How to introduce new kittens to resident female cat
Written by Carole T Goldberg
We have a three year old female cat (nutered) and we would like to get two new kittens. Is there a recommended way to introduce the new kittens to the resident cat? What behavior might we expect from the adult? Are there special considerations about litter boxes, food and so forth?
Thank you!
Carole
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Hi Carole, defintely keeping the new kitties separated from the resident feline is the safest way to start. Two male kittens would probably be the most compatible with your resident female. If you have a choice, around five or six months of age and already neutered would be great. That way the kittens are big enough to stand up for themselves if need be and you will already have the vet visits (and testosterone) out of the way.
The new kitties should also be up to date on their vaccinations, tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (if they are old enough), dewormed and flea treated if needed so they are off to a healthy start in your home.
The new kittens will need their own set up of litterboxes, food and water in the area where you will keep them while they and your resident cat get use to each other. The rule of thumb with cats and litterboxes is one more box than cat. After the period of separation which could be anywhere from a few days to a week or two depending on your adult cat, you should be able to have all the boxes together in the location of your choice as long as show the new kitties where they are.
Your resident cat may hiss and growl a bit at first but eventually curiosity will get the best of her and she will go to the door where the kitties are and sniff around. Feeding cats or giving treats at the same time (on opposite sides of the door) is a good way to reduce anxiety and start to make a positive association with each other. Also new toys on each side of door connected by a string will encourage the cats to play together, again an anxiety buster.
After a day or two of no hissing or growling from either side of the door, you can try letting the cats out together for a supervised introduction to see how they react. If your adult cat becomes aggressive, separate them and try again later. Most cats make the adjustments to newcomers fine, it mostly depends on the personalities. I introduced a year old male cat to my 4 year old male cat a couple of years ago and in 24 hours they were laying on the bed together.
I have added some links (in blue) to a few articles with additional information. Good luck and I'm sure in no time all the kitties will be great friends.
PetDoc.com
The first thing to know is what type of personality your resident cat has. Is she skittish, friendly or aggressive?
The next step is to get a kitten preferably younger than 6 months and of the opposite gender. The kitten should be fixed ASAP. Keep the kitten and resident cat in separate areas for 1-2 weeks, bringing the kitten to a common area in a carrier for the resident cat to learn the scent and adjust at least 2 times daily. The kitten should have it's own food (kitten) and own, small litter box; since it will be kept separate and the resident cat could have territorial issues if the kitten uses it's litter box. The kitten should also have a few toys of it's own....not use the resident cats toys.
When bringing a new kitten into your home, you may want to get a treat or new toy for your resident cat. Do not ignore your resident cat in favor of the kitten. The resident cat should get playtime first, food first. This will comfort the resident cat and hopefully avoid acting out. Your resident cat needs to know that she is not being replaced and loved the same. The kitten needs to understand that there are rules. As far as who can go where, territorial spots...that is something your kitties will sort out!
I highlighted personality because I recently had to deviate from the 1-2 week time frame of assimilating a new kitten. I have a Persian cat and brought a Siamese kitten (3 months, male and fixed) into my home. Siamese are incedibly vocal, especially when not in the presence of people. They hate to be alone. The noise was distrubing my Persian. I introduced them within 2 days and it went very well. I also knew that my Persian is VERY mellow, curious and not an agressive cat. This is very important.
NOTE: Initial contact may produce some hissing and low growling from your resident cat. This is normal. A swat from your resident cat is also normal when then the kitten violate a boundary. This is a way of establishing rules amung the cats. If your resident cat become more aggressive (claws, biting, lunging with claws) then you need to go back to initial steps of the carrier. If that doesn't help, your cat may not be able to adjust. You can always consult your vet in that case. * This is rare for "normal" cats. Feral cats and aggressive by nature cats, two unfixed males, 2 females (not fixed) , unfixed full grown cat with fixed...these are combinations that would have the highest chance of problems for assimilation. A kitten with a fixed female....not as probable.
I hope this helps!
My six-year old spayed female cat hisses and runs away when she sees the little one, though after four days, she is letting the baby sniff at her before backing up and hissing. She appears more afraid than angry, but I want to make sure she doesn't get it in her head to find a new home. She is an outdoor cat and in fact, she has been staying outdoors more these past few days to show her displeasure. I am trying to make her feel just as special as before and keep up our nightly ritual of petting when get into bed. The drama continues. . .