Do you have a house cat? Are you thinking about getting another? At least 90 percent of my pet kitten buyers have a cat at home and are getting a playmate. However you justify increasing your feline family, when you have a resident cat, it's a different ball game, bringing home a new one.

No matter how friendly your resident cat is to human visitors, bringing another cat into its domain requires caution. And if your resident isn't that friendly, you may have a longer period of adjustment ahead, but it's still possible to make it work.

I recommend advance planning and bringing the new kitty home on a long weekend–some period where you have enough time to provide supervision, and to allow the bonding process to take a firm hold.

At first, it's best to have a separate room for the kitten. Have a clean litter box, with the same type of litter your breeder has been using, a clean water bowl and a separate dish for food. Your breeder should review with you what food the kitten has been eating, then recommend adult maintenance food.

It's important to continue feeding the kitten the same food it was weaned on, at least until it's well settled into your household. This will ensure your kitten will continue to eat and grow, and will actually help reduce the stress of getting used to a new home. If you must change food, do it gradually, and watch closely to make sure the kitten doesn't stop eating or get loose bowels.

Let the kitten investigate the new room freely. Don't expect it to be playful or sit in your lap the first day. Give it time to feel secure and understand where it is. Introduce a small toy, if kitty looks playful. "Not too much too soon" is a good working strategy.

The key to having your resident cat accept the new feline is security. If the resident feels threatened, it will react in the only way it knows to protect itself. It will hiss, growl and run away. So give it extra attention and maybe a new toy.

The smaller the kitten the better. It's helpful to get the youngest kitten you can under these circumstances. Most reputable breeders won't let their kittens go until they're at least eight weeks old, some much later. I question all perspective buyers as to their specific situation and determine on a case by case basis whether a kitten is ready to go to that home. If this is done, you have a much better chance of success in having the resident accept the new addition.

Let the cats introduce themselves naturally. Do not, under any circumstances, place a new kitten in the resident's face and say, "Here's your new playmate." Play will not be the outcome. Just open that separate room's door after the kitten has settled in. Soon, he'll emerge to inspect the rest of the house. Now is when you need to be supervising.

Stand back and let it happen as it happens. If you have a large home, you might want to take the kitten in your arms and give him a guided tour. Then put him down in the center of the living room, and let him inspect every smell, texture and sound. He'll find everything interesting.

When your resident "discovers" this new ball of fluff in his living space, he'll watch its every move. Just stand back and watch. If you get nervous, speak softly to the resident, telling him it's okay. Play with him with an interactive toy, like a peacock feather or teaser. This should relax him. The kitten may try to jump in the game. That's good, but watch the resident. If it's too much too soon, retreat.

You will see, if you take the time to let the cats feel each other out, that in time all will be fine. A lot depends on your patience and your cat's friendliness. But I've never had one returned because it couldn't get along, if this procedure was followed.

When you succeed in having two happy felines in your family, you may start thinking about still another. You know what they say: third time's the charm.

Cynthia is an award winning writer, and our Fe-Lines columnist. Please contact her at cwhit@flash.net for reprint information or visit her Web site www.castlepurrs.com

Back to Archives