Advice on introducing a new kitten to 5 yr old female cat.

barbiedoll

Hi all

I thought I'd ask for some advice from some knowledgeable pet-lovers.....bit of background first.

We have a lovely affectionate 5 year old female cat who came to us via one of my colleagues (whose boyfriend "didn't like cats"), who got her from Gumtree, apparently the cat used to live in a house full of students. She is very, very vocal, a little shy around strangers, but appears to love living with us and is a constant joy, even when she is miaowing loudly at 6am (when my husband comes home from work)

We are planning to rehome a kitten in the next few weeks, a friend has let his cat "accidentally" become pregant so he is looking for good homes for the kittens. We are thinking that we should get another female, rather than a male, is this a good idea? And how should we ensure that our cat doesn't have her nose put out of joint when the new arrival is here? Should we keep them apart for a few days and introduce them gradually or get it over and done with as soon as the kitten is home with us? I'm stocking up on treats in readiness for the bribery!

We have a covered litter tray which we will probably use without the cover until the kitten gets the hang of using the flap, how do we stop our older cat from using it too?

I've never had to introduce a kitten to an established member of the family before now, when I previously had two cats they were mother and son so it wasn't a problem. I know cats can get stressed with sharing their living space but our cat is not aggressive to other cats in the garden, she appears to tolerate them quite well and she is not particularly clingy to any one member of our family. She is quite playful and energetic, we are hoping that her and the new kitten will hit it off and become good company for each other.

Any advice/tips would be gratefully received!

Celli

I'd suggest setting up a "sanctuary" room for the kitten, a room where she can find peace and safety, litter tray and food, although don't site these near each other. For the first day or so, go in often and spend time with her, letting her get used to you and feel confident around you and in her enviroment.
You can then start swapping scents with your resident cat, get a clean rag or a sock, and rub it over the kitten, getting her scent on it, then allow your other cat to sniff it and rub her with the rag, so you start to mingle their scents and make them familure.
For first introductions, open the door of the kittens room a crack and allow them to sniff each other without being able to do any harm, if they get off on the wrong foot, it can be very difficult to mend things, so it's best to go slowely at first.

Treevo

I'd get a male if I were you. Seems easier to integrate opposites from what I've read. Definitely keep the kitten away from your cat until he's had all his jabs, and then just swap over blankets so they get used to each other's scents. Then swap areas over for a while so both get their scents everywhere. Then you can manage the introductions.

gingin_2

I would say persevere. We did it over 2 years ago, were first time cat owners with our first, so it was all new.

I panicked that the elder one was being a bully and I couldn't see it ending but he was just establishing dominance. Let the big cat keep as normal routine as possible and let the kitten have a quiet space on their own where you can spend time with them and gradually introduce them. Don't leave them alone until you are confident that they are comfortable with each other.

I think it took about 4 weeks for me to properly relax, it was very stressful but mine are sat next to each other now and rightly or wrongly share food and water bowls and the litter tray and definitely benefit from having each other.

Lilyjade

I had one sole female cat for 5 years before we got a kitten. The rescue suggested a male as there would be less dominance issues. We introduced them straight away, the female hated the new kitten but once she realised he was there to stay, she tolerated him. In hindsight we should have got 2 kittens as he always wanted to play and she would have none of it.

He passed away when he was 4 years old and we then got 2 male kittens. Again we introduced them almost straight away, as per the advice of the rescue, so the original cat would understand they were to be members of the family and were staying.

When the 2 boys were 18months we adopted a 4th kitten from a rescue, this time a 5month female. We didnt separate them at all.

The younger 3 get on great, the 11 year old female tolerates them, but does like to show them she's boss by hissing and growling, most of the time they seem to respect this.

barbiedoll

Thanks to everyone who replied, you've all been most helpful!

Our 5 yr old has only been with us for a year but she seems to have settled in really well and did so very quickly. She is very sociable with us but she is a bit of a wuss, so I'm not really sure about having a male cat, he may try to dominate her too much? He would be neutered as soon as possible so I'm not worried about him "bothering" her, she is also neutered anyway but I don't want her to feel as though she is being pushed out in any way, she has had 3 different homes already, I want our home to be her last.

As I said before, she is very playful and I hope that a younger cat would be good company for her, she loves being out in the garden, she doesn't wander very far, and she is always jumping around chasing moths and bugs or her own tail. She does seem a bit imtimidated by some of the neighbourhood cats, she won't hiss or try to see them off, part of me thinks that a male cat would defend his territory but I don't want her to be uncomfortable in her own garden, she loves being out there, especially if any of us are there with her.

Maybe I'm just overthinking this, I probably shouldn't have watched that "Horizon" programme, I'm trying too hard to second-guess what she will be thinking when she sees the new arrival!

southcoastrgi

I would suggest a male, they are much friendlier than females anyway, i would just put them together & let them get on with it but make sure the kitten has somewhere to go hide they will soon get used to each other, i had a 4 yr old male & a new female she did hide for the first few days but they soon got used to each other

gettingready

I would also suggest a male kitten.

And I would not separate them at all, would let them stay together from day one.

I did it with all my cats and they all had moments of "I am the boss here" but they quickly learnt to get on and they are all fine.

Separating them causes more curiosity from the side of the older cat and I would just let them get on together.


All the best with the new arrival

Photos of both as soon as you have them of course