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Introducing a new kitten to an older cat
- Thread starter 2catmandu
- Start Date
Hi Catmandu!
Here is an excerpt from a site I have read and have used this method myself for every new introduction into my household.Excerpt:
Steps for introducing little kittens to adult cats
http://wvcats.com/integrating_kittens_with_cats.htm
1) Isolation: Isolate the new cat completely for a few days. 2) Scent Familiarization: Scent familiarization with items, such as towels rubbed on each cat, then left in the area of the other cat. 3) Room Swapping: Switching the cats' places for a while every day, with no physical contact between them to allow even more scent familiarization. 4) Visual Familiarization: Seeing each other with no physical contact, such as from a slightly cracked opened door or with one of the cats in a carrier or cage for a few minutes only. 5) Developing Positive Associations: Start developing positive associations with no physical contact, such as by feeding the cats on opposite sides of a door when cracked opened and even when it is shut. 6) Short Supervised Visits: Brief, highly supervised visits paired with food or treats. 7) Separation at Signs of Hostilities: Separate the cats at signs of hostilities, or great fear. Learn cat body language to tell when a problem is starting. 8) Longer, Carefully Supervised Visits: Mingling under very careful supervision for up to a few hours, before total separation again. Adjust the length of time depending upon whether there are any signs of hostilities or stress, but no matter how well things seem, do not yet permit 24/7 free mingling. 9) Limited Free Mingling: Supervised free mingling except when the people are not home or asleep, so quick intervention can be done if needed. 10) Free Mingling Full Time: The cats are let together freely all the time when all the above steps have gone well, and when the kitten is 16 weeks old or older. No full-time mingling for infant kittens for their safety. Backtrack to the limited mingling if the cats weren't quite ready to be together all the time.
You may come across advice saying to ignore the new kitten in front of the resident cat, so the resident cat doesn't get upset. Do NOT do that. If you ignore a new cat, it makes the resident cat feel you don't really care or want that cat there either. It also makes the new cat feel unwanted and uncared for. That is not any way to treat a new kitten, whose whole life was turned upside down. It is good to show affection to the new cat, so the resident cat sees you want that cat in the home. But, you don't go overboard with shows of affection to the new cat in front of the resident cat.
