 Purred: Thu Aug 4, '11 5:53pm PST |
 | |  | | They're still young enough that they'll probably get along just fine from day 1. Still, I suppose a little caution never hurts, so I would personally recommend this:
- Give the new kitten her own room for a few days, so that she has a chance to calm down and get used to the smells and sounds of her new home before she has to deal with the added excitement of a new buddy.
- Once the new kitten seems to be settled in (eating and drinking okay, not huddling in the corner, etc), put up your current kitten and let the new one explore the house by herself.
- If possible, let them meet each other under the door: that way they can sniff each other and maybe even paw at each other a bit but still feel completely safe.
- Finally, let them meet "for real". Just set them down several feet apart and let them wander up to each other. (Don't try to force anything, and make sure they have room to run away if they get frightened--a cornered cat may panic.) If they react well (sniffy, pawing, nuzzling, playing), you're good to go! Just be sure to keep an eye on them initially, to make sure the older one doesn't inadvertently hurt the younger one. You may also want to separate them when you're not around or asleep, at least until you're sure that they can be trusted to get along. If they DON'T react well (hissing, growling, backing away), it's time to slow down and look up the slower introduction techniques that are recommended when you introduce adult cats.
Again, I really think most of this approach is overkill: kittens love to have playmates, and they should get along fine. When we've introduced new cats to our household, introducing adults to adults is always tricky, but introducing adults and kittens is a breeze. Introducing a kitten to another kitten shouldn't be any trouble at all.
Good luck to you and your new babies!  |  |  | |  |
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