Kitten introductions

If you already have a cat in the house, here is a simple trick that will make the first meeting with your new kitten as painless as possible, for both of them.

All you need to do is rub your new kitten with an old piece of your clothing, one that retains your smell. That way, your new kitten will already have something familiar about him and will be accepted more readily by the current incumbent.

Since your new kitten is still young, there shouldn’t be any major problems. The pecking order will immediately be determined by the difference in ages. In most cases, the kitten will follow the lead of the older cat, who will, in turn, instinctively protect the new and vulnerable arrival.

It’s slightly more tricky if an older kitten is being introduced to a younger one, since its more developed self-confidence can lead to minor fights. In this case, start by making much more fuss of the younger kitten and then let the two of them settle and accept each other. And while they get used to each other, make sure that they have separate food and water bowls, and their own sleeping places and litter trays.

You’ll soon discover that, contrary to the popular opinion that cats are solitary animals, they’re actually very sociable and can easily be content in each other’s company.