Adopting a new kitten is an exciting time for a household. Getting to know this sweet little bundle of furry energy will bring you hours of pleasure. I’d like to offer a few suggestions for making the transition easier for all.

Catalyst for Cats, Inc. encourages adopting two instead of one, not only to double your pleasure, but for the kittens themselves. One is fine, but cats are social animals. Since birth, they have known only that they are one of many. Used to the safety and comfort of sleeping in a pile with their littermates, it can be very stressful and frightening to suddenly be whisked away by strangers and deposited, all alone, into an entirely new environment.

Even if there is already a resident cat ensconced in your home, bringing in two kittens can be less stressful for the older feline as well. Since the kittens will be more likely to play with each other than try to engage the local alpha cat, there is less chance of serious aggression. Through observance and interactive toy play, the new colony will soon be formed.

Introducing a new kitten into a home with another pet, should be a gradual process. Set the carrier down, open the door, and let the kitten come out on its own. To take it from its carrier and place it in the middle of a strange new room, is terrifying to a tiny kitten. It will seek the nearest hiding place and quite possibly make a mess in a corner.

Placement of the litter box is important to avoid accidents. Before bringing the kitten home, know where you want the permanent box location to be. Set up the nursery in the same room if possible, or nearby.

The new addition should be confined to a small room at first. A bathroom is ideal, as it generally has hard surface flooring. (Sometimes the little ones confuse carpeting for a litter box.) As the kitten outgrows the space, open the door and gradually move the litter box, a few feet at a time, towards the predetermined final place.

The nursery door should remain closed at first, to let the resident animal get used to the smell of the new one through the cracks. After a couple days, I like to stack baby gates (two 23”H and one 30.5”H) in the frame. Put the taller one in the middle position, removing it as you need to access the room. The doorway must be filled, for a single gate is easily scaled. The open mesh now lets the animals see each other. It won’t take long for the two to be eager to play.

Besides human loving, fun toys and a sisal scratching post or cat tree, lots of good high-protein food is essential to a growing kitten. With their high energy and metabolism, 3-4 meals a day of wet food is recommended, besides having free access to kibble and water.

As with any new baby, take lots of pictures, embrace the moments, and look forward to years of pleasure with your new companion.