My wife and I have a ten year old Siamese?Himylain mix. She is a great and affectionate cat. We have been considering the purchase of a 12 week old male all Siamese kitten. We are concerned however, that our current cat will translate bringing in a new kitten as being replaced, and lose her affection for us, or even, God forbid, lose her will to be healthy. Are we being silly or is this a real concern?
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thinking about a kitten
- Thread starter jtlachac
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Of course you are concerned about the feelings of your other kitty, a very good thing. Many cats like having a kitty companion. I have a 13 year old male that actually brought kittens home when his companion decided he wanted to live with the little old lady next door. I would go for it! It may take a little getting used to, but older cats I have had always accepted a younger one. Hissy, another poster, has great advice on introducing a new cat into the household. I bet she will be happy to share it with you. Best of luck!
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I introduced a new kitten when my cat was 3 years old. He became friends with the new kitten before he forgave me. I'll admit to remembering days when I thought Squirt would never like me again. Little by little he came back around. I think it took 4 months before he had ALL of his pre-intruder behaviors back. I'm terribly glad that I have both of them now. They really do keep each other company.
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As long as you do it gradually and don't overwhelm the older cat, it will be perfectly fine. You need to remember that a kitten is full of boundless energy and might be a bit stressful for an older cat. Sometimes it is easier to introduce a slightly older cat to the resident. But some of the things you can do is to put the new kitty in a room with food water, litter and a blanket to sleep on. Let kitty run all over the blanket, sleep on it, and get it soiled if he has to. Once the kitten has been using the blanket for about a week, take it and present it to your older cat. Just toss it in the corner and let her sniff it, roll on it, lay on it, whatever. Watch for posturing, the common signs that show you the introduction will go smoothly is hissing, and pawing at the blanket. The danger signs are arching of the back, growling and advancing on the blanket as if it were prey. Once older cat has had the blanket for a few days, take it away (don't wash it) and put it back with the kitten, only this time put it under the feed bowl. This way the kitty will associate the smell of your female with something pleasant. Also during feeding times, feed your cats with a door between them. Kitty on one side, cat on the other. This way they can spit and hiss and investigate each other without you having to worry about a full-on fight. Good luck!
