Expert: Jessica - 11/15/2009

Question
I took in a pregnant cat I still have the mother and one kitten.  I have been asked to take back a kitten that has been in another location for a month or so.  Will they remember eachother? The kittens were both fixed today one boy and one girl.  Should I put the girl kitty(the one coming back) in the room with the other two in her cage to reintroduce her or should she heal first in another area?  

Answer
Hi Jeannine.  Chances are they will be hissy and standoffish at first but will come to accept each other quickly.  I don't think there's any harm in allowing her to heal in her cage rather than in a completely separate room.  Most of my fosters recover from spays in cages with exposure to my resident cats this way.  However, if you have lots of space, it might be less stressful for the female to stay in her own room for a week or so.  

In any case, reintroduce the family through the cage.  I always cover my cages with a sheet on all sides but one so that the new kitty has privacy and doesn't feel fearful that someone may stalk her from every direction.  But I think that with your guys being separated for only a short time, they will come to remember one another shortly, and you can get rid of the cage after just a few days.

Best wishes!

Jessica