Adopting a kitten/intergrating it into the household

This cat behavior question comes from Sharon S.: If you have a question email me at lukeblaise1m@excite.com

I have 3 cats, all adults, one is 12 yr old. I am looking to adopt a kitten, and wonder how this is going to affect the adult cats. What is the best way to introduce the kitten? I currently have 2 females, and 1 male. The ages are: 12, 8 and 3 yrs old. All are spayed and neutered. All were adults that I adopted. Thank you for any advice you may offer!

Hi Sharon,

Thanks for the question. It is great you want to give another cat a great home.

For some of the older cats it might take time to accept the young kitten. Kittens have lots of energy, which can be annoying for older cats who are happy just to nap all day.

It would be best to keep the kitten separate in another room for a few days to get used to the smells of the house and then only let them spend time together when you can supervise them.

Also give the kitten lots of places to hide, in case she wants to escape from the other cats.

Here is a great article with more information: Introducing a new cat.

Thanks and have a great weekend.

Luke