My Cat HATES my New Kitten - Help? How to Introduce Cats!, by Kitten School on YouTube. 5 min 42 s.
- Video length
- 5 min 42 s
- Time to do it
- 2 to 4 weeks
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Set up a safe base room for the new kitten before it comes home. Put in a litter box, food and water bowls, a bed and a box it can hide in.
Keep the kitten in that room with the door shut for the first few days. Let both cats hear and smell each other through the gap under the door.
Swap bedding between the cats every day. Rub a cloth on one cat's cheeks and leave it in the other cat's room so they learn each other's scent.
Feed both cats at the same time on opposite sides of the closed door. Move the bowls a little closer each day while both stay calm.
Crack the door open a few inches, or fit a baby gate, so they can see each other while eating. Toss a treat when either cat stares too hard.
Start short meetings in the same room, 5 to 10 minutes at a time. Keep a wand toy moving so both cats watch the toy instead of each other.
Expect hissing, growling and swatting, and stay calm. Separate them calmly if it becomes a real fight with biting, fur flying or one cat pinned down.
Add time together as meetings stay calm. Set out a second litter box and feeding spot in another room so neither cat has to guard its things.
End each meeting on a good note and go back a step after any setback. Give it a few weeks before the cats settle into a routine.
Tips and common mistakes
Never yell at or hit a cat for hissing or swatting; it makes the fear worse and slows everything down.
A Feliway diffuser plugged in near the base room can help some cats relax, but give it about a week to work.
Keep the resident cat's routine and give it extra one to one attention so it does not feel pushed out.
Do not rush the door and gate stages, even if both cats seem fine after two days.
Questions
How long does it take for cats to get along?
Usually a few days to a few weeks, depending on the cats. Some pairs take longer, so judge by how calm they are rather than by the calendar.
Should I just let them fight it out?
No. Hissing, growling and swatting are normal warnings, but step in if there is biting, fur flying or one cat pinned. Separate them and go back a step.
Will they ever be friends?
Most cats do work it out and settle into a shared routine. Some become close companions, while others simply tolerate each other, and both are fine.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
