Well, Miranda passed away a few months ago (almost 17 years old), and we’ve decided it’s about time to get another new kitten.
We want one for ourselves as well because they’re cute and cuddly and all, but Ziggy is really our main concern. He gripes and complains incessantly when we come home after leaving him alone for just a few hours, so we figure he’s getting a little lonely and could use a little brother or a sister.
I want to make the introduction as painless as possible and (hopefully) quickly get the cats up to speed, accepting and friendly of each other.
When we got Ziggy, someone recommended that we spray both cats with the same cologne so their scents would be the same, but that royally backfired and just pissed them both off.
We did adopt a kitten around Christmas but I ended up writing a pit thread (warning: drunk posts therein) because all three cats got sick, and then we ended up having to return Isabella to the shelter. It was very sad.
Ziggy is five years old if that matters… I plan on rescuing a kitten from the shelter, probably a female, and before coming home she’ll be at the vet getting wormed and tested for leukemia, FIV, etc…
Any advice or recommended resources?
I usually start mine off with closed door between them - that lets them get a whiff of the new cat and kind of get used to the idea before actually meeting face to face. Seperate litter boxes of course, at least at first. I wouldn’t leave them alone together until you’re sure they’re getting along.
As for the scent thing, I once crushed some fresh rosemary in a bit of oil to convince a queen that an abandoned kitten was hers. I smeared a dab of oil on her kittens and on the stranger, and snuck him in the box when she wasn’t looking. After she cleaned all the kittens, she gave me a “do you think I can’t count” look but went ahead and accepted the stranger.
Thank you for adopting shelter kitties! Please post pics!
The closed door has worked for me more than a dozen times. Snakescatlady knows what she’s talkin’ 'bout.
OK, I appreciate the advice.
So then we cuddle Ziggy while letting the new kitten whine and cry the whole time all alone in the spare bedroom with her own food and litterbox? I can see him getting jealous if he isn’t allowed in there with the new kitty and me or my wife.
Distract him while one of us sneaks in there to console her? Then we come out smelling like her… ?
How long are we talking? Couple days?
Shouldn’t take more than a few days and may not take that long - it all depends on Ziggy. And yes, Zig gets the “lions” share of the attention. (Hee hee) When Ziggy can sniff at the door without hissing, let the two meet face to face. You may get lucky, and he’ll immediately love his new sister. Have you ever 'nipped Ziggy? Might make him a little more laid back. Then again, the way my luck has been running, it could turn him into a psycho, so don’t use it if you don’t know how he reacts to it.
The door trick works well. Also, take a towel and rub the new kitten with it to get his/her scent on it. Then put the towel either where your existing cat sleeps or around its food dish. We did that when we introduced a cat into a 2-dog home. After a couple weeks, we would bring the kitten out for a half hour each day (highly supervised) and built up to where the kitten could roam free. It took a few weeks, but it went pretty smoothly. Of course, I have chihuahuas and they bark a lot and are very jealous, but they got used to her. Make sure you have a place for the kitten to go if s/he needs to get away quickly. Also make sure you give a lot of attention to your existing cat to make sure he feels loved.
And one last thing, make sure your male is fixed! It will cut down on the agressive behavior. This is YMMV, but I have found it works well.