If you are are a cat owner who wants to bring a new addition to your home, you will need to know how to introduce a kitten to an older cat.
Bringing a new kitten into your home to meet your current cat can be a stressful and nerve-racking experience for the both of you.
Cats are very territorial creatures who love routine and hate change. Even small changes such as moving furniture around can stress your cat out. So you only imagine how they feel with a new little fur ball running around their home.
The thing is, it’s no good just bringing a new kitten home and hoping for the best. The whole process will need to be planned out before you even get a kitten.
In this guide we are going to show you step-by-step, how to introduce a kitten to an older cat with proven techniques that will make the process go as smooth as possible.
Is It Okay To Introduce a Kitten To An Older Cat?
Cat’s are instinctively very territorial creatures, so you may be asking “is it okay to introduce a kitten to an older cat?” Any cat owner will always be nervous about introducing a kitten to a cat as it could trigger negative reactions such as jealousy.
The the reason they may get jealous is because they are no longer getting all of the attention, and this could lead to aggressive behavior.
With that being said, there is absolutely no reason not to bring a new kitten into the family. It’s perfectly okay to do this and eventually build a great bond and friendship between the two of them. All it needs is a little planning and a lot of patience.
How Long Does It Take For a Cat To Get Used To a New Kitten?
According to the ASPCA it can take between 8 – 12 months for two cat’s to develop a friendship. It’s important to be patience, as there is no real way of telling exactly how long this process will take.
Some cat’s may love each other right from the start, with others it may take a whole year of fighting before they eventually tolerate each other. As long as you follow the tips in this guide, it’s worth the wait when you have two lovely kitties getting along.
Cat Social Behavior
When compared to humans and dogs, cat’s have very different social needs. Cat’s are very happy being the only cat in the home and very rarely feel the need for a new furry friend.
As long as there is no competition for resources such as litter trays, food, and sleeping areas, then everything should be pretty peaceful with no issues. The best option is to get two kittens at the same time which means they grow up together.
A lot of Bengal cat owners do this because they are a very social and energetic breed who love company. Not everybody decides they want two cats from the start until they realize how amazing these creatures are and then want to start adding to the collection.
The way in which you introduce the new kitten into your home will be the difference between success and failure, which is what we are going to show you in this post.
How To Introduce a Kitten To An Older Cat Step-By-Step
1. Calming Your Current Cat
The first step is to ensure that you do everything you possibly can to prevent your cat you currently own from getting anxious. It can be a very stressful experience for them when they suddenly see a new little kitten running around in their territory.
Signs of fear in a cat:
- Freezing in place
- Hiding
- Lowering their head
- Running away
- Arching their back and puffing up their fur
- Wide eyes with big pupils
- Tucking their tail under them
- Moving their ears quickly
- Hissing or spitting
- Scratching or biting
- Peeing or pooing outside their litter tray
The key is to be prepared and prevent your cat from getting scared in the first place. Here are some great products you can use to help calm a nervous cat:
Diffusers:
- Relaxivet Natural Cat Calming Pheromone Diffuser: More info here
- Comfort Zone Diffuser Kit for Cat Calming: More info here
Sprays:
- BestLife4Pets Pet Calming Anxiety Relief Spray: More info here
- Feliway Spray: More info here
Wipes:
- Feliway Animal Health Feliway Wipes: More info here
You should introduce your cat to these products a few weeks before you bring your new kitten home.
2. Preparing Your Home For Separation
Before you even bring your new kitten back home, you must first create separate living areas for your cat’s. This is important for both the safety of your kitten, and to give your current cat their own personal space which will help prevent them getting anxious.
A Kitten-Proof Room:
Here’s a quick checklist of things you will need to consider when creating a kitten-proof room:
- Tape down or cover all electric cords
- Remove breakable items
- Remove other hazardous items
- Cover up any holes
- Control access
- Provide a light
- Remove any plants
- Fresh water and food
- Warm bed and blanket
- Litter box
We wrote an article called “Are Kittens Okay to Be Left Alone?” which goes into way more depth and detail on how to create a separate zone for a kitten and all of the essential things you will need.
When it comes to your current cat, you should already have everything setup in your home such as scratching posts, cat furniture, climbing trees/towers, litter box, and their own food bowls.
The Separation Process:
This process of separation should last at least a few days, but could also last way longer. Just judge it on how your cat reacts, if you feel you need more time then do not rush the process. It’s important to keep your eyes out for any signs of stress or anxiety which are:
- Hiding
- Aggressive behavior
- Decreased appetite
- Becoming more vocal
If this kind of behavior continues for more than a few days, then it’s always advised to seek professional help from a veterinarian. The best way to keep your current cat stress free is to make as little changes as possible to their environment.
Cat’s are creatures of habit and do not like change so the less changes made the better the situation will be. This should be pretty easy to do as your kitten will be in their own kitten-proof room.
3. Get Your Cat and Kitten Used To Each Others Scent
Once you have prepared your home for separation, the next step is in is to allow them to smell and hear each other. Before you do this visually (which is in the next step), you will have to do this in a passive manner which means they cannot see or touch each other.
Cat’s always associate food as something positive, so a great way of doing this is feeding them at the same time on opposite sides of a closed door.
This will allow them to associate food as a positive sign in the presence of another cat. It will also allow them to know each other is there, but without visually seeing or touching each other.
Do this for a few days, and then do the exact same process, but switch the cat’s over, so the adult cat is now in the kittens room and vice versa. This will allow them to explore each others belongings and get used to each others scent.
4. Introduce Them Visually
The next step is to allow your cat and kitten to see each other visually. What you don’t want to do just yet is allow them to fully get to each other, as that could lead to fighting.
The best way to go about this is to use a barrier such as a tall stair gate. You will obviously have to supervise, as your cat can jump high and will get over the gate, but this process allows them to see and smell each other without directly meeting.
You can also use a cat carrier for the visual step. When doing this, consider a location that is easy for both your cat and kitten to have easy access back to their own areas should they wish to.
Also don’t force the situation, allow them to approach each other in their own time rather than picking either cat up, this could just create more stress. Just be very patient with this step.
Don’t forget to have some tasty treats handy which will create a positive association with them meeting.
Here are some other points to keep in mind:
- Keep the first meeting short and increase the duration slightly over time.
- Always end the meeting on a positive note using treats if needed.
- If they hiss or moan, it’s a sign to take things very slowly.
- Try keeping the kitten in a crate for extra safety and security.
5. Supervised Playtime
This is a big step in the meeting process as your kitten and kitten will now be within touching distance of each other with no barriers. Let’s break this down into some simple tips you can follow:
- Start off with short sessions.
- Increase the duration over time.
- If either cat doesn’t behave, take a step back then go very slowly.
- Never allow the cat’s to fight.
- When the two of them are getting along, reinforce good behavior by using treats.
- Be very patient. This could take anywhere from a few days to a few months.
6. Individual Resources To Maintain The Peace
By this stage, the resident cat and the new kitten should start to become a little more comfortable around each other. It’s very important to ensure that your kitten has their own resources such as litter box, food bowl, scratching posts, etc.
The reason this is so important is because if they are sharing resources, this can cause unnecessary tension which means they will end up fighting and cause stress for both of them.
How To Stop Your Cat From Attacking Your Kitten
If you want to prevent your cat from attacking your kitten, here are a few tips you need to follow:
- Never let them fight: If your cat attacks your kitten, interrupt using a loud clap of your hands.
- Neuter your cat: Male cats who are intact are prone to being aggressive.
- Don’t try to calm an aggressive cat: If your cat get’s aggressive, it’s best to give them space and allow them to calm down.
- Reward: Always use treats to reward good behaviour when you see your cat’s getting along.
- Separate their resources: Resources such as litter boxes, food bowls, and beds should be separated to reduce competition, which will also reduce any chances of fighting.
Conclusion
Hope you enjoyed this post on how to introduce a kitten to an older cat. If you have ever had to do this, let us know in the comments below how you got on and how long it took. Here’s a great video you can watch on the subject of introducing a kitten to your cat.
