Keep New Kitten In Separate Room?

[jessicac05]

Good afternoon,

My husband and I are getting a kitten within the next week or two. On the kitten's first days here should we keep her in her own separate room? I do think this is best but am wondering what people think and how to make her transition smoothly into our home. We have a 7 yr old daughter and a 10 yr old neutered Lab mix. Any advice is welcome as it has been a long time since I had a kitten. Thanks so much!

 

[foxden]

I've always put new cats or kittens in the powder room with their food, water, bed and a litter box. They stay there most of the time for a few days. We spend a lot of time with them in the room while they get used to the transition, I know they use a litter box, and while our other cats get to smell the new arrival under the door. Then we allow more space, separate from the other cats at first.

We put the kitten back in "her room" at night for at least 3 weeks. This is also the time-out room when we want to correct a problem behavior. The litter box stays in the room for about a month as the kitty transitions to the basement litter boxes, which has always been easy. The bed and water stayed in the powder room about 4 months after the last introduction. Robin was the youngest kitty we introduced in the last several years, so she was in time-out more often, but for shorter times as we worked on her chewing habits.

You will need to go through formal introductions, especially with your Lab, as he's so much larger than the kitten will be.

 

[jessicac05]

Definitely will be doing formal and supervised introduction(s) with the dog. I do know the kitten is used to a Beagle-sized dog and a dog about the size of a Pomeranian. I was actually thinking instead of the bathroom to use one of the rooms upstairs (as there is very little in it) and visit the kitten from time to time. It is also much less busy upstairs during the day and we only go up there to sleep at night. The kitten would have her own room as we don't use that room.

I do not want her to get overwhelmed and stressed out with new surroundings. We do not have other cats right now so we won't have to worry about keeping her separate from them.

Thank you so much for your input!