u/lilbumpy2

Hey everyone!

This is my first boy cat—and my first orange boy—so I’m not sure if that’s part of the issue, but my 23-week-old kitten is a very messy bathroom user.

While he’s actually in the litter box, everything is fine. The problem is what happens after…. he launches himself out of the box and runs, which sends litter everywhere.

A couple other things I’ve noticed:

•	He sometimes dips his paws into his water fountain right after using the litter box resulting in dirty water 

•	When he tries to cover his waste, he mostly just scratches the sides of the box instead of the litter

I’ve attached a photo of the type of litter box I’m using, along with a picture of my very handsome (but chaotic) little guy.

Any advice on how to reduce the mess or improve his litter habits would be really appreciated!

Main Issue: TLDR:

Week 8 and resident cat won’t let kitten in her space without hissing and swatting still. Started with slow introduction via jacksongalaxy

Hello! I’m currently on week 8 of introducing my cats and could really use some advice or reassurance.

I’ve been following Jackson Galaxy’s introduction method pretty closely (separate spaces, scent swapping, feeding through a gate, etc.), and we’ve made progress—but I feel a bit stuck right now.

The cats:

•	Tormund: 20-week-old male kitten, very high energy, affectionate, and very playful

•	Noelle: 10-year-old female resident cat,

a little anxious but sociable to humans and very attached to me

Where we’re at:

•	They eat meals together through a gate with no hissing, which feels like a big win

•	Tormund has a safe room upstairs and comes downstairs for supervised time

•	We’re trying to build positive shared experiences and keep routines consistent

The issue:

About 30–40 minutes after the cats eating we do cat session 1. During this time (even after a solid play session), Tormund still gets bursts of zoomies. (typical orange cat) When he darts around the house, it really stresses Noelle out. She gets tense, watchful, and keeps her guard up. She’s normally a watcher at this point and the moment he’s in her space or she’s locked eyes with him she hissing, swats or grumbles and moans depending on how close he is.

There’s no full-on fighting, but you can tell she’s uncomfortable and on edge when he’s unpredictable like that.

What I’ve been trying:

•	Giving Tormund intense play sessions before interactions

•	Bringing him downstairs again later fo a session 2 (around 9:30–10pm) for a calmer “TV time” to recreate what life used to be like for Noelle

•	Supervising all interactions closely

•	Trying to split attention between them

Other context:

•	Noelle seems more on guard lately since Tormund has been coming downstairs more often

•	My partner is currently out of town, so I’m managing both cats alone right now

•	Tormund is very cuddly and tends to sit on my lap, but Noelle is also very bonded to me, so I worry about balance/jealousy

•	I’ve even tried a small amount of CBD with Noelle to help with stress, which seems to take the edge off a bit

What I’m struggling with:

I’m not sure if:

•	I’m pushing things too fast

•	I should be separating them more when he gets zoomies or right after everytime she’s hissing and swatting 

•	if this is just normal kitten vs. senior cat adjustment that takes more time and i’m on the right track

I also worry I might be unintentionally reinforcing tension by stepping in too much (“mother bear mode”) vs. not enough.

Main questions:

•	How much zoomy behavior is “okay” at this stage?

•	Should I end interactions immediately when he gets wild? or when she’s upset? I imagine she’s gotta teach him and this is ca language. 

•	Does this sound like normal progress for week 8, or should things be calmer by now?

•	Any tips for helping a high-energy kitten coexist with an older, more anxious cat?

This video shows their dynamic a bit. Tormund is wearing a harness so I can try to keep from any lunging or his intense play to keep noelle calm and help teach him boundaries for her. this video is during session 2 tv time and they have been given treats as rewards leading up to this video.

Thank you in advance—I really want to set both of them up for success and make sure Noelle still feels safe in her home.

Post requested info -

Poster Age: 23F

Country: USA

Vet info: eg: enrolled in vet care, up to date vaccines, both cats spayed and neutered

Main Issue: TLDR:

Week 8 and resident cat won’t let kitten in her space without hissing and swatting still. Started with slow introduction via jacksongalaxy

Cat Age: 10yr F & 20w M

Cat Sex + neuter info: Older Female Spayed & Younger Male Neutered

Financial situation: We can afford vet care