Thread: Advice on Introducing Kittens

Hi Nick - great to hear about your new furbabies, I think it's a brilliant thing that they'll have each other to grow up with. Hope you'll post loads of photos for us to drool over! There are a few threads here and there on the forum with lots of views and experiences about introductions and obviously things can very depending on the individual circumstance. I got Sophie and Max quite close together (6 weeks) and Poppy a year later. I tried to control the introductions with the first 2 but with Poppy, well she was having none of it - stomped out of the crate and just barged the others out of the way to get to the food. I know without a shadow of a doubt if I was to get another (oh how I wish I could!) I would just let them meet each other straight away. Be prepared for a lot of outraged looks from the resident kitten and a lot of hissing. In my experience it doesn't come to violence and in the end curiosity about each other will win. They will be best buddies before you know it .

I am a great one for letting them be introduced straight away,when I got the two babes together thought I would give the "apart" way a go lasted all of a couple of hours then returned to plan A,our last little girl strangely enough was the only one who went & hid up behind the chairs which endured her to the boys who kept chirruping at her & trying to get her out so the second day when she actually sat on the mat I chucked a plastic carrier bag into the middle of the room with toys in,the rattling of the plastic got her interested & she was soon helping the boys to get them out all shyness gone,as soon as I could remove the bag {would never leave cats alone with one} I left the room & let them get on with things,yep you get the hisses but they soon sort themselves out & being that close in age they should bond pretty quickly.... I still think you will have another MC added into your equation before long,room for three in your flat...!!!!???? x

Thank you both for the advice. I think I will try to put them together right away and let them have it out. Does anyone have any experiences that went bad using this method?

Originally Posted by Joey525

Thank you both for the advice. I think I will try to put them together right away and let them have it out. Does anyone have any experiences that went bad using this method?

As I have so many I have a water squirter bottle at hand in case things get a bit out of hand {although life is a lot more peacefull now we have a new top cat in the house} but you could always have something like that close to use .... a quick squirt in the face works pretty well at making them back off,I only have to look as if I am going for mine & things quiten down although the occasional one does get a quick shower still,sharpens them up to being good,mean old mum,in all the years of working at a vets have never had a babe brought in that has been trashed by another cat normally they show their displeasure by hissing & spitting & in extreme cases it never settles down or if the aggressor does go for the other cat at worst it is a nasty bite{like cats outside fighting for their territory}ok in that type of home situation you perhaps would have to think along the lines of parting with one but I am sure you will have no problems with two so young,I went through months of hissing when Merlyn was introduced to the other three but nothing worse & that was when water bottle was introduced as telling the "aggressor"off made him worse & gradually all settled down & the first time they all cuddled together was very rewarding & now are bestest friends,when the two babes were introduced there was hissing amoungst the residents but soon that settled down & although I was worried about introducing the new babe I needn't have done as said above all fine & my age range at that point was 10yrs down to 4yrs.....x