Hi
can anyone please help me? we have just got a bengal kitten and our other cat who is 12 years old won't even come out of hiding in the attic bedroom and come down stairs. i have tried to introduce them to each other but the kitten wants to say hello but the older cat just wants to hide. are the felliway plugins any good and will they calm down enough to get on with the kitten and come out of hiding.

thanks

Chris

Congratulations on your kitty. How did you try to introduce them? The proper way is to keep your kitten in a safe room with food, water, bed, and litter box. You begin by swapping scents. Use towels, baby blankets -- whatever a cat has slept on, you exchange it with the other kitty, so they can get used to the smell of the other cat -- this is before you ever introduce them face to face.

This new kitty has infringed on your older kitty's territory! I think you're lucky in that your older kitty hides and doesn't aggressively attack the kitten. We don't know what your older kitty is actually thinking. Your bengal is going to have to have high places to climb -- cat trees or cat shelves. And you actually need to be engaging both of your kitties in play time. Your bengal will demand it!

Things are still NEW with the kitten. It can take some time for all to adjust! Sometimes older cats just don't want to deal with playful kittens. Know, too, that your kitten arrived with smells from the cattery and that could be putting your older kitty off.

I would suggest you try to feed both of your kitties in the same general area -- your older kitty is going to get hungry at some point and food is a great motivator. You're wanting your kitties to be best friends immediately, and many times it can take days, weeks, months to get them to be best buddies -- and sometimes it never happens.

You asked about Feliway. It usually works to calm down a cat. Your cat is already calm. You might look at Jackson Galaxy's Spirit Essences as I know he has one called "Scaredy Cat." http://www.spiritessences.com. I've never used them. Some on here have. Others here don't particularly like the ingredients. You will have to decide for yourself. But, first, I would just give this time! And have a lot of patience.

Sherry thanks for the reply, I will give some of your suggestions a try. I have ordered some heebal spot in drops so that might work

What Sherry said is true.

Some other thoughts:

Feliway is worth a try, but it's way too much to ask of Feliway to fix this problem. What you need to be doing right now is spending the majority of your time with your 12 year old kitty. There needs to be a large zone where the kitten is not permitted, and you being in that kitten-free zone, and re-assuring him is what will allow your 12 year old to regain his confidence (eventually).

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The little monsters 3

Hopefully, you will see some improvement in the coming days. Many times a cat prefers to be the ONLY cat in the household -- especially after 12 years. I hope it all works out for you because I know your kitten will want the companionship of another cat. Keep us informed.