how do i bring a kitten into a new house with an older cat safely?

Question

I had two cats that were very attached. One day Oliver ran away and Casper hasn't been the same since so i am contemplating bringing a new companion into the house for her. I wanna know a safe way to bring a new cat into the home and how to get Casper used to them in a safe way so she doesn't get all territorial and hurt the little kitty.

Answer 1

The best way to introduce cats of any age is to put the new one in the bathroom or other room with a litter pan and food, the door should be closed and enough of a gap underneath the door that they can just spy each other without hurting each other. Then when the mewing of the new cat attracts the other cat's attention, feed it a treat and pet it at the door and slide some under for the kitten. The older cat will associate attention and treats as a good thing and get used to something nice behind the door. Continue like this for the first day, perhaps dragging some string around for both to bat at from under the door. When you think the older cat is pleasantly interacting with all this joint attention, open the door a crack so they can see each other. Expect a little hissing as the older one is asserting that it is the boss, and hopefully the new one will accept that and be less aggressive. Close the door and continue for another day before giving the new cat the run of the house. Make sure you lavish lots of attention on the older cat. Curiosity will keep it close to the door and when it gets love and treats may not be so threatened by the new visitor. Good luck!

Answer 2

You've got some great advice from I_8_the_canary. Please give Casper lots of attention & love (even more than usual) so she doesn't feel insecure, jealous or that she's being replaced by the kitten.
It's usually better to adopt a kitten than an older cat if you've got a resident cat. You can expect a lot of hissing & growling in the beginning but it's seldom anything to worry about & usually becomes less as time goes on. It is very likely that the kitten won't be concerned about Casper's vocalisations & will probably follow her around, try to lie down close to her etc.
We've done several cat intros over the years (our youngest kitten is 5 months old). It takes an average of 1-2 weeks for the newbie to be accepted (sometimes less, occasionally a few months). I've only had 1 problem but I learned much later that I probably gave up to soon &then I felt terrible for having re-homed our newbie. Good luck.

Answer 3

My room mate got a kitten recently and my biggest fear was that my "only child" kitty would be very angry and territorial. We kept them separated until the kitten could handle himself (move around the house properly and play). My kitty is still angry that a new kitten is in the house 2 months later but is getting better everyday. Sometimes they play. The only thing to watch is when the kitten tries to play with Casper. Make sure the kitten doesnt get too rough with her and Casper shouldnt hurt the kitten.

Answer 4

Well, I 8 The Canary has said most of what I would have said. I can only add that you might want to have the two separated by more than a door, ie, in rooms which do not connect. You should get the new kitten some toys of his/her own right from the start. Then, before letting them see each other, you can try to exchange some toys, a towel, a blanket or something that has the scent of the other cat, to get them used to it. Lastly, it may take up to two weeks before it is safe to have them together, and watch them closely. If one hisses, you can't leave them alone together. When they rub noses or lick/wash each other, you've won.

Answer 5

well I would watch the two cats interact with each other and I would get a cat just like oliver name him oliver too too