Meeting the housemates
Introducing
your new kitten to another cat
If you already have a cat at home, she's likely to become
territorial when your new kitten arrives. It's only natural
that you'll want your new pet to be accepted by your cat. But
it's also natural that she might need some persuasion to accept
what she may see as a rival. After all, she's always been Top
Cat and ruled the roost on her terms up to now.
Slowly does it
Your two pets stand an excellent chance of getting on if you
follow a couple of simple procedures. Firstly, introduce your
new addition slowly. And secondly, make sure your resident
cat's food and sleeping arrangements are unaffected by your new
kitten. Then the chances are they'll hit it off really well. Be
warned though, that there is always an outside chance that
they'll never really get on at all.
When you decide the time is right to introduce them to one
another, you take the lead; don't just leave it to them to get
on with it. And choose a moment when the house is quiet. Since
your new kitten is sexually immature, your resident cat won't
feel threatened or be in competition. The risk of competition
is also reduced if the two cats are of the opposite sex. But
please don't rush into a face-to-face meeting; keep them apart,
but let them investigate each other's living quarters and
bedding. This will allow them to slowly get used to having
another cat around.
A bit of common scents
Smell is the most important sense for cats, so it's a good
idea to transfer some of the smells of the home onto the coat
of your new kitten before the introductions. Mix the scents by
stroking first your resident cat, then the kitten, without
washing your hands, and vice versa. That'll introduce your
kitten to the scent of your other cat as well.
Giving your kitten a place of her own
You might consider providing a pen or crate for your kitten,
with her bed, litter tray and water bowl inside, so she will
feel safe and comfortable. When the older cat is brought into
the room to meet her, she'll feel protected by her pen or
crate, yet still be able to see your other cat. And when you
decide the time is right (this may take several days), open the
door of the pen and let your kitten come out in her own good
time.
There's no guarantee that two cats will become best friends;
if they don't, let them develop whatever relationship suits
them both. At the very least, most cats will learn, eventually,
to tolerate each other.