'I don’t know how to help either of my cats': Overwhelmed pawrent struggles to manage energetic kitten and anxious senior cat, desperate for for peace, purrs, and a pawsitive family dynamic

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Sarah Brown • Writer and Editor
Jun 5, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

This pawrent is feline the pressure two months into adopting a high-energy orange kitten to be a companion for their anxious older cat. While the two felines technically coexist, sharing sunbeams, snacks, and even the same litter box, the young one's chaotic energy is making life anything but purrfect.

The kitten's favorite pastime seems to be full-on feline parkour, often chasing and cornering her senior sibling. At one point, she even launched surprise sneak attacks mid-litter box business. Talk about invading privacy! Switching to an open litter box helped avoid some ambushes, but the older cat is still clearly on edge, and the pawrent is stressed, too.

With the kitten's endless energy and her senior sibling's anxiety, the home dynamic feels tense. The pawrent admits they're full of regret and uncertainty, questioning if they should push through the kitten chaos and hope for calmer days ahead, or if they're stuck in a tail-spin with no clear solution in sight.

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  • 01
    Two months ago, I adopted a 6- month-old spayed female orange to be a companion for my 6-year- old cat. She's now around 9 months old. I followed the Jackson Galaxy method for introductions - it didn't go perfectly, but they can now share the same room peacefully. They sleep in the same room, sunbathe together, eat side by side, drink from the same bowl, and even use the same litter box.
    via u/AcademicAd6466
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10512725248
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  • 03
    But here's the problem: the kitten is absolutely crazy. She constantly chases and corners my older cat, who's already pretty anxious by nature. She's extremely energetic and never seems to get tired. At one point, she would even ambush the older cat inside the litter box, so I had to switch to an open litter box just to avoid sneak attacks. That problem is solved but other things...
    via u/AcademicAd6466
  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 10513223424
    via AdinaVoicu from Pixabay / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 05
    Honestly, I'm deeply regretting bringing her into our lives. But she's almost a year old now, rehoming her would be difficult, and abandoning her is absolutely not an option. I feel stuck and guilty, and I don't know how to help either of my cats feel safe and calm again.
    via u/AcademicAd6466
  • 06
    Bonus issue: The kitten also has this horrible habit of digging out her from the litter box and playing with it like a toy. It's driving me insane. If anyone has advice for this specific behavior, I'm all ears. Please, any help or advice is welcome. Edit: got her from street, not from and rescue
    via u/AcademicAd6466
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    Cheezburger Image 10513225728
    via Aleksandar Cvetanovic from Pexels / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 08
    wwwhatisgoingon How much do you play with the kitten? Redirection? Kittens are by nature ridiculously energetic. They almost always annoy the crop out of older cats without a second kitten around. The solution generally is to build a play routine and tire the kitten out reliably.
    via u/wwwhatisgoingon
  • 09
    This needs to be regular enough that the kitten sees you as their play buddy, not the other cat. These cats are getting along great aside from play. Should be easy enough to redirect if you play with her 4-6x a day, slowly tapering down as she gets older. May even solve your other issue.
    via u/wwwhatisgoingon
  • 10
    -Liriel- Resist. It gets better. Eventually.
    via u/-Liriel-

  • Hang in there! Kittens can be total chaos gremlins, but most mellow out with time. With patience, love, and maybe some extra toys, she’ll grow into a purrfect little companion.

  • 11
    NYCemigre I did that a long time ago - I didn't realize the baby would spend most of her time bu ying the older cat (because kittens have so much energy). Honestly I got a second kitten and it worked beautifully (for me I know 3 cats can be a lot). The two kittens probably spend the next few years playing, and left the older cat alone.
    via u/NYCemigre
  • 12
    I think pairing a kitten with an older cat is usually tough because there is such a mismatch in terms of energy level and desire to play and wrestle.
    via u/NYCemigre
  • 13
    metropolitandeluxe Oh, and an orange kitten to boot! That was brave of you. They have this crazy dinosaur period that will usually only last a few more months, then they settle down. Try a treat puzzle for stimulation.
    via u/metropolitandeluxe
  • 14
    circlecircledotdot Wait 6 months- 1 year, peace is right around the corner. Your kitten just wants to play. Possibly schedule play time for an hour each night to lessen the psycho behavior
    via u/circlecircledotd0t
  • 15
    Remarkable_Put5... Hang in there! I had the same issues when I first adopted a 7-month old male to keep my 6 year old female company (she was lonely while I was at work). The young cat did the exact same stuff to my older cat, right down to the litter box ambushes! So two years later, they still have their little differences but they are
    via u/Remarkable_Put5515
  • 16
    pals. Kind of an odd couple situation, but it works out well. I also thought I'd made a mistake but I didn't. They're awesome. No advice re your specific question. If all else fails, your vet might have advice. Sending you stoic vibes. You'll be glad you gave your cats time to grow closer
    via u/Remarkable_Put5515
  • 17
    admiraldurate Orange kitten is always gnna be a psycho. It's a Orange kitten..
    via u/admiraldurate

  • Orange cats are little lovable psychos. In the best way possible. One minute they're purring in your lap, the next they’re climbing the curtains like it’s their personal jungle gym!

  • 18
    singleminge Your cat is in the veloceraptor phase. I have a kitten that has so much energy she does not stop aside from her cat naps and luckily I managed to set her routine straight so she sleeps at night. I have 2 adult cats and they are playful especially my orange girl-she is now 2.5 yrs old.
    via u/singleminge
  • 19
    They also have similar styles of play which helps. My male cat is very chilled and the kitten is constantly jumping on him when he is laying down and trying to get into the litter tray when he is using it. He growls when she is being too annoying and she always backs off. Redirection works, but it is the phase where they have so much energy it should start settling down when they go past 1 to 2 yrs old.
    via u/singleminge
  • 20
    zeronationarmy I got a 4-month-old in December. At first, he was relentless with chasing one of my 3 other cats specifically. The other two basically laid down the law, bopping him on the nose, but Pixel (old man) is a pushover! He still does this now that he's 10 months, but it's nowhere near as bad. It's gone from being worried to just being
    via u/zeronationarmy
  • 21
    annoyed. I can redirect him with with toys in the moment, but also make sure play with him when he isn't amped up. You might have to stick it out for a while with TONS of play. Feather teasers, fake mice (the ones with rabbit fur are the best), and little plastic springs are all essential for my crazy
    via u/zeronationarmy
  • 22
    little man. I also take him on walks on a harness and leash, it really tires him out. Good luck with your little girl <3
    via u/zeronationarmy

  • Give that kitten plenty of playtime and exercise to tire them out. An exhausted kitten means less chaos and a happier, more relaxed older cat. Win-win for the whole fur family!

  • 23
    Both-Gur570 Here's my (possibly) hot take: if it isn't working, bring the cat back to the rescue. Because it's not fair to you to live in stress, and you'll get frustrated (naturally). That frustration will come out in how you are with your cat (understandably) which isn't fair to them. And then there's your resident cat who is an innocent in all of this and deserves a
    via u/Both-Gur570
  • 24
    comfortable home. I cant tell from your post if older kitty is stressed or not, but i assume so. If you got this cat from a rescue, I promise most rescues would rather you return the cat than kitty live in a less than ideal home.
    via u/Both-Gur570
  • 25
    I will note though that energy just kinda... comes with getting a kitten. They're gonna have more energy than an adult, even if they're mostly calm by nature.
    via u/Both-Gur570

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kitten advice cat owners feline pawrents Cats regret
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