How long until a kitten and older cat become more adjusted to each other?

by Anonymous

How long will it take for my kitten to calm down and my older cat to become more adjusted? My older male cat is 6 years old and prior to us having a kitten, we lived with roommates that had a cat around the same age. They would play fight (though sometimes we had to break them up if it got too intense), cuddle, bathe each other, etc.

We were worried once we moved he'd be lonely so we got a kitten. It didn't go over too well at first but now they also bathe each other and sleep next to one another on occasion.

Unlike the last cat due to age, however, the kitten is constantly stalking/pouncing on the older one. The older one will pin him down and start bathing him but the younger one wants to play more aggressively to the point the older one gets overwhelmed and tries to run away.

Now, unless we lock the younger one away our extremely affectionate cat is very on edge (which wasn't the case when the roommates had their cat) and won't come near us.

I'm starting to think we made the wrong decision and should find the kitten another home but we love him very much and it's heartbreaking just to think about.

At the same time, I'm worried about my older cat not having a higher quality of life. Any tricks in aiding this transition or what to expect? Is it worth starting from scratch and separating them/reintroducing them? They've been together for about 2 months now.