I am getting a new kitten on Saturday and currently have one. Best way to introduce new kitten?

Question

My current kitten is about 9 months old. I'm getting a new 6 week old kitten on Saturday. I heard from some friends that for the first week I should keep them in seperate room before introducing the new kitten. Any suggestions? Has anyone done this before?

Answer 1

I would take your friends advice and put them into separate rooms. I had to do this with my little guys. My older kitty was 5 months when we got another one. The new kitty we got was only 3 months old. We put the younger kitty into our bedroom for the first week. We would also let the younger kitty out once a day so the two could get used to each other. After the first week, and them constantly playing "Footise" under the door my little guys are now inseparable. They play fight, eat from the same food dish, run around the house like a herd of elephants. Good Luck with the new kitty.

Answer 2

You could always lock the new cat in a different room at 1st so that they smell one another. Also, rub a towel on the new kitten, so that its smell is on the towel, and then put it under the other cats food. This way the cat will know the kitten before they are formally introduced and will associate the kitten with good things.

Answer 3

It's important to have realistic expectations when introducing a new pet to a resident pet. Some cats are more social than other cats. For example, an eight-year-old cat that has never been around other animals may never learn to share her territory (and her people) with other pets in the household. However, an eight-week-old kitten separated from her mom and littermates for the first time, might prefer to have a cat or dog companion. Cats are territorial and need to be introduced to other animals very slowly in order to give them time to get used to each other before there is a face-to-face confrontation. Slow introductions help prevent fearful and aggressive problems from developing. PLEASE NOTE: When you introduce pets to each other, one of them may send "play" signals which can be misinterpreted by the other pet. If those signals are interpreted as aggression by one animal, then you should handle the situation as "aggressive."

Confinement
Confine your new cat to one medium-sized room with her litter box, food, water and a bed. Feed your resident pets and the newcomer on each side of the door to this room. This will help all of them to associate something enjoyable (eating!) with each other's smells. Don't put the food so close to the door that the animals are too upset by each other's presence to eat. Gradually move the dishes closer to the door until your pets can eat calmly, directly on either side of the door. Next, use two doorstops to prop open the door just enough to allow the animals to see each other, and repeat the whole process.

Swap Scents
Switch sleeping blankets or beds between your new cat and your resident animals so they have a chance to become accustomed to each other's scent. Rub a towel on one animal and put it underneath the food dish of another animal. You should do this with each animal in the house.

Switch Living Areas
Once your new cat is using her litter box and eating regularly while confined, let her have free time in the house while confining your other animals to the new cat's room. This switch provides another way for the animals to experience each other's scents without a face-to-face meeting. It also allows the newcomer to become familiar with her new surroundings without being frightened by the other animals.

Avoid Fearful And Aggressive Meetings
Avoid any interactions between your pets that result in either fearful or aggressive behavior. If these responses are allowed to become a habit, they can be difficult to change. It's better to introduce your pets to each other so gradually that neither animal becomes afraid or aggressive. You can expect mild forms of these behaviors, but don't give them the opportunity to intensify. If either animal becomes fearful or aggressive, separate them, and start over with the introduction process in a series of very small, gradual steps, as outlined above.

Precautions
If one of your pets has a medical problem or is injured, this could stall the introduction process. Check with your veterinarian to be sure that all of your pets are healthy. You'll also want to have at least one litter box per cat, and you'll probably need to clean all of the litter boxes more frequently. Make sure that none of the cats are being "ambushed" by another while trying to use the litter box. Try to keep your resident pets' schedule as close as possible to what it was before the newcomer's appearance. Cats can make lots of noise, pull each other's hair, and roll around quite dramatically without either cat being injured. If small spats do occur between your cats, you shouldn't attempt to intervene directly to separate the cats. Instead, make a loud noise, throw a pillow, or use a squirt bottle with water and vinegar to separate the cats. Give them a chance to calm down before re-introducing them to each other. Be sure each cat has a safe hiding place.

Answer 4

Ok while the other two answers raise good thoughts you should introduce them immediately or your first cat will have jealousy issues. Try introducing them over a can of soft food or tuna.

Answer 5

The older cat may want to play with the younger one and if its big enough, may cuase some harm. some cats also see a threat for territory and may fight. you should wait til the younger 6 week old one gets older if its really small

Answer 6

You don't need to separate them. All you need to do is let them roam the house whenever and where ever. The older cat may not like it at first, but will get used to the new cat. It shouldn't take more than a couple days for them to get friendly.

Answer 7

I have always kept real little ones that age away from my other cats until they are about 3 months old and bigger. 6 weeks is just a tiny thing and he cant protect himself from a larger cat.

Answer 8

my vet suggests that you put a drop of perfume on each of their heads so they smell alike and they won't get so upset.

Answer 9

slowley