will my cat take to a new kitten?

Question

my cats 9 months old im thinking of getting another kitten,coz there great company,as you know!do they usually take to another one coming into the home?thanks for your answers

Answer 1

If you introduce them right.

http://www.moosecoons.com/intronewkitten.html

You also might want to feed them on opposite sides of the door for awhile (a week) so they get used to each others smell.

Answer 2

I just got a new kitten a month ago & I had a 1 year old already. I was told to set up a room for the new cat & to keep them separated for 2 weeks, which I thought was complete bullsh*t. However, I did do it & it REALLY works! They now get along great, like they've always been together. I'm so happy because I always felt guilty leaving kitty home alone all day, but now they really enjoy each other's company. I, like you was really hesitant & thought long & hard about it, but I would definetly get another one if I were you. Google "Introducing a new kitten" & there's tons of info on how you introduce them. Although it takes a little work, it's well worth doing it this way in the long run. Good luck!!!

Answer 3

I've had a lot of cats, atleast somewhere in between fifty and a hundred within the last ten years or so, and I've only had two incidents where a new cat wasn't welcome. Even then it worked out fine. Within about four or five monthes the first cat started getting along with the rest of the cats just fine. The other one never did fit in real well but he was still fine. He just kept to himself and was plenty happy. And this did'nt seem to affect my relationship with the cat at all. So I'd say that everything should be just fine, especially since the cat you have now is still real young and pretty much a kitten at heart himself. He'd probably appreciate having someone to play with.

Answer 4

DON'T LISTEN TO ANY OF THE PESSIMISTS!!! Chances are VERY good that they will get along and even ENJOY each other's company. It will take a week or so (not much more) But since both are young, they can be playing together within days. Don't worry if they hiss and swat at each other the first few days. They WILL get over it. The bigger one will not likely actually hurt the baby, the baby will back off and give him his space. Trust me. Your nine month old probably still loves to play and a playmate will be IRRESISTIBLE to him. Again, on first meeting there will be some foul kitty language exchanged. But I'd be willing to bet money that in two weeks tops they'll be tumbling around wrestling together like old friends.

Just don't FORCE them to be in tight quarters together when they first meet. Allow them lengthy (supervised is a good idea) periods of time together in a room Large enough for them to keep their distance if they want to. But also don't keep them apart so much that they don't have a real chance to get to know each other.

The only time I've EVER seen cats not get along after a short period of time is introducing Adult to strange Adult. Adult to kitten works fine, and kitten to kitten.. pshaw! (And your nine month old is still more kitten than adult) We're talking DAYS till they're playmates, most likely.

Answer 5

It might take a while, but they will learn to get along. I went through it a few years ago. My older cat didn't want the kitten anywhere near me at first. But after about 2 weeks they were playing and sleeping together.

Answer 6

At first they will not be very happy and be quite jealous because probably you will be giving more time for the new kitten or not as much time for themselves. You should give them an equal amount of time for each and soon, after a while your cats will calm down and accept the new member of the family.

Answer 7

With cats, you never know. Usually not because they are very territorial. But sometimes they surprise us and act very indifferent to the new kitty. I would suggest you introduce the kittens with a screen door between them first to see how the older cat reacts to kittens.

Answer 8

My cat was so mad when i brought the kiten home. Just as they were getting used to eachother I decided that the kitten wasnt right for me and rehomed her. I found a kitten that was better suited for our house and when I brought her home they fought. and ran away from each other. After about a week they were best friends, and the kitten even tried to nurse off of my older one. Now we cant seperate them, they eat sleep and play together.

Answer 9

I have a cat 2 years old and we just got another kitty 3 days ago,a seven week old kitty, our 2 year old cat hisses at the kitty, and even tried to slap him once, but I think our older cat is just jealous. It will probably take a few weeks for them to get used to one another.

Answer 10

Some cats are not willing to share their home with a new kitten. Be careful!

Answer 11

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.