Introduce A New Kitty
This Is What We Have Found To Be The Best Way To Introduce A New Kitty Into Your Home…
First off, you have to realize that the new kitty doesn’t know you or its new surroundings. It has been raised and spoiled rotten by us, so it’s really best if you have a room that the new kitty can use for itself. A quiet room that has a litter pan and space to feed the kitten. A spare bedroom is great. This room will become the new kittens “safe room.” Its a place that if anything frightens or startles the kitten, it can run there and know it’s safe. It’s also a great place to introduce family members to the kitten slowly. For the first day or so you can leave the door closed, then open it and let the kitten venture out on its own. Be sure to leave the door open so kitty can get back !! If the “safe room” is on the same level where you spend most of your time, you’ll see that the kitten will scamper back and forth between the 2 places. By the time a week has passed, the kitten will be used to you and its surroundings and will tell you where it wants to be. But more than likely, the original “safe room” will always be a favorite sleeping place.
This brings us to introducing kitty to your other cats and dogs. Cats, like dogs identify each other by smell. A cats sense of smell is very acute and they will know immediately if there is a new animal in the house. When you first bring in the new kitten, leave it in the cat carrier and let the other cats get used to the new smell. The new kitten has to get used to the new smells as well. Let your other cats walk around the carrier and look at the new kitten. If there is some hissing and back arching, don’t worry, this is normal. Allow the new kitten and your other cats, one at a time, to meet each other but not in the “safe room.” You can hold the new kitten on your lap and let your other cats meet it while all the time telling them it’s OK. Soft tones will reinforce your wishes and let them know that there is no threat. Normally, adult cats will except a kitten into the house. They seem to know it’s a baby and it really doesn’t threaten them or their territory. This way the new kitten “carves” out its own place in the pecking order and becomes a part of the family.