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Introducing New kittens to Other Cats
So, you read somewhere that introducing
a new kitten into your home could be great for your existing cat, for
companionship. And you remember how much fun your cat was when she was a
new kitten, and you would love to re-live those days.
It is generally thought that cats thrive better with the company of
another feline, especially cats confined indoors. But before you rush off
to your local cat shelter or breeder, here are a few tips to make bringing
home a new kitten as stress free as possible.
Choose a time when your home is not too busy and you will have time to
devote to your new kitty and your
existing cat, avoid holidays, for example, or other times when friends and
family are likely to visit.
Before bringing home the new kitten, take her to your veterinarian to get
her checked and vaccinated, kittens have weak immune systems and are
likely to pick up something at the shelter or cattery. Consider adopting a
cat of the opposite sex to your existing cat, this will avoid same sex
rivalry and associated problems. For a number of reasons all your cats
must be spayed/neutered.
If possible arrange to bath your new kitten at a friends house before you
take it home, this will neutralize kitty's odor, and go some way to
prevent unsettling your cat.
A short isolation period is necessary when introducing a new kitten. It
would be ideal to have a separate room for the new kitten, your new little
pet will need her own litter box, and food and water bowl. Some kittens
will hide out under furniture for some days, more adventurous ones will be
eager to explore their new home almost straight away. Do not try and force
kitty to leave the room, you will know when she is ready.
Allow your new kitten to explore around your home while your older cat is
in another room. Make the introduction, slowly, bit by bit, it is a good
idea to let your existing cat sniff your new kitten's blanket a few times
before they actually meet. Make the initial periods of contact short.
Gradually increase the time that they spend together as they get used to
one another. It is not unusual for there to be a few spats in these first
meetings, so do not leave them alone together until they get on. If a
fight does break out, distract the combatants and get them into separate
rooms as soon as possible, never punish either cat.
The process of introducing a new kitten to an older cat, can often be
relatively stress free and need not be full of problems. The key is in
making the introduction slowly, and perhaps the best tip of all is to give
your older cat just as much attention and affection as you give the
newcomer.
Before you know it you will have two cats that thrive on each others
company.
Copyright 2004
best-cat-art.com
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