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TLDR: got a new kitten that turned out to be a bengal (yes I'm aware that's very strange). She is constantly hunting my adults cats. They don't think it's fun. What do now?
Hi all! I recently adopted a kitten at an adoption event at my local pet store. The people who brought the kittens there run their own private rescue. I hadn't heard of them before, and they were a tad bit sketchy seeming. But I absolutely fell in love with one of the kittens, and I brought her home. The problem (not sure if that's the word I want to use) is that she happens to be a surprise bengal. She was not advertised as a bengal, and I didn't know a single thing about them prior to bringing her home, so wouldn't have been able to identify her as one. It was after the fact that I stumbled upon this discovery. I'm 99% sure those people had no idea either somehow. Supposedly these kittens were just left at their door... which is also strange, but whatever.
I do have two adult cats at home already. They are not bengals. They are both 6 years old, and pretty chill and lowkey.
We did introduce them the way one would introduce any average kitten to the adult cats. She was kept in our bedroom for about a week. The others were very aware of her, they each had things around that smell like the other, etc.
After a week we let her come downstairs into the living room to explore. The adults were decidedly not interested and chose to hang out in other rooms. After a few days of this, they finally came around to kind of just watch her play from afar. This phase too lasted only a few days. Now, the adults have started coming back around just as they used to before she came home, but she WON'T LEAVE THEM ALONE. She literally looks like she is hunting them, constantly. Running up at them, chasing them to other rooms. To the point where now they are growling and hissing at her, and swiping at her, until I remove her or them.
I don't fault her. Aside from having a strong hunting instinct, and being a kitten, she has only known other cats in the context of them being her siblings who loved her and played with her. I know she just wants to play with them, but they don't get that and don't want to interact with her at all because she's doing this constantly.
So! All this said - how can I fix this? Any tips? Is it even possible? I have feliway diffusers coming in the mail tomorrow. Contemplating getting some kind of doorway gate so she can play in the living room and be exposed to them without the ability of chasing them.
Getting rid of any of them is not an option, nor is getting a fourth cat. I just want to help them get along!
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- 2 months ago
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