I have a new kitten and don't know how to introduce him to my current one.?

Question

3 weeks ago we got a kitten and had already decided that we want to get another one for him to play with. We have the 2nd one now and I don't know what would be a good way to get them to mix with each other because the 1st one has become a little territorial and I'm worried that he might hurt the new kitten. Has anyone got any good ideas how I can do this? We have tried putting them together but the older kitten just ends up pouncing on the new one.

Answer 1

You definitely don't want to let them meet face to face yet! You are right, the first cat is definitely going to be territorial. The older kitten pounced because he wanted to establish is Alpha Cat status immediately to the younger one.
I found some really helpful articles on this subject when I was introducing my second kitten to my first one! Here are the links:

http://www.cuhumane.org/topics/catcat.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Tips-for-Introducing-Two-Cats&id=28033

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=151&S=2

http://www.littlebigcat.com/?action=library&act=show&item=cattocatintroductions

Hope this helped!

Answer 2

i have 2 cats.... they are cats now anyway...
my first... i have had for 5 years, after 3 years i decided that i was out to much and my baby really needed company... so i got him a kitten friend... i didnt know how to introduce them either so what I did was I kept the kitten in my room while toby had free reign of the house. Then eack night I would put the kitten in a pet carrier and take him into the living room where toby could smell him... My cat was not happy at all... hissing and growling like a dog... i did this for a week... after i let the kitten loose in the house and just watched them.... the big cat still hissed but he ran away when the kitten came close... I couldnt watch them all the time so everyday i worried that the big cat would hurt the little one when i wasnt home... you have to realize that cats have good instincts and can handle their own... well after another week.... i came home one night and i didnt see them anywhere i was looking and looking... i was scared they had killed each other... finally i went into the living room and looked behind the couch and there they were sleeping all cuddled up with each other.... they have been the best of friends since...

Answer 3

I did this about 1 year ago , you need to take the new kitten and put it in a room with the litter box, food, and water, leave the kitten in the room for about 3 days, the other cat will come to the outside of the door and be able to sniff out the new catr that has came into its home, then they will start to paw at each other under the door ect... after 3 or 4 days let the cat out and they may hiss a few times but they should be fine in a week, my 2 cats play pretty ruff but I know they love each other, good luck!

Answer 4

I have had several experiences with this (probably 5 situations over time) and this is the only thing that has worked for me: bring them together on neutral territory (probably someone else's house). Let them interact there for awhile, and then bring them back home. I don't know how it will work now that they've already met, but it worked like a charm for me and as I said this was the only way I've ever gotten a result of two cats who are true companions. (In the other cases, my cats have tolerated each other but had periods of fighting, and not play-fighting, of varying intensity. This could be just something *I've* experienced though, because I have heard of success with the methods other people here suggested)

Luckily they're kittens, I think that will make this easier even if you cannot do as I suggested.

Answer 5

what you need to do is slowly introduce them. when bringing a new cat into a home that already has a cat, it's best to leave them separated until they get used to each others smell.
How to do this:
Bring the new cat home and place the cat in a room by itself. Then put something ,like a blanket or toy that the new cat has had with them, in the same room as your current cat. Let the cat sniff around and get used to that first. Do this for a little while, maybe a day. Then, bring the new cat out in the cat carrier and let the current cat see him. Let them smell each other etc. The key is to get the current cat used to the idea of the new cat being around. this process usually takes about a week. It's never a good idea to just throw a new cat in with the old cat. it takes time to acclimate them. Once you feel it's okay, go ahead and let the new cat out into the house and they should be okay. it always does take time for them to get used to each other.

Answer 6

If you're nervous, try keeping them in separate rooms for a while - with their own litters trays, food dishes etc. of course. They both know the other one's there, they've already met and will continue to smell & hear each other. After a day or two, when they've become a little more used to each other's presence, try introducing them again. Make sure you pay attention to each one, so neither thinks it's being ignored or displaced.

In actual fact, cats will always bicker when they first meet, but if you watch carefully it's never a full-on "killer" fight, if only because they hate their fur being disturbed. It's a ritualistic sorting out of the heirarchy, accompanied by much hissing, spitting, swearing and claw-waving, and when the one who thinks he's boss has made his point they'll settle down fine and probably play with each other.

Answer 7

I had this when we got a male kitten as a companion to our year-old neutered female. We kept them separate at first but let her sniff around after him later, although never unsupervised. After a couple of weeks, she stopped jumping up to follow him all the time and we thought they were getting on well. Eventually, we left them together one cold night in the warmth of the kitchen. She nailed him and could have hurt him if I had not rescued him.
We were given advice by the Cats Protection League that said they may never be pals but they will establish a relationship because it suits them. We were lucky, Daisy adopted little Otis and they would lie entwined in front of the fire, him asleep and Daisy cleaning him. They were lifelong friends and he would allow no other cats into our garden. He died two years ago of diabetes and she has not been the same since. Come to think of it, neither have I.

Answer 8

When the older cat pounces on baby, is he aggressive? It may just be play-fighting. I adopted a dumped young cat, and he was the biggest little monster I have ever had. Then a small kitten, one of twins born to a feral mother, found his way through the cat flap. Big Ginge adopted Baby Ginge, showed him where the food was, how to use the litter tray, where my bed was, and how to play-fight. I was worried he was being too rough, but Baby kept coming back for more. Big Ginge calmed right down. They were always special buddies, and when they grew up, Baby got his own back when he was of similar size.

Answer 9

Keep a door between the kittens for a few days. Our kitten's litter box was in the downstairs bathroom. We moved the litter box to just outside the bathroom and put the new kitten and her own litter box in the bathroom. After a few days we let them meet--supervised, of course--and put the new kitten back in the bathroom when we weren't there to supervise. That lasted another day or so.

Even after they get used to each other, they will fight. Play fighting is the way they learn how *not* to hurt each other. So let them slug it out, and interfere only if you think it's getting dangerous. A squirt from a bottle of water will startle them enough to break it up, without *you* getting near teeth and claws.

Answer 10

New cat should be confined to one room for several days. Old should be allowed to roam the house normally. This allows them to smell each other under the door without having access to one another.

Once new cat seems comfortable in the confinement room (2-3 days maybe), switch them. Let new cat explore the house for an hour or two while old cat is confined to new cat’s room. Then put new cat back and return old cat to the bulk of the house.

After a week or so, you should be able to let new cat out. Old cat & new cat may have some issues at first, but they’ll work it out.