Introducing Your Kitten to other Cats

Introducing Your Kitten to Other Cats

It is obviously going to be a concern to you, if you are getting a new kitten, whether your resident cat is going to accept it or not. If you already have a cat prepare yourself for the fact that she is likely to become territorial and need time and persuasion to accept this new kitten that she will be suspicious of and may even view as a possible rival.

Introduce your new kitten to your cat slowly – keep them apart but let them investigate each others living quarters and bedding to let them get used to each others smells. When you do decide the time is right to introduce them to each other, do it in a controlled environment, when the house is quiet and allow them the ability to escape each other if necessary.

It may be an idea to provide your kitten with a crate where her bed, litter tray and bowls are so that she feels comfortable and safe. This way, you can introduce the older cat by bringing her into this room so they are separated but can still see and smell each other. After a few days of doing this you can open the crate door so your kitten can come out in her own time when she feels brave enough to do so.

The chances are that if you give your cats the time to get used to each other they will get along fine. However, as cats are generally quite solitary animals, they may never get on very well and end up tolerating each other rather than being best friends.