Teenage resident cat eager to play with kitten, kitten hissing/growling

[jiglet]

Hi all, I have a 10 month old kitten who is super playful and goofy and 1 week ago adopted a 4.5 month kitten old to be her companion because I figured resident cat needed a playmate for all her energy. The new kitten is so affectionate towards humans (I had guests visit) and she is in a separate room and I'm doing scent swapping and feedings by the door. My 10 month girl has been so excited to meet the new kitten this entire time, chirping, trilling, excited during site swaps, and always hanging out by the door and trying to peek under and play pawsies. New kitten doesn't seem to have a problem with resident's scent during site swaps or with eating next to each other through the door but has hissed at the resident's paws under the door or when resident gets really close to the crack while chirping.

Two days ago the resident just bolted full-speed through the room door when I opened it and the two saw each other. They actually went straight for a nose boop so I let it play out and they actually had no problems being in the same room and they sniffed each other and my resident went to explore the new kitten's base camp. I fed them churu together and they were eating from the same tube. At this point I probably should've just walked with my winnings but I let them keep interacting. Eventually, my resident cat tried to initiate play with gentle slow-mo paw taps and the kitten who was just fine prior got on its back and started hissing and growling at which point resident backed off. However, being the super playful girl she is, resident cat tried to initiate more play again but the kitten did the same dramatic hissing and growling as soon as big kitty started remotely touching her so I separated them.

After this event, it's been two days of the same thing where they have no problems unless resident gets too excited at the door with new kitten there at which point new kitten hisses. I always thought that younger kitties would get along with about anybody pretty quickly, so I'm confused what to do since it's the other way around here. Does new kitten just need more time to assimilate? I was hoping this introduction would be a bit faster given their ages and I'm honestly tempted to just let them "work it out". Any guidance and help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[jiglet]

Forgot to mention, resident cat is a Siamese and new kitten is a BSH! Both were raised around other kittens and adults.

 

[ArtNJ]

Friendship is literally guarantied with the cats being these ages. You have to let them be together for them to get their. It won't take long, kittens are the most adaptable of cats.

About the only problem you might run into is that if you haven't seen it before, the play might look much too rough. A 10 month old will generally not moderate their play at all, and the kitten might be made to squeal some, and might run away for a bit. But it will be different from how it is now, because the kitten will want to be with the bigger cat, want to play, and not be at all scared except in the actual moment where it gets to be a little too much. And after that moment passes, the kitten will come right back within a few minutes and act like nothing happened.

 

[Alldara]

As a heads up too, kittens can also hiss, growl and poof as part of play. Makes it SUPER hard to tell what's up.

I always break it up if there's a squeek. But as long as the cats back off from one another when there's a growl/ hiss, it's okay because it's just communication. You can simply even scoop up one of the cats for a few minutes at this age. At 10 months, as Art mentioned, kittens don't know how to "hold back" very well yet. So they can get too rough. We would interrupt them and provide a distraction when this happened and we didn't leave them together when we were out of the home but didn't actively watch them every second either.

 

[jiglet]

Thank you two for your insight! I let them interact together today but the newcomer seems somewhat fearful of the resident and the resident is doing exactly as you said where she won't hold back and can't contain themselves from initiating. The resident now keeps trying to play with newcomer despite her hisses and growls and newcomer doesn't seem to tolerate any form of play at all. The instant resident paws newcomer in any form, newcomer goes into drama queen airplane ears hiss/growl mode. She will try to run away from resident which I think resident is viewing as play/seeing her as prey and continues to chase? There was one instance where kitten scratched fur off of the resident with a visceral hiss when resident jumped on top of her. On one hand I feel the newcomer is definitely being overly dramatic and weirdly un-kittenlike but on the other hand I could see how resident is potentially bullying newcomer. That being said they are able to eat out of the same bowl together and coexist just fine when not directly interacting. Newcomer kitty is still exploratory, has a big appetite, and is very playful with toys despite their interactions. Is the size difference maybe a factor (resident is 10lbs, new kitten is 4)? I'm worried that if this keeps on the kitten will build a strong grudge and end up fearing the resident long term..

 

[ArtNJ]

I'm worried that if this keeps on the kitten will build a strong grudge and end up fearing the resident long term..

I'd bet you any amount of money it will be fine and they will be friends before long. Personally, I'd let them be together to work it out, just because it will go faster, maybe much faster. But trying to orchestrate things to be smoother/kinder/safer won't do any harm per se as long as you don't get carried away. A Alldara 's approach is certainly a reasonable compromise.

 

[Hellenww]

I'm worried that if this keeps on the kitten will build a strong grudge and end up fearing the resident long term.

It's unlikely. Kitten will catch up in size and it will even out. Get some cardboard boxes and cut small holes that kitten can fit through but teen can't. The little will have an escape if she wants it. Just make sure there are at least to entrances.