Kittens Don't Get Along - Please Help

[Marissa]

We have two cats, a two year old black male and a three month old siamese female. We just got a six week old oriental female. Well as soon as we walked in the door with the oriental, she started hissing and spitting and our cats and our one dog(our two others love the dog). We figured she was just scared. Our siamese then started doing the same thing and whenever the oriental meowed, she'd freak out and try and scratch and bite us. The siamese was our baby, and was always on our lap, she acted like a dog pretty much. Now she doesn't even want to be near us, and we are trying to give her more attention to show her she's loved, but it's very hard when she's just fighting the whole time.<br>
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So should we get rid of the oriental? She's a real sweet heart to us, she just seems like she is too good for the other cats and has an attitude problem. What's weird is she got along with the old owners bengal cat and retriever dog. Any help, please! I want all my cats happy.

[Traci]

So should we get rid of the oriental? She's a real sweet heart to us, she just seems like she is too good for the other cats and has an attitude problem. What's weird is she got along with the old owners bengal cat and retriever dog. Any help, please! I want all my cats happy.

No, since you say you just got her, you have to give her a chance. Harmonious introductions don't happen overnight, sometimes it takes up to three months or more....you have to be calm, persistent, forgiving, and comitted to the task.

You already stated the problem, she is scared, and she is learning how to adjust in a very new home/atmosphere/other pets she has never known before. By being patient and working with her AND your other pets on a daily basis, the outcome should be a good one. She needs time to feel safe and secure in this new environment, so it's up to you to provide it for her.

Don't introduce her flat-out or directly.....take time to seperate them, and introduce them slowly, with you as the referee. Provide her a safe room to retreat if she is too overwhelmed or too scared. Give her as much attention as you would your other pets, she is depending on you right now.

Expect some hissing and growling and swatting, this is normal behavior amoung them, they need to establish natural heriarchy, and they need to come to terms amoung themselves. You should only intervene if claws are extended or teeth are bared, you don't want anyone getting hurt, but you do want to allow them to get accustomed to one another in a safe environment, at their own convenience, and you should soon see some harmony within all of them.

Your new kitten is only 6 weeks old, you can't expect her to act like an adult cat, she is simply learning how to adjust, simply learning about her new siblings, and it's up to you to help her along, provide a safe environment for her, make slow introductions.....eventually, she will warm up to the other pets when she feels safe and secure. She has virtually no defenses at this age, so the hissing/growling/swatting is perfectly normal for her to do. Your adult cats realize this, they too needed siblings in which to learn how to socialize and learn behaviors and in which to feel secure. Remember, your 3-month-old is still a kitten herself and is probably still learning as well...

Give this time, please, just be patient and forgiving of the behaviors at this point, much of it is normal interaction between new siblings.

[jason]

for some tips on introductions: Agression from cat to new cat...please help!!!!