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Introducing A New Kitten To Your Older Cat…
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.
Tags: Cat General Info Cats General Introducing A New Kitten To Your Older Cat… kittens pets type of cats feline |
