My Partner and I are looking to get a couple of kittens in the near future. We’ve already got one cat (3 years old) however and we’re about worried about whether there will be issues introducing the new ones in term of how they will react to each other. The last thing we want to do is alienate the the current one, but we are really keen on getting the new ones.
So, anyone had any experience with this sort of thing? any words of advice, problems to watch out for etc??
thanks in advance.
m.
Your current cat is king of the world as far as it’s concerned, any new arrivals will no doubt be met with hostility, but it’s not an absolute and you can introduce new cats. You could put the kittens into a box. or basket (with something acting as a lid) and put this on the floor, and let your cat have a good sniff around it. put his food bowl next to the box/basket and when he stops showing any alarming reactions (hissing, spitting, trying to tear teh box/basket to bits) take the “lid” off. Arm youself witha water pistol, or a “squirt” bottle just in case things get out of hand and he tried to maul one of the kittens (and it might be an idea to get your current cat neutered before you get the kittens - especailly if “he” is a boy; and get the kittens done in due course), don’t let the kittens near the current cat’s bed, favourite chair or anything he regards as his (and that includes his food dish - feed them seperately away from him) when he sees that the interlopers are no threat to his kingdom, he’ll be more likely to accept them.
Now that’'s just my opinion as a cat owner/lover/watcher, if it doesn’t work I disavow all knowledge of this site, thread, and post 
Good luck (PM me and let me know how it goes please, I’ll never find this thread again!)
My experience with introducing cats to new ones has gone pretty well; just throw them together and let them figure out which one of them is boss.
I got a new kitten last year and had to introduce him to a spoiled 9 year old cat. So I asked my aunt, a vet, for advice. She fist advised me to get a female kitten as it would be less threatening to my olde rmale cat. I wound up getting a male kitten but it all worked out anyway. Then, I set the kitten up in his own room with a litterbax and everything. The cats could smell each other under the door to get used to one another. I kept the kitten segregated for one full day.
After that, I would let the kitten out for short periods of time under close supervision. There was definitely some hostility on the part of my older cat. My aunt advised me to make the introduction phase last a week but I was too impatient and had the kitten roaming free.
My older cat actually adapted to the kitten much faster than I had hoped (even going so far as to groom the kitten, it’s very cute ). She did say that some cats will never fully adapt to a new kitten. They won’t fight but will avoid each other.
I’d worry a little about getting TWO kittens at the same time. I think they might “gang up” on the older cat. Kittens can be excessively playful sometimes…
I introduced THREE kittens to my FOUR older cats one year ago. The newcomers were put in their own room with food and a litterbox for a week. There was the compulsory sniffing and growling, but after a week this had subsided somewhat. When they all met, there were no fights, although the older cats made sure the kittens knew their place. Two kittens are easier to introduce than one, since the kittens will have someone other than the top cat to play with, and are less trouble to the others. Go for it, and enjoy! Cats are wonderful companions.
You are the King/Queen of the world, your actions toward the new arrivals will set the tone for the other cats.
I will sit down with the new cats or kittens and alternate petting the new ones with the ones we already have. This transfers the smell of me and the new kittens to the older ones and allows the older ones to see my interaction with the new kittens.
If the older cats hiss at the kittens give them a deep, throaty “aack” and push their head to the side, away from the kitten. This shows them that you are controlling the situation as the Alpha member of the social group.
I think it depends greatly on the personality of your cat. I introduced a new kitten last year, I have two older cats. My male cat is very mellow, easy going, and friendly. My female is bossy, introverted, and aloof.
When I introduced the kitten, my male cat attached to her and bonded immediately. No hisses, no growls, just a curiosity. They were sleeping cuddled up to each other in a few hours.
When the kitten was introduced to my female, the kitten was ignored. It took Abby (my female) about 6 months to even acknowledge that there was a kitten in the house.
Luckily no fights, and they all get along great now. Abby will play with my kitten, but not cuddle with her.
Thanks for all the responses so far, some good stuff i’m making note of!
A little more detail on the specific situation, the current cat, Osiris, is male and character wise jumps from being highly tweaked to sleepy and snuggly in a blink of an eye. Certainly doesnt get on well with other cats in the area, gets himself scratched all the time. Hates being stroked beneath his neck too!
Another thing I’ve been thinking of is how old do kittens have to be before they can be let outside? The only thing we are certain of at the moment is that before we let them roam free outside ther’l be a little trip to the vets to do nasties to curb their mating instincts (yes i’ve forgotten the proper name).
m.