Adding Kittens to the Family

Have you ever wanted to add a kitten or two to your family, but were worried about how your older pets would react?

I want to encourage you - kittens are always a good idea - if you've got the time, energy and love for them. 

Last September we added two girl kittens - Penny & Pearl - to our family.  They were very tiny when we adopted them - just a little over 1 pound each.  We intended to get one kitten to go with our older two male cats.  Then the kids talked me into two kittens because "You can't separate the sisters!"  They were right.  

Life was much easier and better with a pair of kittens.  We'd always adopted one cat at a time and they had a hard time adjusting to a new house those first few days.  There was basically no adjustment time for these sweet sisters.  They were happy to be loved and happy to stay together.  No crying and no separation issues.  So if you can swing it, I'd highly recommend adopting a pair of kittens.

We kept the pretty separate from our older cats for probably the first 2 or 3 months since they were so tiny.  I think this really helped in making the kittens feel safe and helped not overwhelm the older cats.  They had time to learn the ropes and could become friends in short spurts of time.  They took over the kid's bathroom.  It housed their litter, food, water and beds.  They had their own blankets and towels that I'd use and wash separately just for them.  We'd put them in there when we left the house, overnight and they loved their cozy spot.  This helped them to feel safe and secure.  It also helped our older cats get used to them.  They could sniff them, but didn't have to share any of their food, water or litter with the new kittens.

Our older boy cats were 11 & 12 and they mostly tried to ignore the kittens.  They'd hiss and run away from them, but there wasn't ever a safety issue with them all being together.  They had their own spaces and own favorite spots.  Life stayed this way for those first 3 months.

Then, as the kitten started getting bigger, we started letting them roam and be on their own more.  We would supervise play time to make sure that the kittens stayed safe.  Occasionally, we'd even catch them snuggling with one of their older brothers.  Once they became more familiar with each other we moved all of their food, water, litter boxes to the same room.  They each still had their own spots but they were learning to coexist.  We left things this way for another 3 months or so and then we integrated them even more.  

Our oldest cat passed away unexpectedly in January and I was so glad that we had the cute kittens for Topher and as a cute distraction for us.  We went down to one food bowl, one water bowl and left two litter boxes.  It works for them.  It seems like the perfect balance where they can each eat, drink and then have their space a bit for the litter boxes.  They all take turns and eat on their own terms.  Everyone mingles with everything now.  There aren't any designated kitten areas anymore.

Topher still likes to think he's the boss of the kitty crew.  He's 12 and kind of mouthy.  The kittens are so so sweet and busy and we're so glad Kevin found them for us. 

 

Kitten adoption tips:

Pay attention to their little personalities when you meet them because they're usually pretty accurate.

Listen to what the owners tell you about them - this one is so snuggly, this ones hides a lot, etc.

Get them check ups at the vet ASAP.

Kittens are easy to little train, but if you adopt tiny ones, be prepared for some messes as they figure out life.  Wet wipes near the litter box help minimize the messes.

Keep the kittens on the same schedule for vet appointments and eventually try to get all your cats on the same check up/shot schedule to simplify things.  Same thing goes for medicine or surgeries - do them at the same time.

We had two boys first and then added two girls.  They are all spayed/neutered and we've never had any trouble with having boys and girls together.

Let me know if you have any more kitten questions or need any kitten encouragement!

We are a cat loving family :)

Here are some pictures of adding kittens to the family.

I'd forgotten how messy kittens were.  They get food and litter everywhere in the bathroom.  If you can make your kitten zone in a carpet free area that would be best and easiest to clean up messes.

We tried lots of cat beds and their favorite set up was an IKEA storage box on its side filled with cozy blankets.

Lots of cozy kitten snuggles happening here!  I'm