Welcoming a Kitten: Gentle Steps for a Happy Home

Bringing a kitten into a household with an established cat can be a delicate process, but patience and gradual exposure make it smooth. Start by keeping the animals in separate rooms, allowing them to become familiar with each other’s scent through shared blankets or toys. This scent swapping helps reduce anxiety before any face-to-face encounters.

Once the cats are comfortable with each other’s smells, introduce them through a barrier such as a baby gate, letting them see and hear one another without direct contact. Pair this with simultaneous feeding on opposite sides of the door to associate the kitten with positive experiences. After a few supervised meetings, let the kitten explore the house while rewarding the resident cat for calm behavior.

Originally reported by Modern Cat. Read the full article.