with and kill a few times.

Good luck

Thank you for that :)

Hello kerbie90, just checking back to see how keely is coming along? Hope all is well!

Hi, well she certainly isn't acting depressed anymore, she is like trying to kill my kitten at the moment. So just going to see how it goes, if she doesn't stop I will have to consider re-homing my new kitten :( Thanks x

Hello again, well I don't want to say this is "normal", but there are going to be a couple stages their relationship will go through. My wife and I have been through this a few times. Keely is trying to establish a dominant role right now, trying to make sure that the new kitten understands that she is the boss. This too, like the initial depression, should subside. At first, once Keely realized the new kitten was not a threat, she came around. Now once she realizes the new kitten is not trying to be dominant, she'll do the same. Cats are usually more apt to go through human-like emotions than most other animals. Fear, anger, jealousy, which is why I said it may take a month or so to get through all this. At one point or another, all of our cats have gone through these same stages. Best thing to do right now is to stay positive, because cats can sense your fear and tension. Also, has Keely been fixed yet? If not, doing so would most likely help considerably. Cats that have been fixed are generally less aggressive, have fewer health problems and live longer happier lives. Cats can be fixed pretty much from 12 weeks old (even younger these days). Stay Positive!

Oh right, well I'll get her fixed then, sounds like a good idea. Yeah I think when my new kitten Darcie gets bigger it won't be so bad, but because she is so tiny just trying to be more careful as she does get hurt by Keely. But yes I will stay positive and wait it out. Thanks ever so much for you're help :) x

I agree. Give it more time. Cats usually won't try to kill each other, but will definitely establish a hierarchy.

At Christmastime, we brought indoors two outside strays that we've been feeding and socializing since summer. Only one of our three indoors cats objected by howling and picking a few lights. It's been two months now, and all five have settled down after establishing their own pecking order and sleeping places.

Feeding the cats together with separate plates will help, plus spending a lot of time with the older cat, fussing over her, talking to her, etc. Talking to cats is VERY important. They like to know what's going on.

Here's an example of how talking is important. Eight years ago, I ended up in the hospital for two weeks and did not have time to tell my soulcat goodbye. He fussed and howled and was a brat with the other cats. Finally, during the second week, I talked with him by phone and told him what was happening and that I would be home soon. He calmed down after that, but then, when I came home, he met me at the door (to make sure it was me), then turned his back on me and walked away (he was mad). Cats are complex little creatures!

It is abnormal for cats to wander into other territory.

Cats are very similar to their wild cousins.. They act the same way. A male cat WILL kill kittens if they are not his.. There will be territory fights when someone new shows up. Cats aren't like dogs, there is no "alpha", "Omega" or "Beta". Yes, cats do have their own family situation, but they are not as excepting to new cats that are forced into the home by people.

You're just going to have to be available for all interactions. Separate everything, food, attention and the litter box. Eventually, your cat is going to see the new cat as non-threatening and will accept it. It is typically easier to introduce a younger cat into the family, but there is no guarantee.

Just keep an eye on them. Watch all interactions and be extra positive when it comes to you interacting with the kitten.

I've owned cats for over 50 years, and yes, there is definitely a hierarchy established among cats. Call it what you will, but there is always an alpha cat.

When our alpha (Thomas Jefferson) died, the rest were thrown into confusion. He had always eaten first, and then the others took turns depending on their rank. When he died, no one knew when to eat. He had always had the best place to sleep on the one heated fleece pad we own, but after he died, it remained vacant for at least a month until the new alpha started sleeping there. When Thomas was around, if the litter box needed scooping, we heard about it. No other cat ever complained. He was a very vocal (rescued) part-Aby, so he kept all of us in line.

After his death, the gang then began to resettle into some sort of hierarchy behind the new alpha (Little Debbie), and was a different hierarchy from before. What was interesting was that Little Debbie had been the omega cat. She was alpha for almost two years, and is now being displaced by one of the outdoor cats we've brought inside.

I'm sure there is a leader, but cats are not referred to as "alpha" "Omega" and "Beta".

They are queens (Top Female) :) I'm sure you can agree with that. Mixing those terms up aren't a good idea. Cats aren't like dogs in any way. Yes, there is a family hiarchy, but not a pack oriented group, which is where the Alpha, Omega and Beta come from.

Maybe I'm being too technical? I have a tendency to do that.. I like to keep the right words with the right groups.

Since everyone knows what alpha is, it's used in universal ways.

If I had called Thomas Jefferson a queen, he would have ignored me the rest of the day -- maybe longer. (Queens are female cats, especially who've borne kittens.)

Are you telling me I'm not the alpha member of my family? (I am; I definitely am.) I KNOW I was the alpha in my department at work!

Yes, you're being much too technical.