INTRODUCING KITTEN TO CAT
Once you decide to bring a new kitten in your family, you must keep some major things in mind. Start by introducing a kitten to an older cat, because a sudden encounter might result in fights & chaos.
Table of Contents
Therefore, you need to be very careful when you bring a new kitten to your home. In this post, we will discuss some major points and information about introducing a kitten to an older cat.
Cats are unpredictable in nature, they can be gentle, cuddly, loving and the very next moment they can be aggressive, hissing, and scratch anyone or anything near them. So when you are introducing a kitten to an older cat you need to be extra attentive and careful.
Introducing Baby Kitten is a Two Way Process
Introducing new kitten to cat is a process that takes time and requires your patience. Before you bring the baby kitten home, you also need to train your older cat, to make them learn, that now he/she has to share the home with the new kitten.
If the cat is highly territorial or is not in the right mood, it is possible that it may harm the new kitten, so you need to be very careful while introducing a kitten to an older cat.
There are some steps that you can take to calm your older cat :
• Calm Your Older Cat
One of the best ways is to calm your cat without the use of drugs is by pheromones. Pheromones help in calming the cat when it feels stressed. You can start its use in the form of a spray or wipe a few weeks prior you bring a new kitten to your home.
• Prepare Your Older Cat
An unhealthy cat is a stressed cat, so you need to make sure not to give the cat more stress and make the older cat anxious. Take your older cat to the vet get it checked and vaccinated, making sure your cat is healthy. Kittens sometimes have respiratory problems, so for that, your cat needs to be healthy to fight any such infections.
Sometimes they get along right away, but in some cases, the cat never fully accepts the new kitten but choose to stay away from each other. You’ll be needing to make sure that no matter how your cat feels about the new kitten, things should stay peaceful between them.
Once you have prepared your older cat, to make the introduction easier you need to know some more methods of introducing a kitten to an older cat.
Some of the main methods are discussed here.
1- SEPARATING THE CATS INITIALLY
• Begin with a Confinement Period.
Cats are highly territorial animals by nature. If you will bring a baby kitten suddenly to your home it might result in unwelcoming hissing and fights with older cat. Begin the introduction with a period of confinement. Introduction through the door will help both the kitten and cat to get accustomed to each other’s smell and presence.
• Trade Items Between the Cats.
Cats are animals that recognize each other through scent. Swapping the bedding and toys sometimes will help the cat and the kitten to become familiar with each other’s scent. This will decrease the chances of fight and aggression at the time of introducing a kitten to an older cat.
• Switch Out the Cats.
After a few days of confinement switch the kitten and the cat living space. The cat will get familiar with the scent of the new kitten while being in the room, and on the other, the kitten will explore the new home without any fight with the cat.
2 – Introducing a Kitten to an Older Cat Face to Face
• Allow the Cat to Look at One Another.
Before introducing a kitten to an older cat, try to make them see each other through a glass or screen door. This will help you to know the reaction of a cat by looking at the new pet in the home. If you cant do this step, proceed to the second step.
• Have the Cats Meet.
Follow this step only if you are sure that your cat is calm. If the cat is not showing any sign of distress then it is alright introducing new kitten to cat.
The time depends on the temperament of your cat. You never know, when your cat is distressed or relaxed. There may be some scratching and hissing, do not intervene, as animals workout such conflicts among themselves.
• Resolve the Conflicts on the Spot.
If a serious fight breaks out while introducing a kitten to an older cat group your cats to separate parts of your home. Spitting, crouching, growling and flattened ears are signs of an aggressive cat. If you notice any of these signs take the kitten away immediately.
• Separate the Cats When They Are Alone at First.
Even if the introduction goes smoothly, keep the cat and kitten separate for a few days when you’re not home. The fight could occur for food, toys, and territories.
3 – OVERCOMING COMMON ISSUES
• Choose the Right Cat.
When you decide to bring home a kitten make sure that it has no behavioral issues. Such cats or kittens find it hard living in a new home and adjusting to other pets. Kittens however adapt quickly as they are young.
• Take Steps to Reduce Tension.
The introduction process can be made even easier by creating separate spaces for the cats where they can have their privacy and it will also result in decreasing territorial fights. Also, make sure to have ample toys and beds to go around.
• Give Special Attention to Your Old Cats.
To make your old cat feel less threatened by the kitten, make sure you give extra attention to it, by playing and spending time with it. This way the cat will not feel any less than the new kitten that is now a part of the family. Also, it will not create any negativity among pets.
Conclusion
Don’t give up if the first introduction didn’t go as planned. Old cats can take time to get accustomed to the presence of young kittens. Don’t rush the process of socialization between cats and the kitten.For introducing a kitten to an older cat require patience and needs time for a cat to accept the presence of another in its territory.
When your pets will be happy, eventually you will be happy and relaxed and will enjoy your life with them. Spending time with pets is very therapeutic, and relaxes the mind, if there will be fights you also will not be able to enjoy with them. So in this post, we shared some common ways, to make your introduction process easier.
