My new kitten and my cat don't get along! Please help!

[akarczmar]

My new kitten, who we've had about 2 days, and my cat of 2 years don't get along. Whenever my older cat will come near the kitten, it's to hiss at her repeatedly. It scares me, and makes me sad, and I'm pretty sure I'm about to cry (really, it's that bad). I just want to see them both happy, I love them both so much. I just want it so, in the least, they can ignore each other and be in the same room at the same time without one threatening or hurting the other.
PLEASE HELP!!!

[k9Karen]

I suspect you meant to post this on one of the cat boards, but I'll try to answer. While I do not personally have cats, my brother and several friends have multi-cat households. Some of the cats seem to get along well, and in other cases, they never do get along and are openly hostile, or barely tolerate each other. In my brother's house, the #1 cat had the full run of the house, but would not enter any room, except the kitchen at feeding time, when one of the other two cats was present. This cat would not allow Cat #2 or #3 to enter the master bedroom. At night, she would sleep across the doorway so neither cat would sneak by her. When they got Cat #2, cat #1 was mostly tolerant, but would growl if the new cat came within about 10 feet. They finally settled on an arrangement where Cat #1 stayed in the living room or the master bedroom, and Cat #2 stayed in the back of the house. They were only seen together at feeding time. Both would come into the family room to see their people, but never at the same time. (#1 and #2 were acquired about a year apart). Cat #3 came in to the picture about 5 years after Cat #2. Cat #3 stayed in the front part of the house, including the living room if Cat #1 wasn't there. She was usually in the family room, much to the disgust of Cats #1 and #2. There was never any interaction between the three cats. Cat #1 has passed away, and Cat #3 has taken over her territory, but Cat #2 does not allow her full run of the house like Cat #1 had. Cat #2 still won't go into the master bedroom, even though Cat #1 has been gone for about 3 years. They tolerate each other, but nothing more. This seems to be similar in one way or another in most of the multi-cat households I know about, but I do know people where their cats get along and play together. I have one friend who tried to adopt a stray from the ASPCA, and the new cat was so aggressive (biting, etc.) to her old cat, she had to find it a new home. Cats are interesting creatures. I hope someone from a multi-cat house can help you sort through this, but be prepared that they may never really get along. (BTW - all three cats were acquired as small kittens)

Good luck