Introducing 2 kittens to a resident cat

[KitKatLondon]

Hi everyone! Great to find this forum, looks super useful and I'm sure I will find it helpful for years to come.
I have a 6-year-old Persian Chinchilla male cat (Jasper). 3 months ago, we lost my lovely tabby cat Charlie to kidney disease. She was 10. So for 3 months it's just been Jasper and me. It's been too quiet! So I'm looking to bring in a new kitten. Jasper is very quiet and withdrawn. He's not into me, or people in general, but he took interest in Charlie and use to follow her around. I'm hoping a kitten may give him some life and interest (after a proper long introduction process). My question is, can I bring in 2 kittens or will that be too much for Jasper? Is a male or female kitten best? I'm getting conflicting advice. Charlie was the confident one (female) and was the boss, but Jasper often puffed himself up big to intimidate her. Generally, they learned to live along side each other, and he was often following wanting to lie near her and be close to her - relaxing. I would be up for 2 kittens but do not want to overwhelm him.
Many thanks!

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Condolences on the loss of Charlie. RIP sweet kitty.

As for whether Jasper will accept a kitten, or two, it's really impossible to know for sure, as every cat is different, as is every cat introduction.

I also am not sure how you would go about introducing 2 kittens at the same time, however, one thing I wonder about, is if 2 kittens would bond to each other, and not so much to Jasper. Which could be good, as he wouldn't have a kitten always pestering him and trying to play with him. However, you also could have 2 kittens always trying to play with him. Again, it's impossible to predict.

TCS has a few articles with more info that might be helpful. Here's the links:

Your Second Cat: How To Choose The Best Friend For Kitty – TheCatSite Articles
How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat – TheCatSite Articles
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide – TheCatSite Articles
Introducing Cats To Cats – TheCatSite Articles

 

[ArtNJ]

Some people say two kittens entertain each other and put less stress on an older cat with less play drive. And that appears to be true, sometimes. Not always though. Years ago, I rescued two kittens, presumed to be brothers, when I had an older cat. One kitten was unusually chill, and one kitten was more typical -- hyper at times. The somewhat hyper kitten didn't get enough play from us or his brother, and pestered the senior cat. The senior cat took too the chill kitten, but never liked the hyper kitten. One year in, things turned bad between the two of them and it was ugly. Not a typical situation to be sure, but I think the lesson is clear enough -- two kittens might help, sometimes, but not always, and sometimes it can make things worse. I would adopt one, and see how it goes.

The biggest predictor, or at least the easiest to understand, is the age of the resident cat. Six is an in between age. Actual friendship with a kitten is quite possible. However, it is also possible that they will never be friends, and it might take some time and some stress to get to toleration. I wouldn't hesitate to get a kitten if you want one, but two at once seems unnecessarily ambitious.

 

[KitKatLondon]

Thanks for the advice! I was thinking of getting 2 kittens from the same litter. I've decided on just the one. Maybe easier on Jasper.

I've visited a litter of 9-week old kittens, with their mum and dad. They look healthy and great. I'm thinking of a girl (to compliment jasper) - but noticed she is smaller than her brothers, as she's having a bit of trouble weaning into pet food. They told me she was the biggest before this, and the vet said it can take time for some kittens, they should catch up. This sounds fine, but I'm worried about health issues. One of the litter died early on. She looks ok, playing and full of energy and affectionate, she's just smaller and looks 2 weeks younger than her brothers - who have taken well to the pet food. Either, she will catch up and be ok, or she's the runt of the litter and should be avoided? I really don't know. I don't mind her being smaller, just want her to be healthy. I can take her at 10 weeks, and it's down to me to get her health checked and vaccinated. Hmmm!

 

[rubysmama]

That's a tough decision, as the little girl probably will be fine, but worrying about her, and possibly losing her would break your heart. Do let us know what you decide. And then keep us updated on how the introductions go. Good luck with whatever decision you make.