How to introduce a new kitten to an older cat without causing stress?

Question

Hi, I’m going to be looking after my daughters 7 year old cat and 3 year old cocker spaniel, in their house. I have a 3 month old kitten and it’s just me and her, is there any way I can take my kitten to the house with the cat and dog? My daughter is worried that her cat will run away. The dog is friendly with cats. I really hope you can help me please as I wanted my kitten to be able to come everywhere with me. Thankyou. Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 2 months and 7 days old | 55 lbs

Stacey Anstaett, DVM · Accepted Answer

That is a tricky one. The trouble is that even friendly cats are not typically as accepting of other cats as dogs are to dogs. Your daughter's cat probably will NOT like the kitten coming into her home. You can keep her in a separate room and introduce them slowly that way. Make sure the kitten has her own food and water bowl, and bring her own litter box. Don't expect your daughter's cat to be happy about it and accept your kitten as a friend right away; most cats see the addition of a new cat to the house to be quite stressful, and this can increase their risk of urinary tract health problems, and can also lead to changes in litter box habits---some cats will pee or poop outside of the box to mark their territory if another cat is suddenly brought in. If that cat is indoor/outdoor I highly doubt that bringing the kitten will increase the chances of her running away, but I suppose its possible. In short, yes, you can bring her, but it will probably be stressful for your daughter's cat. You could plan on keeping the kitten in a separate room, with her own food, water, toys, and litter box, to minimize stress on the other cat. I hope that helps you! Good luck and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

How to introduce a new kitten to an older cat without causing stress?

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