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Is it safe to bring a new kitten home to my cat before its shots?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 8 years and 8 months old | 10 lbs

My cat is 9 years old and she has never been with another animal I am getting a kitten his name is Dave he's a couple weeks old and ready to get his shots but is it safe to bring him around my older cat prior to getting his shots

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on September 10th, 2017

If your cat Maria is regularly vaccinated and treated for fleas and worms, Dave can come without problems. It is best anyway to have him vaccinated anyway as it would be more risky for the kitten (and not for Maria). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It's most likely safe to introduce them, but there's always a small chance that your older cat could be carrying a disease (without any signs of disease) that could make your kitten very sick. It's best to wait until your kitten has at-least had her first shots before introducing them. The absolute safest time to introduce them is when the kitten is about 3 months old; but this may not be practical. I hope that helps.

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