Introducing kitten with older cats

[Onceuponatimethen]

We have two cats, mum and adult daughter - mum is a lap cat with us but quite anti social and hisses at her dd if she approaches her. Never bites though. Mum will play chase with her dd but only if she initiates. When they go out mum cat gives her dd a wide berth.

Dp is desperate for a kitten as both cats are very orientated to me, even though he’s the only one who feeds them. He would hope the new kitten would sit on his knee etc though obviously not guaranteed.

Would we be crazy to try to introduce a kitten given mum cat’s personality?

Also not sure whether a new kitten will necessarily be particularly into dp, much as I would hope they would be!

Has anyone experienced family cats seeming to have a clear preference?

Like you say it’s a lottery - so be prepared that the new kitten likes you more as well. Is your partner prepared for that?

Regards introducing ask yourself these questions?

1. Do you have a separate room to keep the new kitten in while it gets used to your house?

2.Is your house big enough for each cat to have a quiet space free from the other cat once introduced? You also need to consider separate feeding spaces and litter trays if you use them.

It can be done though, our cat hated all other cats apart from her brother. He died at Christmas sadly and we got a kitten in Jan, hoping they would become companions. We kept the kitten in a spare room for two weeks and swapped scents on blankets and stroking each cat after the other. We then introduced them gradually and used Feliway friends plug ins. Lots of treats/chicken helped.

The new kitten loved her, she thought he was horrendous. But now she loves him and they cuddle and eat together.

We do have space to separate them and it’s very reassuring to hear about your cats! I think our younger cat would be fine with it, hopefully.

Yes I agree it can’t be certain kitten would gravitate to dp. Just weird how even though he feeds them they don’t want to sit on his knee. They were rescued though so maybe he reminds them of someone from their old home

My older girl is very territorial and used to hiss and swipe even at my old boy, who'd been around longer than she had. When he died, she seemed lost and lonely, so we risked integrating a new kitten in. She hisses at him a bit but hasn't tried to go for him. She seems to understand that if I say he stays, he's staying, but she's not going to be gracious about it. He's not in the slightest bit intimidated by her.