Would I be unreasonable to introduce a kitten?

[Stacey8989]

Just wondering people’s experiences on introducing a kitten to an older lone cat (house cat)
I have a 13 year old neutered female house cat and this afternoon my partner found a kitten in a lay by by itself and according to a passer by had been there two days that they knew of. I wasn’t sure of the age if they were old
enough to be weaned but took it home and gave it some water. Also introduced a cat tray and the kitten did a poo so clearly domesticated. Whilst there my house cat was grolwing and hissing even at any movement from me. We took the kitten to the vets to be checked over, scanned and advertise if anyone had lost one. Just wondering people’s experiences how long it has been for their original cats to come around to a new cat or if they haven’t tolerated them at all as we fell in love with the little girl!

They soon get used to each other. Even if they don't get on they'll avoid each other and find their own spaces. The kitten will start to jump on and try to play with the older one though. This can stress older cats out so make sure you have somewhere the oldie can retreat to to escape from kitten jumping.

Keep it gradual, ideally in seperate rooms for a bit.
Try Pet remedy plug ins and spray as well (cheaper than feliway and lasts longer)

https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/cat-behaviour/introducing-cats

www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/information-leaflets/essential-guides

Awww thank you for saving the little kitty!

They will settle, as PP said, just make sure they have access to their own space and don't force anything! I'd say you've been chosen by the cat distribution system! Thank you for looking out for it.

My 5 year old lost his brother and I introduced a 7 week old kitten. It was a steady and careful introduction over several weeks. The kitten quickly established himself as boss cat. They get on fine, one year on.

How old does the vet think she is?

hopefully your existing cat will tolerate the little invader!!

Do you know there's a cat topic?? Litter Tray

ps: you've not paid your tax!!

Nope I simply cannot advise you with a photo.

I’ve never found a lost kitten.
It’s not fair, it’s not fair. So there!!

It does happen eventually. I waited all my life and got to the age of 50 before I took on an abandoned kitten. She'd been thrown out of a car in a plastic bag, along with her two siblings who unfortunately died.

This was a few years ago and she's doing great now.

Never give up hope of being paired with a lost kitten.

I had a cat who was pregnant when rescued. She was an excellent mum but as soon as the kittens were weaned, she hissed and spat at all of them and continued that until her dying day 17 years later! They eventually just learn to live in their own space within the house. Cats are extremely territorial as I'm sure you're aware - but this actually extends to blood relations too! (The two kitties I kept from her did love one another though)

About 7/8 weeks old.
sorry, what do you mean not paid my tax?

If you post about kittens people like to see a picture. Cat tax is the colloquial term.

it would be kinder to consider adopting another kitten so that they can have fun and not drive your 13 yo cat mad. It would be a shame if she felt driven out of the house by the exuberant new furball.

Of course!

Precious baby! 😻

I agree with PP that another kitten might help with entertaining each other vs terrorising your older cat. But it does depend on if your older can adapts ok to the whipper snapper. They might get on just fine.

Ideal number of cats is always n+1 with n being your current number of cats. So a second kitten would be fine of course. 😆

(We have 4, my teen DD is desperate to find a kitten someday! Lucky you!)

i have a 10 year old black and white female called Poppy, and we have a 3 year old ginger tom called Sinki... we've had him 3 years... Poppy totally hates him.. can't stand to be in the same room as him.. but they live happily in the same house, just have their own spaces

Firstly thank you for paying your cat tax , so cute !

I agree with pp , they probably will learn to tolerate each other but introductions should be very slow.
Try keeping them in separate rooms but each day stroke them with a clean bit of cloth and put it in the other ones space so they get use to each other.

There is lots of freindly help on this page.
( just incase you are not aware of it 🙂)
www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_litter_tray

When I found my lost kitten, I already had 2 cats, aged 11. They took to the kitten fairly well. I dont remember much spitting etc, mainly just avoidance and caution, and then gradually sleeping in the same space as each other.

A few years down the line, said kitten was 5 years old and one of my old boys had died. I felt 'kitten' was lacking in a young playmate so bought 2 new kittens. The surviving old boy, then 16, accepted the new young blood with benign indifference but the 5 year old did not react at all as I thought he would. He was absolutely horrified by the kittens - ran away from them whenever he saw them - and they terrorised him. It wasn't great for a long time, if I am honest, but after about 10 months, he slowly came round.

So the basic message is, you can never be totally sure how an older cat will respond to a kitten and age seems to have little to do with it. They probably will get along eventually, but I seriously would not recommend introducing 2 little ones at the same time to an older cat. My poor rescue baby's life was made miserable by 2 tiny balls of fluff who ganged up against him.

Yours is adorable by the way. I wouldn't dream of not having him if I were you.