Expert: Jessica - 8/26/2009

Question
Hey :)
i have a 10 year old male Siamese, i've had him since he was 3 weeks. I just brought home a 3 month old female Siamese.. He hasn't hurt her yet, but he growls and hisses at her.. wont go close to her, just runs away hissing every time she comes close.. She is a very hyper kitten, but what kitten isn't right lol? i just want them to get along. Can you help me at all?

Answer
Hi Melissa.  If he hasn’t tried to hurt her, it sounds like he is reacting very well to the situation, actually!  Very few cats will accept new comers right away.  It’s recommended to completely separate cats for about a week or sometimes two before trying to introduce them at all.  In my experience, Siamese tend to be very patient with kittens, and this has worked to my advantage during introductions as long as the new additions were babies.  However, all cats are sensitive to change, so introductions still must be done carefully.

The 3-month-old should be kept in one room with her own food, water and litter.  Since your older kitty obviously knows there’s another cat in the house by now, you can start letting them sniff out each other’s space right away.  But I wouldn’t face your older kitty with the stress of nose-to-nose confrontations just yet.  Instead, a couple times a day, allow the kitten to roam the house for a little while, and put your older cat in the kitten’s quarters to snoop around.  They can get used to each other’s scents this way.  Also, use scent transference.  Rub the kitten with a towel, especially along her cheeks, and then present it to your older kitty for him to smell.  Then do the same with your older cat for the kitten to smell.

You can also try feeding them special meals and treats on opposite sides of the door to the kitten’s room.  They won’t be able to see each other, but they’ll be able to hear and smell each other, and eating a good meal together will build a positive association with one another.  In about a week, leave open the door to the kitten’s room and keep a close watch on the two.  See if they have any interest in interacting.  If things go well, allow them to spend 15-30 minutes together, but end the session before either one may become too excitable.  You can lengthen the sessions each time as long as things continue to go well, and the two can be left unsupervised after a couple of weeks.  Just separate them when you can’t be home to watch them.  If things don’t go so well during their visit, end the session sooner and try again in another day or two.  

Most introductions take about two weeks, but some can take longer.  Don’t be discouraged if you still have some hissing in 3 or 4 weeks.  The vast majority of cats get along in time, as long as the introductions are made slowly and the cats are given their own food bowls, beds, scratching posts and litter boxes.  And don’t forget that hissing and a little growling are also part of a cat’s vocabulary.  Even after the cats are generally getting along, you will hear them as a warning from time to time, especially when adult cats are letting kittens know when they don’t want to be bothered.  Screeching and howling are definitely some things to be much more concerned about.

I hope you have harmony soon!

Jessica