Expert: Ali - 6/11/2009

Question
I have a 4 month old male kitten and recently got another 8 week old male kitten. I am in the process of introducing them. The younger kitten is just fine, but the older one is having issues accepting the new one. He no longer hisses or has his fur standing sraight up, but when they see each other my older kitten lunges at the younger one. How do I know if he is just trying to play, or if he is trying to beat the little one up? I want them to get along badly, but want to protect the younger one from any hurt. Thank you!!

Answer
Becky,

New cat introductions can be a complex issue. I often receive questions about how to properly introduce new cats/kittens into a household with one or more resident cats. I'm willing to provide some general idea about how the process works to get you started. If you require further information or you have questions on the subject you can either read my previous answers on this topic or contact me again - I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

Cats of all ages are very territorial and they don't like change much, this can sometimes lead to problems with fighting or fearful behavior on the part of one or both cats if introductions aren't done carefully, with the needs of your resident cat and newly adoptive kitten in mind. As cute and charming as kittens can be it's very important not to create jealousy in the 4 month old kitten by paying extra attention to the new kitten. If your older kitten feels like you aren't paying attention to him him he may become resentful of the kitten which could potentially cause ongoing problems with bullying which creates an unhealthy atmosphere for everyone involved.

I typically recommend that new cat introductions take place in a very structured way and in this case it's important to take the new kitten's age, medical and vaccine status into consideration when introducing her to your resident kitten. It's normally a good idea to isolate new additions into your household for a minimum of 2-3 weeks, in this case I see no reason why a much quicker (1 week in isolation if the new kitten's vaccines are up to date and there's no evidence the little one is sick by the end of that first week) introduction can't be done if the kittens are okay with things going a bit more quickly. This isolation period serves a couple of purposes, firstly it allows for a quarantine period which will prevent your resident kitten and newly adopted kitten from spreading any contagious infections to each other.

The isolation period allows you to take your new arrival to the veterinarian and confirm that he's healthy and free of chronic and potentially serious viral infections like feline leukemia and FIV which are similar to HIV and AIDS in people (don't worry though, they can't pass these viral infections on to human beings). Some cats infected with FIV or feline leukemia can become quite sick while others go on to live fairly healthy, normal lives. The main reason that these viral infections are a concern is because there is a chance that cats living together in a multiple cat household can potentially pass these infections on to their housemates or other cats in the neighborhood if they're allowed outside. FIV and feline leukemia can be transmitted from cat to cat via contact with blood or saliva and in the case of outdoor cats, strays and feral cats fighting with one another can increase the possibility of infection (which is another good reason to keep your kitty indoors, if you want to allow your cat access to the outdoors it's best to vaccinate according to your vet's recommendations).

Kittens under 12 weeks of age are quite vulnerable to viral and bacterial infections, especially if they've been weaned prematurely (mother cats don't need any help to wean their babies, they normally do this on their own some time in the first 10-12 weeks of age). Since your new kitten is under 12 weeks of age it would be wise to have him examined, treated for internal/external parasites and completely vaccinated prior to introducing him to your older kitten, particularly if he goes outside and has contact with other animals.

The second purpose behind gradually introducing the new kitty after a quarantine period is to prevent any disputes over territory or any undesirable aggression due to the change in your household. Young kittens may exhibit aggression in the form of hissing or swatting at each other if they haven't been properly introduced to each other. If the tables were turned and your older kitten decided to get nasty with his new sibling the little one may not be willing to stand up for himself which is why it's important to introduce new cats properly. The older kitten will most likely teach the younger one the house rules, sometimes this involves discussing who is the dominant cat and what the submissive cat is allowed to do so you may still see some hissing, swatting and generally crabby behavior from time to time even after proper introductions. I normally sit back and watch carefully when cats discuss their place in the household because it's best not to overreact and get involved when it's not necessary to do so - humans sticking our noses where they don't belong in the cat world often leads to serious problems later on because the discussion was interrupted.

I routinely use a safe, effective homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy which is a blend of flower essences designed to calm and reassure. In my opinion Rescue Remedy is a great tool to help cats in stressful situations. In this situation you could make use of this remedy to help ease your kitten's transition into your family and keep your older resident cat as calm as possible during the introduction process. I've used this remedy to tip the balance in my favor in tough situations as well as routine stuff like new cat introductions and I really believe that it's worth using as it's likely to help keep everyone as stress free as possible - this will help to ensure that the introduction process is as gentle and smooth as possible for all involved.

I normally suggest adding a dose of about 5-7 drops of Rescue Remedy to fresh bowls of water for each cat every morning and you can start that immediately. Rescue Remedy can be administered by rubbing a drop onto the relatively hair free area in front of your cats' ears, however it's important to make sure you don't get any inside of the ear canal because it can sting, especially if either kitty has an ear infection or scratches their ears frequently - the flower essences are preserved in a grape alcohol solution. Another Bach Flower essence you can try giving the older kitten is holly, that works for hatred, envy and jealousy and can be given in the same dosage and manner used for Rescue Remedy.

You can often find Rescue Remedy in health food stores, naturopathic pharmacies, some mainstream pharmacies in the aisle with vitamins and nutritional supplements and I believe that you can also purchase this remedy online. Rescue Remedy is often used by pet parents and some veterinarians worldwide to treat injured, abused, traumatized, abandoned, anxious, fearful or timid animals and help them to recover from their special circumstances quite successfully. I have used Rescue Remedy in addition to TLC, patience and in some cases the use of conventional medical treatments for well over 10 years, and in that time it's worked some minor miracles in a variety of situations for cats and kittens that might not have otherwise coped with the process of their rehabilitation.

In the unlikely event that a serious fight did break out it's very important not to get between fighting cats because cat scratches and bites can be serious and require medical attention because they can become infected. On the day of the first face to face meeting of the two cats I'd recommend having a water pistol/spray bottle, a heavy towel and a broom nearby just in case something goes drastically wrong during the introduction and a fight breaks out. Squirting the cats with the spray bottle might be enough to split up a mild fight. In the event that water doesn't stop the fighting a heavy towel can be tossed over one of the cats to stop them from striking out and they can be carefully separated that way although a broom can also be used to gently guide feuding felines apart so that nobody gets hurt. If a bit of hissing and swatting happens I'd recommend supervising closely to ensure that nothing serious comes out of the posturing, if a fight breaks out then it's best to stop the introduction for that day, wait until everyone calms down and try another face to face introduction in a few days.

In general the best way to start introducing the new kitten to your older kitten gradually once everyone's healthy and ready for the introductions is to work with transferring scents back and forth between the two cats. You can do this by switching litter boxes, beds or toys, between the kittens, but I don't recommend this unless you've been given a clean bill of health by your vet for both kittens. Another way to accomplish the exchange of scents in a non-threatening way is to start off by rubbing the new addition from head to toe with a hand towel, then rubbing the older kitten all over  with the same towel and then rubbing the same towel over your younger kitten. Exchanging scents between the kittens allows for them to get comfortable with each other's scent gradually and this will help to minimize the risk of aggression between the little guys once your newest family member is out of isolation. Scent provides a fair bit of information to a cat, for instance it can provide basic information about health, age, sex, reproductive status, illnesses, diet, etc. I'd recommend that you begin the towel scent exchanges as soon as possible and that you go through the entire process at least twice daily.

Another great tip to help get the cat and kitten accustomed to one another is to feed them on either side of a closed door. This will allow both your resident cat and the new kitten to get the nutrition appropriate to their age and needs (although it's not necessary to feed a different food to kittens and adult cats, this is a manufacturing ploy that allows pet food manufacturers to make more money). Feeding the cats on opposite sides of a closed door will also help your new feline siblings to associate each others' scent with something positive - food. Often times resident cats and new additions will begin to show curiosity about each other and even play together under the door before they ever see each other. This is a great sign and should be encouraged.

Play and food are wonderful tools to help facilitate a healthy relationship between the new kitten and your resident cat as well as being an awesome way to strengthen the bond between you and your cats. Interactive toys like kitty teases and laser lights (do be careful to avoid shining the light into anyone's eyes as these toys can do damage) are great in terms of getting cats to play with you and each other. Special treats work well as a form of bribery to help an uncertain kitty become more comfortable with the presence of another cat in his/her territory. I find that cheese, chicken, fish or lamb work well and which foods you will need to use will depend upon what your cats prefer.

I highly recommend that you consider checking out the following website which my vet recommended to me, this site was written by a veterinarian and it's information that I think every pet parent should be aware of. The web address is www.catinfo.org. I've thoroughly read the material on this site and I think it's impressive that this veterinarian cares enough about the health of cats to take the time to educate their caregivers when it comes to the unique nutritional requirements of our carnivorous feline friends. I often recommend that pet parents consider feeding a high quality, holistic pet food made from human grade ingredients as opposed to lower quality foods that aren't as healthy for cats in the long run. I know of two high quality commercially produced cat foods that are made from human grade ingredients, Wellness and Spot's Stew by Halo. Wellness is formulated with the expectation that pet parents will be feeding a combination of canned and dry food, not all caregivers want to go this route and it can get costly. I have some fascinating information on the pet food industry if you're interested in learning more about the subject.

I feed a combination of a homemade raw diet similar to the one described at catinfo.org and Spot's Stew Sensitive Cat by Halo and I find it to be a high quality, healthy food and it's reasonably priced. One 6 lb bag of Spot's Stew costs about $25 CAN and lasted my 3 resident cats for about a month, when that's all they were eating, that works out to a rough cost of 28 cents per cat per day. I've taken the liberty of including the ingredient list for the formula of Spot's Stew that I feed my cats and I would urge you to compare it to your current food so that you can have an overall picture of the differences between the quality of ingredients in various commercially produced pet foods.

The ingredient list of Spot's Stew Sensitive Cat is as follows: Turkey, Pea Protein, Whole Dried Eggs, Oats, Pearled Barley, Pea Flour, Turkey Liver, Salmon, Flaxseed, Salmon Oil, Pea Fiber, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries, Green Beans, Carrots, Cranberries, Zucchini, Alfalfa, Inulin, Calcium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Salt, Folic Acid, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Bitartrate, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bifidobacterium Longum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite.

Cats being fed high quality foods tend to live longer, healthier lives. Another bonus when it comes to high quality food for cats is that litter box deposits don't tend to smell as foul and they are fewer in quantity, this is because the cat is using more of the food s/he's taking in and as a result s/he's producing less waste. Other perks of feeding high quality diets is that you'll find your cats' coats are softer and silkier, they'll be healthier, happier, have more energy and be less likely to become overweight. If you're interested in learning more about the pet food industry I'd be more than happy to forward an eye opening article that's quite informative.