How do i introduce a kitten to a 6yr old cat?

[Johnny]

i have a 6year old cat who is very mellow. Im looking into getting a 10week old kitten(male) but unsure if my cat will take to him & Viceversa. I live in a flat so cant really seperate if goes bad..only have 1 door inbetween bedroom & living room to close.
Anyhelp would be welcome. thanks

 

[yessica]

put the kitten in the cat carrier/ crate. let your cat sniff around it for half hour, if he seems ok then open the door of the carrier so that the kitten can come out if it chooses. (usually kittens are boisterous and inquisitive)

fuss your old cat not the kitten because you don't want your cat to think this cute kitten is going to come along and steal the show

 

[Slim]

slowly but surely is key. the best thing to do is put the cat in the bathroom for a couple of days and the other cat will go up to the door and smell and will know that there is another cat. You have to warm them both up at first and then after a couple of days when the cat seems to not be so timid, try and take the kitten out of the bathroom but dont put too much on them at first, its important to do this in steps otherwise they may not get along and they could possibly harm eachother. good luck with everything!

 

[Brian J]

To have the most success with introducing them, put the kitten in the bedroom and the cat in the living room - make sure they both have food, water, toys, a place to sleep and a litter box. Keep them separate for a few days until the kitten is adjusted to its new surroundings - you will know this when it is eating, drinking, peeing and pooping regularly, plus if it comes out of hiding (or doesn't hide) when you enter the room. By the way, because cats have such a stronger sense of smell than humans do, both of them will know the other one is there immediately.

Once the kitten is ready, the first thing to do is to switch them for about ten minutes - let the kitten explore and let your cat in the bedroom. You are getting them used to each other's scent. Do this a couple more times in the next couple of days.

It's then time to meet in person - the best way is to have one person hold each cat while being in the same room. Don't let them touch - keep them about six-eight feet away from each other. Do this for five-ten minutes - make sure both people involved to not look at the cats.

Assuming those visits go well, they can then meet in person, but supervised. If it goes well, let them be.

You can expect a little hissing, especially from your six-year old, throughout this process, and that is ok. But if it esclates (ears turned back, growling, prolonged hissing), you'll have to go slower with this.

Good luck.

 

[Billy]

Dave, meet Terry
Terry, meet Dave