My older cat is stressed by a new kitten. How to help him adjust?

Question

My family recently rescued an 8 week old male kitten. We have a 1 year old neutered male cat whose behavior and eating/drinking patterns have changed. What can I do in order to help our older cat adjust to our new kitten. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

There are a few things that you can do to try to decrease stress and make the transition as easy as possible for Boxer. One option for decreasing stress is to add a Feliway Diffuser ( https://www.feliway.com ) or Comfort Zone Diffuser ( https://www.comfortzone.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 and is safe for both cats. There are a number of companies that make calming treats such as Composure ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetri-science-composure-feline-bite-sized-chews ). You could also consider calming music specifically for cats ( http://throughadogsear.com/tace/through-a-cats-ear-1-music-for-calming/ ). Be sure to provide "safe" areas for Boxer to be able to get away from the kitten where he can eat and drink in private without worrying about the kitten. And spend as much time as possible playing with the new kitten to get his energy out, so he does not try to play with Boxer until Boxer is ready. If Boxer continues to have abnormal behavior, eating and drinking, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine him. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

My older cat is stressed by a new kitten. How to help him adjust?

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