Crabby tabby, what to do?

Dear Paw’s Corner: I have an 8-year-old female tabby. “Kate” is not the friendliest girl around. She loves me but only tolerates everyone else, and truly hates my grandchildren. The problem is that three days ago we adopted a 5-week-old male kitten. “Jack” is very loving to my granddaughter, and they have become very attached. Kate, however, has been very upset and hisses at everyone except me. I do not have any interaction with Jack, the kitten, for fear that my cat will become even more upset. How can I get Kate to calm down and accept Jack? Will she ever get to the point where she will at least be a little more at ease with him here? — Flustered Grandma in Gary, Ind.

Dear Flustered: Older cats can be very set in their ways, and Kate’s behavior toward little Jack is not surprising. After all, she doesn’t like intrusions that upset her control of the world. And here’s an energetic bundle of joy whose mission seems to be to keep Kate off balance at every turn!

Kate and Jack may never get along, but they do need to reach a truce of some sort, and you’re the chief negotiator. All their interaction at this point must be supervised by you; if you can’t be around, place them in separate rooms (with food, water and litter box). Schedule a “family time” each day, where you hold one cat on your lap (preferably Jack at this point) while the other is in the room, and introduce them to one another. Kate will hiss and unsheathe her claws; back away slowly with Jack until she stops.

Interactions will be like this for several days or weeks, but Kate must eventually accept that Jack is staying put. She may never like it, but she will learn to share the space, however grudgingly.