Introducing New Kitten

General tips and things to keep in mind

1. Not all animals make new friends on the same timeline. Some are more perceptive to new animals than others. Some will become best of friends right away and others may never become besties but learn to tolerate each other and peacefully co-exist.
2. Let the animals decide their own pace. Older animals may take to new kittens at a different pace than younger cats. Older pets may not have the energy or patience for a very new young kitten. Keep this in mind when introducing the two and let them go at their own pace. Introductions will go more smoothly if you do not force or try to do too much too soon.
3. Keep food and water bowls separate for each pet. Make sure each animal has a food and water bowl to call their very own. You don’t like to share your dinner plate do you? Neither do cats, no matter how great of friends they become, it is safest to keep food separate to avoid any surprise brawls.
4. Eat on a schedule. Don’t allow free feeding, at least while acclimating. If there a food bowl and new cat goes into eat it and the existing cat may say “that means war!” However, if they both have to eat at the same time, there is less chance of food aggression to the other pet.

“Take Introductions Slowly. Let the animals decide their own pace.”

Introduction Steps

1. Give the new kitten a quiet space to call her own. The kitten needs to have a safe space to decompress and get away from everything. She is coming to this new, very scary to her, environment. She has been pulled from familiar sights, sounds, and smells into a new place with different sights, sounds, and smells. She is not going to know what is going on. Let her have a quiet space such as the family laundry room, spare room, or something similar that the cat can have as her own. Keep her world small for the first few days, so she can acclimate. Make sure there is food, water, and a litter box in her safe space. In addition, there should be a lounging area or a cave like area they can hide. But try to make sure there is no space the cat can get to that you can’t, such as under a bed or behind washing machine or dryer. Always make this safe space available to your new kitten, just in case she wants to get away from everyone and quickly go to it on her own after she has been granted access to the rest of the house.  
2. Give him bedding to lie on that will collect his scent. Give the other animals in the home similar bedding. After their scent has been transferred to the bedding, swap that bedding with each of the animals. This will allow the animals to smell each other safely. The smell of the other animal is an introduction of its own since animals have such a keen sense of smell. Swapping bedding allows them to “meet” without meeting.
3. Let the kitten play under the door with the current family pet(s). Sometimes you may see them swat paws at each other trying to play. This allows them to “touch” each other from a safe distance. If you have the option of a screen or glass door, that is even better. The two can start seeing each other and associating the other animal with the smell they were introduced to earlier. If you don’t have a screen or glass door, you can try baby gates, but be careful, the cats may jump right over or through them.
4. Feed them on opposite sides of the door at the same time. This will associate feeding time (fun!) with the smell of the new kitten.
5. Introduce in-person introduction. Place one pet in a crate or play yard in the room with the other animal roaming free in the same room. In this way, the two can see each other in addition to smell each other, but still be safe from each other.  Alternate who is in the crate or play yard so both animals have a chance to roam and explore the room and play.
6. Introduce play time to each other together. Consider using a harness and leash if you think you may need to come to the rescue quickly. It will be easier to pull out a cat or kitten on a leash than not on a leash. Have a teaser toy available for them to both play with, but from a safe distance. For example, those fishing rod toys with a toy at the end are great. The cats can sit separately and each swat at it. You can control the general direction for the toy to go in and make sure you alternate between the two. Another option is to use a laser pointer that can go all over the floor giving each cat plenty of space to chase the elusive red dot near each other, yet with safe distance. You can again control where the red dot goes and give each an opportunity to play separately, but near to each other They will begin to associate this other cat or kitten as coming with fun play time also.
7. Work up to longer play periods with them together playing. Then let them be together for a short period of time without playing without the teaser toys or laser pointer. If you have other toys they play with by them selves such as balls or kicker toys, make sure there enough toys for each of them to have their own. Increase the period of time they are with each other. These times should always be supervised.
8. Let them be together. Once you are comfortable they get along, you can leave them unsupervised together, but stay close. Such doing other work around the house. Do not leave them alone for long periods of time until you are very comfortable they get along well.