Hostile Kitten

Question
We adopted a three month old kitten from a cat rescue organization recently, and she just cannot seem to get along with our other two cats. We have two very sweet neutered male tabbies aged 1.5 and 2.5 who are best friends with each other and the sweetest guys you'll ever meet. They have tried to meet the new kitten in curious, non-threatening and friendly ways, and she goes into a hissing spitting rage, attacking them and swiping at them, growling loudly. We have placed her in the bathroom with food, water and her litter box and if we interact with her when she's calm she will purr in our arms. However, she's exceedingly skittish and downright hostile towards our other cats, whose feelings are hurt. We were expecting our older cats to be hostile towards the kitten, which they have NOT been, don't know what to do about the way our kitten is attacking our older cats. I'm also afraid that pretty soon, irrespective of how sweet and good-natured my other two tabbies may be, her aggressive behavior will provoke them.Can you help us? Will she ever come around?

Answer
You can be pretty certain she'll come around.  99% of cats do.  Some kittens are spit-fires, for sure.  But she's been through lots in her short life, from being wherever she was, moving to the rescue org, and now into your home with new sounds, smells and kitties!  So I can certainly understand her being defensive.

I think I would give her another week or two by herself, let her really get comfortable with her new surroundings, and then try to introduce them.  In the meantime, try some scent transference.  Rub one cat down with a towel, then present it to the kitten so she can analyze the scent and familiarize herself with it without the threat of a confrontation.  Repeat with the other cat.  And just for good measure, rub her down with a towel and present it to the boys.

It's also important to realize that noise is usually the worst part with cats.  Certainly, her swiping at them isn't acceptable or safe, and they shouldn't be allowed contact at this time.  But when you try to introduce them in a couple weeks, expect some hissing and growling and hair raising.  It's a normal part of their vocabulary.  I wouldn't intervene unless she begins lunging at them again.