Introducing 4 yr old & 4 mo old

[rosewelsh]

I'm considering adopting a 4 year old female cat and a 4 month old male or female kitten. The older cat spent a month in my home with my aggressive cat who is no longer here. Then spent the last few months at a kennel. The kitten will have come from a home full of cats and caring humans. Neither cat will have met one another.

Should I bring them both into my home at the same time? Bring the older cat in first or visa versa?

Thanks in advance.

Rose

 

[aswient]

If you are adopting them at the same time, and they will be brought into the house together you might be able to just let them check their environment out together, Everything will be new and strange to both of them so no one will feel superior to the other. Kittens in my dealings with this are never the aggressor. However, if you should see one of them getting agitated with the other one you can always put them in separate rooms and slowly introduce them. Good luck.

 

[rosewelsh]

OK that's good info, thank you

I also have another option:
The 4 year old (Purnie) has spent a couple months in a kennel where a litter of kittens have been raised. They are now about 6 weeks old. We've been bringing Purnie out while they play but she seems afraid of them. She tries to stay off of the floor where they play. When they get close to her she swats at them without her ears folding back. I've tried playing with them together with a feather and they play for a few seconds until Purnie realizes she's playing with the kittens then she swats at them and moves. (She's spayed and has never had a litter.) I can keep Purnie there for a few more weeks while the kittens get bigger and the cat lady will put them out together every day. Question: How can I help one kitten and Purnie be friends? She loves to play; grew up in a house with all her siblings.

 

[aswient]

I had 2 cats about 4 years old when I brought in 2 siblings aged 5 months old. They were born in my back yard so they were part ferral. I sat on the floor with all four just nice and quietly swinging a rubber spider on a string on a stick, they stayed separated from each other and started to take turns swatting at the spider. They're the best of friends now. Now I think it might be easier for Purnie to face one kitten then a whole litter. She won't feel so out numbered. Good Luck.

 

[aswient]

One other thing, this is subjective and differs from one person to another, its just that I have 9 cats and I found that either 2 boys or a girl and a boy gets along allot better together then 2 girls. But like I said someone else could come along and find it the opposite way.