Kitty Trouble
 

I recently acquired a new kitten, Zim. She's 8 weeks old, and absolutely adorable. She's well behaved, affectionate and healthy. Here's the catch: my adult female cat, Penny, is not happy. Not even a little. Every time Zim comes near her, Penny will hiss at her and retreat to the basement. I can occasionally lure her out with treats and pettins', but the cycle repeats itself frequently. Zim come from a home with oodles and oodles of cats (PetSave foster home), and the poor little thing is constantly trying to get close to Penny. She's rather well-mannered about it: approaches slowly, and gives Penny ample opportunity to back away, which she always does, hissing and occasionally growling.

Other than make sure I continue to show Penny affection and attempt positive reinforcement, are there any tricks to ease this transition? I deliberately do not use the term "speed up" because I know it is unwise to try to rush these things: I just want to make sure I don't inadvertently prolong things.

It always takes time; just make sure your older cat doesn't attack the new one.

I'm keeping an eye out for that, certainly. I don't think she's inclined to attack her at least, she just keeps retreating.

Has the older cat been around kittens before? And how old is she? If she hasn't been around other cats in a long time and she's old, she's just set in her ways.

I agree with Jillian, just watch Penny and make sure she doesn't attack the kitten, and from there its a gradual process. It really depends since cats have such complicated personalities.

And I love that you named the kitten Zim ^_^.

When I lived with my ex, when Penny was about four or five, we brought a second cat into the home. It took Penny a week or two before she stopped trying to tear Artemis (the kitten)'s throat out. Artemis would often instigate things, though.

Penny is about seven years old now. She's much more docile now than she used to be (having been fixed, and not having my ex around, who she hated). I'm actually fairly optimistic, other than being paranoid I might do something to make it worse.

There's really nothing you can do to make it worse, besides just doing something dumb picking up the kitten and chasing Penny around the house with it ^_^ Just let them do their thing.

Eventually they will get through the phase where dominance is established, but the older cat always wins.

Yeah, just don't worry (unless the older cat starts getting dangerously aggressive), they'll be fine. My family's been breeding cats for years, we've seen the same thing happen several times before (oh boy, did they. Severely unforgettable). It might take some time, especially since your cat is old - it might take this new arrival as an invasion on her territory - so what you can do to make it better is to just make sure that you treat them both equally (that means, if you cuddle the kitten a bit extra, you will have to do the same with your older cat, too, so it doesn't start viewing the little one as competition - or even worse, a threat).

I'm definitely doing my best to make sure Penny gets extra attention as well, whenever she lets me do so. She's already letting Zim get a tad closer than before, before she starts hissing.

Though it's been said, just give them some time to get used to one another. My old cats were pretty much the same ages as your when we got them and the older one was quite vicious, but by the ends of their lives (they're both dead now) they were extremely close.

It might help if you hold the older cat and allow the younger one to approach, continuing stroking her and assuring her it's all right.
Make sure your older cat knows the younger one isn't replacing her.

get a doggie.

Yup, I've been doing that. Penny lasts a bit longer before the hissing starts, though once or twice she's turned to hiss at ME. That, however, will not do, and I make sure she knows this in no uncertain terms. It's kinda funny, actually. The latest turn of events has them always sitting pseudo-close to each other, as if staking each other out.

I would love a dog, but I live in a very small rented townhouse with absolutely no yard. The kind of dogs I like are fairly large, and it would be absolutely cruel. When my partner and I finish school, start our careers, and can afford to buy a larger house, we definitely want to get a puppy.

I've heard, so this may or may not be accurate, that if you put a small amount of honey on one of them's fur the other one will lick it off, and they will bond. I'm not sure what happens if it licks it's own honey off :shrugs: maybe put more on.

What good will that do? If anything, it'll make the older one feel -worse-, not better. :/

I think Ophie's advice is good, as well as the others. :) You just have to let them get used to one another. The older one will probably be more accepting once the kitten is a little more fully grown.

May I ask, what kind of cats are they? We have a Calico, and it doesn't like -any- of the other cats.

Penny is a tabby, I think (rescued from an abusive home, so no official info), and Zim is a domestic longhair.