How do I make my kitten leave my older cat alone?

[Lonelymom]

I have a 4 year old cat (Simba) and a 4 month old kitten(Puppy). The kitten loves to aggrevaite the older cat. Puppy will follow Simba around and try to eat with him. He will also attack him when he is walking by or even follow him and sit just inches away staring at him. Simba has never taken to the kitten and will hiss and growl when the kitten is near him which seems to be all the time. Simba prefers to be outside when it is pretty out but since we have gotten the kitten he only comes in to eat. I don't want Simba to give up his home but I don't want to give up Puppy either. How do I make them get along or atleast make the kitten leave Simba alone??

[Lonelymom]

Thanks for both of your advice. I will try the crate thing this weekend when I am home to watch them. I hate Simba being outside all the time but he will go balistic if I make him stay in around the kitten. The good thing is Simba doesn't leave the yard. He has no want to since he is fixed and getting older.

[Jacqui805]

I don't know that this is proper advice either, but I'll give it a shot.  Many years ago, I had a 17 pound male cat I adopted from a rescue.  The rescue called me a few years after I had him to tell me they had a little runt who was blind in one eye and no one would take him.  They told me I was their last hope...anyway, I took him.  The lady that I spoke with told me she had the best way to introduce a new kitten into a home with an existing cat and said she'd come right over to try it.  She had the kitten in a crate, and would not let him out, she had MY cat walk around the kitten in the crate.  This was supposed to let my cat get used to the new cat's scent and all the while having MY cat feel like top "dog" by having the freedom to walk around.  I don't know all the psychology behind it, but we tried it anyway.  She had this go on for over an hour.  After a while, we opened the door to the cage and it went from there.  Now my kitten did interact with the older cat of course, and I was worried for BOTH of 'em.  Long story short they lived in bliss until the little one got sick (he was born with Feline Leukemia and we didn't know it until six or seven months later, Mike, my older cat, did not contract it thankfully) and had to be put down.  I think that although you have already introduced your kitten into your home, maybe it's not too late to put him into a crate and have Simba get to feel his freedom and such.  After a while, open it up and see how it goes.  It MIGHT work, and you have nothing to lose....Other than that, I would think, that after a while, Simba will teach Puppy a few lessons....I don't know how cats are as far as nurturing is concerned, but it also may just be that male cats may not tolerate the playfulness of the babies all of the time.  Mine somehow used to wrestle like the best of buds, but I think it's a case by case basis.  I hope that you'll work it out and I think that maybe as Puppy chills out some with age, things will go alot smoother for you.  Best of luck to you, Jacqui

[lonewolf07]

This could be really wrong advice but in my experience with introducing a new younger cat to an older cat/cats it usually works out best when there is very little human intervention.  We just took in two stray kittens and we already have two adult cats.  There was some hissing and swatting but no damage done.  The cats and kittens seemed to have established their own hierarchy - who is the boss, etc.

Simba is probably jealous in his own cat way and he's letting you know he resents Puppy the intruder.  We gave our older cats more attention and extra treats.  I hate giving advice but I'd suggest paying more attention to Simba - let him know you're still his "person".  Puppy will get the message soon enough that Simba doesn't want to play with him.  You never know, the two of them might end up being "friends".