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The Peaceful Way to Bring a New Kitten into a Home with Another Cat
The important thing is a slow and controlled introduction. Never bring a new kitten home and present them to an older cat because that will likely fail.
Your elder cat is now king or queen of the home and may be first displeased, so introducing a new “subject” to the kingdom is delicate but doable if done correctly. In fact, after time, the older kitty will enjoy the company to entertain them when no one is around.
Avoid Unnecessary Conflicts
If cats are introduced too abruptly, this will cause a “fight or flight” response depending upon their personalities, and either response will be traumatic for both of them, causing relationship problems long into the future.
When choosing a new kitten, try to pick one that is the opposite sex from the other cat to eliminate conflicts due to sexual rivalry. Also, although the new kitten will enamor you, it is essential not to ignore the older kitty to prevent jealousy conflicts. Be sure to give the same attention and affection and keep all routines as close as possible to what they were before the new kitten’s arrival.
The best method for a gentle introduction is to keep them separated at first. It is also best for the kitten to adjust to their new home in a tiny room rather than being overwhelmed by too much space and activity, which may be frightening.
Be careful when entering and exiting the room because the older cat will know immediately of the kitten’s presence by the smell and will want to get in to investigate, but prevent this until the proper introduction process is complete.
Step One is to Introduce the new kitten Smell
Getting the older cat familiar and comfortable with the new kitten odor is crucial to a positive first meeting. For example, when the older cat comes to the room and sniffs under the door, give a kitty treat, associating what they smell with something pleasant.
Take a cloth and rub the kitten with it, making sure to chafe under the tail to get a strong scent, and bring the fabric to the older cat with a kitty treat. After a few days:
- Take the new kitten to another room.
- Allow the elder cat to investigate.
- Return the kitten to the room when the older cat leaves.
Tie a catnip toy on both ends of a string under the door so they can play with each other and touch paws. It will provide more positive but controlled interaction between them to get them used to each other’s presence.
Step Two is Eye Contact, and then the Official Meeting.
Eye-to-eye contact should be done first without complete physical contact. For example, open the door just enough to see each other and touch noses, but block it with something heavy to prevent the older cat from opening the door. Then, give the older cat a treat to again associate the kitten with a pleasant experience.
Once these steps are successful, please open the door and officially allow them to meet for a short time. Then, increase their time together each day, and when they coexist in that room without problems, the kitten can then have access to the rest of the house.
If you have multiple cats, conduct the introduction process with each one separately to prevent them from ganging up on the kitten or fighting with each other out of upset or confusion caused by the new smell. Once each cat is acclimated to the kitten, they should all be able to intermingle successfully.
After the first introduction, the kitten back into the room when you leave to be sure there are no spats when no one is there to referee. There may be other related problems later on, but these can be resolved.
