Fear or aggression?

Question
We bought two brothers two years ago and raised them together, they got on really well and occasionally had play fights.  One of the brothers was hit by a car and died instantly and the brother definitely missed him i.e showed no interest in going outside and was generally not himself.  My daughter was devastated and very emotional that her cat had died so suddenly.  So after a few weeks we bought a little male ginger tabby kitten.

The problem is i am unsure if my older cat is showing a fearful reaction or an aggressive one to the kitten.  The older cat was the submissive one and isnt one for loads of attention and cuddles!  He has also been neutred and has never sprayed in the house he is always quiet and sleeping.

The kitten is very friendly and happy and is 9 weeks old and has not yet been neutred.

The day i brought the kitten home i had it in my arms and someone else had the older cat in theirs.  The two cats were atleast 5ft apart. The older cat was hissing, showing his teeth, with his ears flat back against his head and his pupils fully dilated!  However, he made no attempt to hit the kitten.  Whereas the kitten cuddled into me and showed no aggression only fear.  We decided the introduction process had to be a slow one and have been giving items with the kittens scent to the older cat, whilst all the time keeping the kitten in a safe room.  The older cat climbs into the kittens pet carrier continually sniffing and walks around it with his tail all puffy! (when hes watching other cats from the window his tail puffs up then too).  His tail is lowered and no other part of him is puffy including his back.  He doesnt hiss or scrath at the carrier and eventually leaves it alone.  But when he is sniffing it he is in a world of his own and no amount of food or stroking can pull him away!

My daughter is too scared to eventually introduce them face to face, as she thinks the older cat will try to really hurt the kitten and the kitten is very shy and timorous and couldnt fight back.

So basically, i am wondering if this is fear or aggression and if i should be concerned about the older cats behaviour?

Answer
Hi Caitlin,

The older cat's behavior is normal, but you are right to take the introduction very slowly. Cats should not generally be introduced face-to-face at first. They should always be kept in separate rooms for the first week or so, and should be made familiar in the way that you are doing now, by scent transference. When your older cat seems very comfortable with the kitten's scent, and his tail no longer puffs up, and he can be distracted from the kitten's things more easily, you can move on to introducing the two more directly. I would recommend that you place the kitten in the carrier to do this to ensure that the kitten is not injured, just in case your cat DOES react aggressively.

If the older cat hisses, this is okay. This is a normal reaction of fear or discomfort. Do not allow them to have close contact (keep them many feet apart, or keep the kitten in his carrier), and allow the cat to leave the room if he desires. If he makes other vocalizations, like howling or screeching or spitting (a popping noise), this is more aggressive, and the visit should end right away. Try again the next day. If the visit goes well and the cat is only curious, or hissing is kept to a minimum, the visit can go as long as 15 minutes, and you can have several visits per day. Lengthen the visits each day.

You can also use food as a tool to help establish a positive experience that they will associate with one another. Feed the kitten in his carrier and the cat a few feet outside it at the same time, or feed the two at opposite ends of the same room, and move the bowls closer together each day until they are eating just a few feet apart.

Most cats take about 2 weeks to accept a new kitten, but some take longer. The key is to take it at the individual cat's pace. Watch the cat's body language carefully to ensure he is accepting the kitten, and allow them to be alone only once all signs of aggression have disappeared.

Best of luck!

Jessica