Wondering if im doing the right thing

[kaytee]

Not sure if this is the right place to put this, but as its to do with kittens I took a stab in the dark and posting it here.

We have an 8 month old BSH...Holly...Shes my baby and a very spoilt baby at that! Shes a perfect pet and im so glad we got her!

We decided to get Holly a friend, another female Kitty...exotic shorthair...called Luna. Today we pick her up from the breeder,

I have done TONS of research on what to do re: them meeting for the first time and feel pretty prepared for bringing Luna home and how they will both react with each other.

But Im also starting to wonder if im doing the right thing. What if they hate each other and NEVER get on as friends? What if Holly suddenly hates me for bringing another kitten into the house? Will it change Hollys lovely, soft nature?

URGH. Is it normal to feel like this?

[Natalie_ca]

Yes, it's normal to feel anxious about bringing in a new kitty.

There are lots of knowlegable people here that can give you tips on how to maximize the chance of acceptance through proper introductions. I think there is a sticky thread in one of the forums too, though I don't know off hand which one.

[Tallulah]

Its a perfectly normal feeling, just be patient and dont rush things, my last introduction was an older female ragdoll I rehomed, with two younger female dsh and it took me over a month to get it right, however they are all absolutley fine with each other and the bond is even stronger 1 year on.
Good luck. A kitten is normally easier to introduce.

[tracyspud]

hi kaytee.
i'm having similar worries at the moment.
we've had our furbaby 'buster', a silver tabby neutered male, for the past 7 years, just on his own. he's mainly my baby, and he's spoilt rotten.
but just a few weeks ago, we had a little pregnant tortie creeping into our house and stealing his food, and she eventually went on to have her 4 kittens behind one of our chairs!
after finding out who she belonged to, it was agreed that i would keep 'kitty' as we've called her, and her 4 kittens, who are now just 9 days old. (her owner seemed relieved to be rid of her, as she was already over-run with pregnant cats and kittens).
buster is usually very territorial, but i think because kitty is a girl, he's been very good, and just tends to ignore her and the kittens.
we are hoping to keep one of the girl kittens, and we hope that kitty will stay too, although she may choose to go back to her old home when the kittens are weaned.
i do worry if my 'baby' will feel pushed out if we end up with the two girls as well as him. i'm pretty sure he will 'tolerate' them because they are girls, but i still worry that he will know he is loved just as much and will always be my baby boy!
we seem crazy having these worries don't we, but it's just because we love our moggies to bits, and they're part of our families like our children really!
i'm sure your kitties will be fine with each other.
just keep lavishing holly with the same love you've always given her and she will still love you i'm sure!
tracy x

[CC12]

I have done 5 intros so far with a territorial female and I have had success. Feliway plug ins are essential in my book. It calms the household down. I take a very very long time with it. 2 months is not unheard of. I really do believe cats can live in harmony. As long as you don't have one that is determined to remain alone and very difficult.
I lavish my resident cats with extra love and attention. I keep our routines the same. They sleep with me like always. I make sure to have yummy treats.
I keep the new cat isolated but visit a lot. Make sure they have toys and give them attention too.
I have noticed that my cats are irritated some at first and then curiosity kind of takes over. I give them a little bit of time to together and build on it slowly. Then I let them check each others spaces out. Get some good sniffs and smells.
Show the resident cat that the new cat is ok.
It doesn't guarantee that they will be best pals but they can learn to coexist.

[mews2much]

I have 4 Cats and got my last one in Nov. Oreo gets along with everyone really well. Coco and Meeko never hissed or growled at her. In fact everytime we have got a Kitten it ends up trying nurse on Coco. Sasha hissed at Oreo and now they are best friend. Sasha was 1.3 years old when we got Oreo. Your Cats should be ok just introduce them slowly.

[Kernil]

Dont worry, its perfectly normal.

I was worried when I first brought Zorro home, as he was a 5 week old rescue kitten, and my girl Sasha was an 8 year old (I believe) at that point. They took some time, but now they are best of friends, and love to sleep, groom, and play with each other (when poor Sasha feels up to it, poor girls starting to slow down )

You should be fine, just do it slowly and take your time. Give extra snuggles to each, and let them know they can love and trust you. It will probably be even easier for you than me, as it seems like they are about the same age

[KatKisses]

It's normal to feel that way, and at first it may seem like all of your fears are happeneing (your cat may smell the other cat on you and hiss, hide, they may fight when they first meet, ect) but with time I am sure that they will be great friends, and you cat will not hate you, she may boycott at first though. Just make sure that you follow the others advice on introducing them verrrry slowly.
You know, several of our members have brought in new cats & their cats took to them instantly. Whatever the case having a friend for her/him is definatly the way to go, he/she wouled never be lonely again while you are away, they would play & exersice together, there are just so many benefits! Good luck!

[kaytee]

Thank you for your replies everyone.

We kept them seperate and they were both meowing like crazy at the door. Holly (resident kitty) was rubbing her head up the door and seemed like she really wanted to meet Luna. So we let them meet. Some sniffing, hissing and growling, then Holly ran off and hid! Didnt come out for hours. Have to admit, I wasnt expecting that. Thought they might fight a bit and the hissing and growling but didnt expect the bigger kitty to hide from the smaller one. Holly seems pretty scared of Luna...kinda funny as Holly is bigger!! Now shes walking around with her 'hunting' stance, eyes wide, back up, close to the floor and moving very slowly. Again, is this normal?

[CC12]

Yes. Sometimes it is a bit of posturing. Since one cat gave in quickly you will be ok. It is when someone clearly wants to dominate and the other does too that it gets ugly.
I would separate them again so that the other cat doesn't get stressed. It sounds like you will be fine.

[Anne]

We have some good articles on the site which may be relevant -
http://www.thecatsite.com/Behavior/4...cing-Cats.html
http://www.thecatsite.com/Behavior/2...at-Fights.html (hopefully you won't need that one - but better read in advance, just in case).

I think the best advice though is for you to stay calm. Cats often pick up on our anxiety and reflect that on their new mate. They will be alright - you have to believe that. They may or may not become best friends (have to be realistic about expectations), but they will get along fine once they get used to each other. Cats have their own ways of adjusting to the presence of another cat and establishing hirerachy - you have to let them go through that part and accept the results (size may not be the determining factor here either).

Hope this helps - keep us updated!

[GoldenKitty45]

Yes its normal for you to feel that way. But its very very rare that a new kitten will not be accepted. Females do tend to be more territorial then males regarding new cats and take longer to adjust. But in your favor, your resident female is just 8 months old and still very much a kitten; so the adjustment should be a lot quicker then a full grown adult.

I'm assuming the new kitten is about 3-4 months old and you shouldn't have any problems. And I'm assuming both are spayed too which will help a lot.

Two tricks: (1) sprinkly cornstarch baby powder on both and rub it in or (2) put a dab of vanilla extract on their chin and base of tail.