# Extremely nervous cat and new kitten help!!



## laura_robinson20 (Jul 10, 2010)

Yesterday we went to pick up a new kitten. I already have one other cat called to Tallulah who is used to living with other cats in our previous house but has been on her own now for 3 months after moving. She is an extremely nervous cat and lets just say the introductions haven't gone too well. 

Tallulah just keeps hissing and growling at the new kitten and running off to her safe place under the bed. She doesn't want to come down stairs anymore and when I was hoovering this evening instead of running downstairs like she does usually when the hoover is on, she tried to jump out of an open window. Thankfully, she failed and bolted down the stairs (the first time today).

Does anyone have any ideas of how to get Tallulah to like the newcomer. I really want this to work firstly, as a playmate as both myself and my partner work long hours and secondly, the kitten to help scare the other cats off in the neighbourhood who bully Tallulah resulting in her not going outside that often. 

We have now resulted to locking the kitten in the spare room so that Tallulah will come downstairs and eat, the only problem being that the kitten does not stop wailing unless somebody is with him.


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## serenitylove (Nov 23, 2008)

iv got 4 cats and have never bothered seperating mine hissing or not i just leave them to get on with it can sometimes take a week for friendships to be made but they get there in the end


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## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

I would get a Feliway Bestpet Pharmacy - Feliway Diffuser it keeps the peace in our house anyway


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## laura_robinson20 (Jul 10, 2010)

Thanks for the advice, I already have a felliway plugged in from when we moved and i think i am going to keep it plugged in for another month or at least until they get on, which i hope they will do. Do you know how long on average it takes? I am really worried about the other cat because she is not coming downstairs to eat or go to the toilet. I think it will be a bad idea to take the food up to Tallulah as it will encourage her to stay in the bedroom. What do you think? I don't want her to feel pushed away into one room only that's why i am refusing to do so at the moment?


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## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

I would'nt take food up to her either. We used to have Misty who would always stage protests upstairs if we had a new kitten (not that often) & when we got Banjo as a puppy  she would come down eventually though as her tummy ruled her head  she was never a very social cat & always dished out a clip round the ear to any nose that went in her direction but she always settled down after a few weeks. Hope Tallulah does the same


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## Paddy Paws (Jul 11, 2010)

Another vote for Feliway here, or you could use a pheremone calming collar on both with has the advantage of travelling around the house with the cats which is a slight disadvantage of Feliway.


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## laura_robinson20 (Jul 10, 2010)

Thanks for the advice. Felliway is still plugged in but doesn't seem to be doing that much. Tallulah is such a nervous cat and it doesn't help that everytime we let her out in the garden she gets attacked by the neighbourhood bully cat (last week she lost a claw and her collar). I feel so sorry for her.

So it's a months down the line and Tallulah will now tollerate the kitten but still hisses and growls as the kitten likes to chase her around the house 24/7 pouncing on her. I don't know what to do. Do I carry on with the kitten and hope that they will get on? The other day they were sleeping next to each other and she only seems to hiss when he chases her which is quite often.

Tallulah is one of those very nervous cats and when I brought her to a previous house with a dog she had never seen she hid behind the sofa for 2 weeks. Maybe it will just take a few more weeks/months but I find it upsetting to see her unhappy.

I am thinking of trying the happy collar, does anyone have any experience of this?


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Sorry to read of your troubles I dont have any experience of this but I didnt want to read and run without saying that I hope you find an answer to your dilema soon,Good luck


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## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

Sorry have'nt heard of the happy collar I know there is a dog one that is suppose to be good so worth a try, she may always hiss at the kitten when he chases her though maybe he will be nicer to her when he's neuterd


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## Chez87 (Aug 11, 2010)

laura_robinson20 said:


> Thanks for the advice. Felliway is still plugged in but doesn't seem to be doing that much. Tallulah is such a nervous cat and it doesn't help that everytime we let her out in the garden she gets attacked by the neighbourhood bully cat (last week she lost a claw and her collar). I feel so sorry for her.
> 
> So it's a months down the line and Tallulah will now tollerate the kitten but still hisses and growls as the kitten likes to chase her around the house 24/7 pouncing on her. I don't know what to do. Do I carry on with the kitten and hope that they will get on? The other day they were sleeping next to each other and she only seems to hiss when he chases her which is quite often.
> 
> ...


I'm in the exact same situation as you. 10 year old female who has been around other cats/kittens before but not for two years. Now have a new kitten and Annie (the 10 yr old) isn't happy. She will come in to eat after MUCH coaxing and when the kitten comes near her she hisses/growls/hides and will not come out again when he's still around. Obviously he doesn't care and continues to charge at her. It's only been about 11 days so I'm hoping things work out. Annie used to be so sociable with us and quite a lap cat but now she's always nervous and hiding and constantly on lookout for the kitten.

I also have the feliway diffuser and I must say it hasn't made any difference.  Just wondered if you had any tips on how you improved the situation? or was it just the passage of time? I'm also interested in trying the pheromone collar.


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## shellyann1971 (Jun 25, 2010)

Hi

I have 7 cats , all came in the home at different times... 

they do hiss and fit for the first few weeks, I have never seperated any of them.. 
My little boy kitten bambam chases the nervous cat around the house too, but my nervous cat , was found on the streets in a mess, she is scard of her own shadow, poor thing.. she has a home up high, which relaxes her a lot more.. she hissing , when she runs away from bambam, but now she still comes down stairs for food.... 

Barney one of my cats, is top cat, and Dino who came in 10 months ago, still get a telling of from Barney.... I think its just once of those things.. 

There is always a dominate cat in a household, and your older cat is the top cat, and she feels threatened... try and re-assure her more, and you fuss her more than the kitten... so she realises she is still top cat

Michelle


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