It can occasionally be stressful to bring a new kitten into a home where there is an adult cat. Your senior cat may hiss or even swat at the kitten at any given time, even though it appears calm one moment. This behavior may seem strange to you, particularly if you were hoping for a fast bond.
When it comes to social dynamics and territory, cats have strong instincts. An adult cat may react aggressively to the newcomer if it feels threatened. Cats frequently use hissing and paw strikes to indicate discomfort or set boundaries.
By knowing why this occurs and how to deal with it, you can help both cats live in a peaceful environment. You can defuse the situation and help them become friends if you give it enough time and patience.
- Why does a cat start hissing at its kitten, bite it and hit it with its paws?
- How to help a baby and protect him from a cat?
- Why an adult cat does not accept and offends a new kitten?
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Why does a cat start hissing at its kitten, bite it and hit it with its paws?
All animals in the wild are classified into two groups. Some are born practically fully formed for an independent life (a small foal, for instance, walks and nibbles grass quite confidently just a few hours after birth). Some are totally defenseless and require the guidance and protection of their parents.
Cats are of the second type; they have far less time than people, for example, who can take years to learn new skills. How can you teach a child to hunt and hide in the shortest amount of time, and to behave appropriately around family members? The cat’s instinct tells it that the simplest way to accomplish this is to use the discomfort of a paw smack or bite to the neck as a means of solidifying the information it has learned.
Usually, threatening hissing is just a cub’s way of telling a mischievous cub that disobedience will result in consequences.
Cats may use dominance or boundary-setting behaviors, such as hissing and swatting at newcomers or their own kittens, to express their fear or anxiety. Keeping control of their space is ingrained in their nature. A new kitten or pet can help an adult cat form a stronger bond with it if it is introduced gradually. The adult cat will need time to get used to the newcomer’s presence and scent, so be patient and give lots of praise.
How to help a baby and protect him from a cat?
Generally speaking, kittens are not harmed by educational blows or bites, regardless of how severe they may appear from the outside. This is easily verifiable:
Also see: Is it appropriate to beat a cat to teach it a lesson? How can I discipline a kitten or adult cat for misbehaving?
- there are no marks from teeth or claws on the skin of the babies;
- as soon as the baby starts to squeak, signaling that he has learned his lesson, his mother immediately lets him go;
- in addition to "aggression", the cat also shows tenderness to the cubs – licks them, caresses them, etc. p.
The young person in the scenario described does not require the owner’s assistance or protection. A mother’s relationship with her children is typical. But what should one do if a cat repeatedly hisses at her kittens, bites them until they bleed, and shows no concern at all? There are various reasons for this behavior:
- Foreign odors. Cats recognize each other through their sense of smell. If the babies smell of something new and unusual, the mother may mistake them for strangers.
- Defective offspring. In the wild, animals prefer not to waste their own body"s resources by raising and feeding weak and sick babies. In the worst case, the cat will eat the most unadapted, from her point of view, babies. In the best case, she will simply stop feeding them. Then hissing and biting will become the most convenient tool for the animal to keep the kittens away from the breast.
- Lack of milk. If a cat does not feed any of her litter at all, perhaps she simply does not have the physiological ability to do so. The culprit is illness or hormonal imbalance, the veterinarian should establish. One way or another, the cubs, unsuccessfully trying to get fed, too persistently tug at the female"s nipples, which hurts her and provokes aggressive behavior in response.
- Growing up kittens. By the time the babies grow up and become independent, their mother"s milk will disappear, which will cause the problems already described. In addition, having entered adulthood, the young begin to compete with the mother for territory, food, the attention of the owners, etc. . In this case, fights become a common way for animals to determine their place in the hierarchy.
See also: Why do cats like to lie on people’s chests or on a pregnant woman’s belly while they sleep?
If a cat bites her kittens for reasons that are obviously not instructive, what should the owners do? You must first make an effort to determine the cause of this behavior. Zoopsychologists advise against meddling with the kittens’ upbringing if they are young: refrain from touching the crumbs with your hands to avoid "endowing" them with foreign scents, and let the mother choose a convenient location for the "nest" to be built for her young. Teens, on the other hand, typically have no choice but to relocate the animals. The young are given to other owners as soon as possible after being switched to artificial feeding right away.
Why an adult cat does not accept and offends a new kitten?
An adult cat will typically attack a baby that is not her cub and was recently brought into the house for strictly hierarchical reasons. Cats, who are by nature loners, are envious of their territory—an apartment—and the occupants who live there.
Cats do not want to give strangers access to their "personal property." The latter’s age and gender are irrelevant in this instance; both an adult animal and a small kitten, a "boy" and a "girl," have the same chance of being attacked. The veteran asserts his superiority by refusing to give in to anyone.
In the best scenario, an adult cat will greet the new apartment occupant in a neutral manner and will only hiss at him infrequently to warn of the invasion of personal space. In the worst scenario, the infant will be bit, kicked, and hurt in every manner imaginable in any contentious circumstance. You shouldn’t assume that an animal who has established itself in your home will welcome a new kitten right away, in any case. Although they do occur, these instances are rare. More often than not, making friends with pets requires a significant amount of time and work on the part of their owner.
| Reason for hissing and hitting | How to make friends |
| Protecting territory or feeling stressed by the new kitten | Give them separate spaces at first, then gradually introduce them under supervision |
| Adult cat feels threatened by the kitten"s energy | Spend time with both cats individually to reduce jealousy and tension |
| Mother cat wants to discipline the kitten | Let them interact, but step in if the situation becomes aggressive |
| Lack of socialization with other cats | Use scent swapping techniques to make them more familiar with each other |
A mother cat’s natural reaction to her kitten is to hiss or swat at it, especially when the kitten is attempting to set limits. They frequently use this as a component of their discipline or personal space-creation techniques. Although it might appear severe, this is typical behavior that usually ends as the kitten matures and becomes familiar with the household’s norms.
Patience is essential when bringing a new pet to an adult cat. Don’t force them to interact; instead, give them time to get used to each other’s presence. Slow introductions, positive reinforcement, and separate areas can all help them become more at ease with each other over time.
When they behave well around one another, reward them with treats or praise. Keep an eye on their interactions to make sure they’re not getting too aggressive. Most cats will eventually come to accept or even form a bond with a new kitten, but it may take some time, so be persistent and patient.
