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Why Is My Cat Staring At My New Kitten? (In Danger?)

If you have noticed your cat staring at your new kitten you may be concerned and wondering why this is happening…

Why is my cat staring at my new kitten?

Cats are very territorial animals. This means that if a new cat enters an area that they believe belongs to them, then they will stare at it. The kitten will know from being stared at that the cat isn’t their biggest fan.

So, now you know. But, could this be jealousy? Why do most cats stare like this? Could your kitten be in danger? Keep reading for these answers, and much more…

Could my cat be staring out of jealousy?

Your cat could be staring at your kitten out of jealousy. But, staring isn’t one of the main signs of jealousy. There are plenty of other things a cat will do to show they are jealous. A lot of this will be quite aggressive behavior.

However, since the cat will likely be jealous that another cat is trying to move upon territory that they believe is theirs, then they may stare to give the other cat that they are not happy about it.

This may often occur if the first cat feels that it is losing some of the resources that it once had to the new cat e.g. personal space, or even the attention of the owner.

Why do most cats stare?

Most of the time, cats stare because they want attention. As a pet owner, you will likely have caught your cat staring at you several times. This may be because they want food. It may be because they want you to pet them.

In some cases, it may be because they are scared and they are looking for your support. Honestly, staring is one of the main communication methods for a cat. Therefore, you may have to look at what else is going on in a cat’s life to work out why they are staring in the first place.

Should you stare back at your cat for doing this to your kitten?

Generally speaking, you should never stare at a cat. This is because staring at a cat is you displaying your dominance. Cats do not like this most of the time. However, if they are staring at the kitten, chances are that they are doing so because they want to act like the dominant one.

If you stare at your cat, you will be asserting your position as the dominant animal in that household. This, in some cases, may actually be enough to encourage your cat to stop staring at the kitten. Although, sometimes it can backfire and you do nothing but irritate the cat that you are staring at.

How can you introduce your cat to the kitten to stop staring?

Introducing the kitten to your cat should be a slow and gradual process. Each cat must have its own area where it can spend time alone. This means their own food bowls, water bowls, beds, and even toys.

This will go a long way towards ensuring that the new cat doesn’t feel that their resources are being taken. Allow the cats to spend some time together (supervised), and make sure that you heap praise on them evenly.

Blanket with the kitten’s smell…

Before the meeting, some pet owners will leave a blanket with the smell of the new kitten with the older cat. This way they can get used to the scent of a new animal in the home.

It may take a few meetings…

There is a chance that the cat may be happy with the kitten from the very first meeting. However, you may want to leave it a few meetings before they get used to one another.

If your cat stares but blinks, does this mean love?

If a cat is staring, but this stare is broken (what about dirty looks? click here) up by a slow blink, this does mean that your cat is communicating affection. They are likely to do this towards you.

However, there is nothing that says they will not communicate affection towards your kitten as time goes on. In fact, many older cats will take on a protective role of younger kittens once the two are familiar with one another.

Could my new kitten be in danger?

Chances are that your kitten isn’t in danger. Now, cats have been known to kill kittens that invade their territory. It is an instinct. However, you should only really show cause for concern if your cat seems to have a bit of aggression towards the kitten.

For example, swiping at the cat, or just straight trying to attack it. If your cat does appear to be aggressive towards the kitten, then you must never leave the two of them alone with one another.

Not until you are confident that the two cats are more than happy with one another. However, even then, you may still want to take precautions until the kitten gets a bit closer to adult-sized.

Could your cat be terrified of the new kitten?

It is possible that your cat could be terrified of the new kitten. You have to remember that your cat will now see a younger, fitter cat enter their territory. In their mind, they may be thinking that the new kitten has come to take over their turf.

As a result, the older cat may be a little bit suspicious about what is going to happen. This means that the older cat may not be staring in a bid to assert its dominance.

They may be staring because they are scared about what is going to happen. As your cat starts to learn that the new kitten isn’t a danger, then they should be fine. They will no longer be as scared.

How do most cats react to a new kitten?

It is very, very rare that a cat will take to a new kitten right away (what if it urinates on it? click here). Some will be completely fine with the situation. The first meeting goes so well that you just know that these two cats will be friends for life. In most cases, however, the first meetings will involve a lot of staring.

It may even involve a lot of vying for your attention. This is because the older cat wants to know that they are still in charge of the household. As time goes on, the two cats will start to become more familiar with one another.

When this happens, the staring may stop. The cats may even end up playing with one another. However, do bear in mind that it may never even reach that point. Try as you might, there are some cases where the cats will just find each other ‘bearable’.

This means that they will be fine living in the same home, but they are never going to associate with one another no matter what you end up doing.

Why would your cat be mad at you for getting a new kitten?

Your cat will be mad at you for giving attention to your new kitten. You have to remember that for a long while, your cat will be the only one getting your attention.

They will love it. However, the second that you introduce a new cat into the mix, they aren’t getting the attention that they did in the past. They are going to start to get jealous.

They will start to do things to catch your attention. They will clearly show that they are mad with you. There is not much that you can do about this other than give the older cat time to adjust to the new situation.