r/CatTraining • u/veniffer • 1d ago
Introducing Pets/Cats Introduction help!
Hi all,
TLDR: I need advice introducing a 5mo kitten to a 4yo bengal, both females, they know each other exist but the kitten keeps ‘crab hopping’ towards my 4yo and today she hid in a corner until the kitten was put back in her room.. how do i recover my bond with my resident cat and help the transition go smoother..
Long story somewhat short..
I have a resident bengal who is 4yo and she was super playful when we first got her but since she is an only cat overtime she seems to have lost interest in playing and seems more depressed when I’m not home despite having lots of toys and other people in the home. She typically sleeps all day and night with a few hours of actual waking time unless i’m home in which case she is awake more often. So I adopted a 5mo kitten for company and someone she can play with in hopes she brightens up but today she hid in a corner until the kitten was out back in her room because she(kitten) kept ‘crab hopping’ towards her and i’m afraid any relationship building has just been ruined. It has been only 3 days but the kitten acclimated to the home quite fast and they have been aware each other exists for two days now and I mistakenly took it as a sign that they were ready to be in the same space with supervision of course. The resident does hiss and grumble but that is part of her personality as she is very chatty and will speak her mind, she hasn’t resorted to any blows, only some swatting at the air.
I’m unsure what the next steps should be as I don’t want to stress my resident cat out more to the point where she resents me for bringing in a new cat as she has started to move away from me and hissed at me even though the kitten was in her own room.. any advice and help is appreciated.
INFO
Both cats are female and spayed. Resident cat is 4y/o and kitten is 5mo. I’m 22y/o with an accessible vet, but i haven’t contacted them because i’m not sure if it’s necessary as there has been no physical blows between them and I am located in the USA
Attached photos of my resident cat and kitten
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u/Alternative_Motor685 1d ago
that is the face of a car who's been crab hopped at one too many times today
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u/Difficult_Bother6539 20h ago
I agree not to rush things and move slowly. There are some helpful things in this article.
https://felinebehaviorsolutions.com/cat-introductions-101-patience/
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u/habamp 19h ago
I went through something similar, although in my case the new kitten was more scared while my resident cat was just curious and would approach her for sniffs. Later it almost flipped, more in that the new kitten became obsessed with my resident cat while my resident cat just wanted to chill and live his life lol.
The key is giving them time to get to know each other, that was the game changer for me. So I kept the new kitten in a more confined space that helped her to build her confidence, and they would still see each other, meow and sniff near the door cracks of the room. Then I would switch their places for a limited time per day so that each could get used to the other's scent and the new kitten could feel more comfortable with the rest of the home.
Eventually then I transitioned to having them be in the same space for limited time together and gradually they graduated to "co-exist" but eventually became super playful with each other. My resident cat still likes to do his own thing, but he also enjoys when the new kitty grooms him haha
BTW about your resident cat becoming less playful, I was worried about the same with my resident cat and got another kitten for the same reason. But he is still very calm and I'm thinking it might just be his age (5 years old now, and it's been 1 year since I brought the new kitten). However, if your resident cat's energy suddenly dropped then it's important to take him to the vet just in case there's a medical reason.
Also, crab hopping is so cute and totally normal for kittens.
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u/w1bblyW0bblynsht 1d ago
Follow Jackson Galaxy's cat introduction guidelines and don't rush things. Make every interaction with and without barriers positive. Put the Bengal on a diet, she's obese and being a healthy weight will revitalize her energy and interest for playtime.