Adding a kitten to a home with a cat

[JKC27]

My cat (kitten - 4months old) Tucker (orange male tabby) is very playfull, energetic, nutty (see my other posts). He is also very cuddly, and I would imagine lonely when I am at work. My fiancee Mom's cat recently had kittens (a month ago I think). We are thinking of taking one of the male kittens into my home, so Tucker has a buddy, playmate.

My question is this - Is it generally an easy transition to add a kitten into a home where there is already one? I want to know (if possible) if Tucker might get jealous, or might reject a new kitten. Maybe attack it? Maybe he'll love the addition. I don't know how cats tend to react to stuff like that. Obviously when I picked him up from the Windsor HS he was in there with about 10 other kittens.

Once again, any input from experience would be super!

Thanks in advance.

[Lucky Rescue]

You should have no problem introducing a playmate to Tucker! He is still a baby and would love another kitty to join him in trashing your house.

Get a kitten a little younger than Tucker, but not too much younger or he may accidentally hurt it. Try and choose a kitten that has a calm personality and is not fearful or overly shy. Put the new kitten by itself in a room until it gets it's bearings and feels comfortable. This will not take long at that age - maybe a day or so.

Take a towel and alternate rubbing Tucker and new kitty with it, so their scents are interchanged.

Then you can open the door and let the new kitten come out on it's own, or let Tucker go into the room. There might be a few hisses, but toss down some toys for them to play with, or some treats and they should be best friends in no time.

The biggest mistake people make when adding cats to the home is to bring the new cat in and plunk it down in the middle of house. The new cat is usually very frightened, and the resident cat feels invaded and rightfully so. When this happens, it can take a long time to get the cats together.

But as I said, it's a million times easier with kittens! Let us know!!

[JKC27]

Thanks again LR. You've helped me out a lot, I appreciate it!

I assume they'd use the same litter box once the new one is ready to be let out and mingle? Also, can the cats share food dishes? With Tucker coming off the kitten food a few months earlier than the new one.

I am not for sure going to go ahead with this, but if so, I'll let y'all know how it goes.

[Lucky Rescue]

YW

You are going to need two litter boxes. When kittens need to "go", they need to go NOW, and if the litterbox is occupied, one might choose to go elsewhere.

With Tucker coming off the kitten food a few months earlier than the new one.

You don't mean to get a kitten a couple months younger than Tucker? That would make the new kitten 8 weeks old. Much too young.

[JKC27]

These kittens are prob 4 weeks old right now. That is too young you are saying?

[glasslass]

I believe she said that Tucker is 4 months and her fiancee's mom's kittens are 4 weeks?

[JKC27]

My cat Tucker is 4 months. The kittens right now are about 4 weeks old. So....obvioulsy I'd have to wait until they 8 0r 9 weeks. If this is not a good thing to do, then I won't.