How to Introduce a New Kitten That Is Not Being Friendly to My Other Kittens

If you have adopted, or foster, two or more kittens and you bring home a new kitten to add to the group, you need to take the introduction period slowly, especially if the new kitten appears skittish. Kittens learn social behaviors between 3 and 9 weeks of age, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. During or even after this period, the new kitten will benefit from the companionship of your other kittens to learn how to play and interact with people. With a calm, friendly introduction, a kitten will enjoy its new companions.

Things You'll Need

  • Litter boxes
  • Food and water dishes
  • Cat beds
  • Scratching post
  • Cat treats
  • Cat toys
  • Cat trees
  • Laser cat toy
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Instructions

    • 1

      Put the new kitten in a room separate from the existing kittens. Give it its own litter box, food and water dishes in the room, as well as some cat toys, a scratching post and a comfortable cat bed to sleep in. Visit the kitten frequently during the first few days until it acclimates to its new surroundings. Give it a treat each time you spend time with it so that you gain its trust.

    • 2

      Allow your existing kittens to smell the new kitten under the door, but don't allow them to meet immediately. Instead, feed the new kitten and your existing kittens at the same time, on opposite sides of the door, so they associate the pleasant experience of eating with the scents of each other. Encourage the kittens to play with each other's paws under the door by leaving toys and treats on each side of the door.

    • 3

      Let the new kitten out of its room to explore your home while you confine the existing kittens in the new kitten's room. This process lets each kitten smell the new scents of each other and explore each other's spaces.

    • 4

      Bring your new kitten back to its room and let your other kittens out. Let them meet each other briefly by opening the door to the room just a crack, supervising any of your existing kittens who comes to inspect the new kitten. Give both your new and existing kittens a treat for signs of positive interaction. Close the door if any of the kittens exhibits signs of distress or upset, such as hissing or growling.

    • 5

      Open the door to the new kitten's room, allowing your existing kittens to come over to the new kitten and its room on their own; don't force them to meet. Provide the kittens with several cat trees to climb up if they feel threatened. Reward positive interactions by giving all of the kittens treats.

    • 6

      Let the kittens acclimate to each other, engaging all of them in play sessions with interactive cat toys on strings or a laser cat toy. Allow the new, more skittish, kitten to observe you playing with the others; this will encourage it to come over and join in.

    • 7

      Give each kitten its own litter box, and provide one extra box in your home. This reduces stress for your kittens, preventing unwanted behaviors, such as urine marking, arising from the new kitten's arrival. You don't want your kittens to view the new one as a rival for resources, such as litter boxes or food.