Cat hisses at new kitten and hides. How to help her adjust?

It sounds like Sally is stressed in her new home environment, but there are many things that you can do to help alleviate stress and help her feel better. Cats need at least one litterbox per cat plus one extra to help reduce stress associated with the litterbox. They should be placed in separate rooms, away from the food and water bowls, must be scooped at least daily (preferably multiple times a day) and washed out at least weekly with a mild soap, followed by thorough rinsing. Cats need a lot of space to explore, but keeping them indoors is much safer than letting them outside, due to the risk of injury from cars, wildlife, other animals, etc. The key is providing space (particularly vertical space for climbing, such as cat trees, ledges, and the like) inside the home. Visit http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=T&C=33&S=2 , and healthcareforpets.com for tips on stress reduction, and https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats/felinelifestressors/new-pets for information on how to introduce new pets into the family. Also look into Feliway, a synthetic pheromone that is available in a diffuser and spray form that promotes calm feelings in cats http://www.feliway.com , and Feliway Friends (on the same site), a pheromone that helps cats get along with each other. Take your time and allow Sally to slowly get used to all of the changes, and hopefully she will feel better soon.

Here is a great article on introducing a new cat to the household. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-steps-to-introducing-your-cat-to-a-new-feline/ You might want to back up a few steps and try to start the introduction over from the beginning. The second thing you can try is to help Fiona deal with the anxiety of the new kitten by using Feliway, which is a cat pheromone that can be calming. It is available in a diffuser that is plugged into an outlet and is great for a room in the home. It is also available as a spray, which can be used on towels, or the most common locations Fiona likes to spend time. https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=8906 https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=37241 Another product I like is Composure, which is available as a little treat. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetri-science-composure-feline-bite-sized-chews If these do not help, you might consider discussing prescription medication for anxiety with your veterinarian. Thanks for using PetCoach.

From your description, I wonder if Nala is a feral kitten. A feral kitten is a kitten that is born to a cat who lives outside and is essential wild without very much human contact. The general rule is that if feral kittens are taken away from their mom by the age of 10 weeks that they can get used to humans and become well socialized. If they do not have human contact until after 10 weeks of age, then that can be much more difficult. I would ask your friend where Nala came from and get more information on her situation. In the meantime, I would not push Nala to have any more contact than she is comfortable with. Let her hide and come out when she is ready to. I would also consider adding a Feliway Diffuser ( https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected ) to your house to decrease stress. This is a calming pheromone that will work for a month. I have also had luck with Rescue Remedy ( http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ ) which can be added to the water. I would try to find toys that she can play with herself that do not involve you if that stresses her out. You may find some good ideas on this website. https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

I would try a Feliway spray, diffuser or collar. It is a pheromone that helps with relaxation and anxiety. There are also supplements for anxiety. Set up separate areas for feeding and two litter boxes so they each have their own space with an area that they both have access to. Usually over time they will adjust if left alone. If she’s still aggressive there are prescription medications to give her for a little while to help her adjust so please discuss this with your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kaji.

I'm sorry to hear that Tippy is having a hard time adjusting. I would recommend a couple of things. I would try to decrease stress as much as possible. That may mean closing the door to the room that Tippy is in during the day to give her a "safe" place to be. You could also add a Feliway Diffuser ( https://www.feliway.com ) to your house. This is a calming pheromone that will work for a month. I have also had luck with Rescue Remedy ( http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ ) which can be added to the water. You could also consider calming music specially for cats ( http://throughadogsear.com/tace/through-a-cats-ear-1-music-for-calming/ ). But Tippy may just need more time, so don't rush things. I would leave her food in her "safe" area and just give her time. I know it seems like 6 weeks is a long time, but hopefully some additional calming techniques will help. If they do not help, you can always consider discussing an anti-anxiety medication with your veterinarian. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Moving into a new home can be very stressful for kittens - since she has only been with you for 4-5 days, it's likely that she's still adjusting and getting settled. It will take time for her to feel safe and comfortable in your home, so I would be patient for now and give her plenty of time to adjust. You can try using Feliway pheromone diffusers around the house to help make her feel more at-ease, as well as a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure if she seems anxious.

Poor Daisy! It sounds like she's quite stressed and upset about the move. Moving to a new home is extremely stressful for some cats - it can take several days or even weeks for them to start to feel comfortable in a new place. I would recommend setting up a separate room for Daisy with her food and water bowls, litter box, scratching post or cat tree, etc. and leaving her alone until she's ready to venture out into the rest of the house. You can also try using a Feliway pheromone diffuser along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure daily to see if this helps.