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My older cat is a diva. How do I introduce a new kitten to her?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 12 lbs

I have a 7 year old female cat who is a diva and i am looking into getting a kitten, is my existing cat going to be annoyed?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 17th, 2018

Mary may be annoyed, as she is used to being the queen of the house, but I can give you a method for introducing them to make the transition easier for her. I would slowly introduce them to each other. Take the kitten, and put her in her own room with her own food, water, and litter box. Keep the door closed, and for a few days, feed them both treats on other side of door so they associate each other's smell with a good experience. Then let Mary in the kitten's room while the kitten is in a cat carrier. They can smell each other, but not be in contact. If either becomes upset or show signs of aggression, remove the second cat from the room, and try again later. Praise them when they interact appropriately. When they are interacting well with each other through the carrier, you can let the kitten out of her room, and see how she interacts with Mary. Praise them when they interact appropriately, and separate them with any sign of aggression or upset. I would get a cat tree with lots of shelves to give the cats vertical space to get away from each other. I would keep the kitten in her room when you go out until they are comfortable with each other. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

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