Introducing a kitten to a household?

[ecrozier]

Sorry probably ought to be in pet box but I do have two dogs (9 yr old rottie and 5 month old PWD) in the house too
So, our new kitten is ready to come home in about 3 weeks time
We've had rubbish luck with cats over the last decade, having lost one completely aged 3 (Bengal, just disappeared one day) and then our beloved British Blue was run over outside the house last year also just before his 3rd birthday, and we got another BSH, cream and white, to help fill the gap he left. But always just had one at a time, and after the horrible emptiness when we lost Kipling, we decided to get two and have cat proofed out garden so they have the whole garden to play in but can't get out of there (they are both bred from families of house cats so hopefully will enjoy that space rather than feel too restricted.).
Anyway, Boris is now 6 months old, and I'm just wondering if anyone has any tips for ensuring a smooth introduction for Winston when he arrives at 12 weeks old? Have successfully introduced three kittens in turn into a house with dogs, but never integrated kitten with cat before! Do you just leave them to get on with it? Boris is a very sweet, gentle soul, quite shy with strangers and a bit nervy of unknown things, he's fine with both dogs though, and us obviously. The dogs don't go upstairs and I have a litter tray in the bathroom so if the kitten chooses to stay upstairs initially that's fine, but obviously that is also Boris' space....
Any tips/hints?

 

[Primitive Pony]

I introduced a second kitten into a house with a year-old cat a few years ago. There was a fair bit of hissing and growling to start with, but we kept them separate to start with to let resident cat get used to the scent, and then after a while, let him see the kitten in a closed pet carrier until he seemed to have accepted her being there, and then gradually let them get on with it but under supervision to start with. They then became fast friends very quickly!

 

[FinnishLapphund]

I've heard of cats that have reacted with love at first sight towards a new kitten or cat in the family, and it has happened with some of my bitches, but never yet with any of my cats. As I can recall, when my cats have seen/met a new pet in the family, they've reacted with anything from being vainglorious , vocal protests , really causing trouble to simply pretending that the newbie is completely invisible for several months

.

Since Boris is only 6 months old, it is probable that he hasn't gotten really territorial yet, but to be on the safe side, I suggest that you simply make sure that there is places where Boris can get away from the new kitten, so that he feels that the socialisation is on his terms, that he has some control over when and how it should happen, and for how long etc. So that if he doesn't want to come too close to the new kitten too soon, he doesn't have to, without he can watch from a safe/out of reach distance, and get time to think through the new situation/evaluate the new family member.

It is a little like preparing for the worst, and then whatever happens, will hopefully be better than you expected. And as mentioned, at 6 months old, I would say the odds are good for that it will go relatively smoothly.

 

[vieshot]

Leave them to it. The adult will likely hiss, not want to be near the kitten and may have a bit of a sulk at you. They get over it. They may even become good friends in time....then again, they may just come to 'accept' each other.

 

[ecrozier]

Thanks all. Boris has a selection of places he can go to get away from the dogs downstairs and upstairs has a tall cat 'perch' which he only learnt to get to the top of at about 4-5 months old, so he should have that to himself for a while. For a BSH he's also quite an acrobat and gets into top of wardrobe etc (our previous blue never managed anything higher than the kitchen work top and was only for food!) so hopefully he will have a while with those places all to himself. I will settle the kitten into the spare room I think so Boris can keep his place on our bed, and can the choose if/when to allow Winston to join him!