tomorrow im going to meet a kitten im potentially interested in adopting! do you have any advice on 1. gauging the personality of a kitten and 2. introducing a kitten to my (very energetic, very high prey drive, but very social) existing cat?
ahHHH congrats! :D So when I’m trying to gauge a cat’s personality, I try to introduce them to a few different stimuli.
1. Listen and look. A cat who is very interested in human interaction will usually meow, chirp, or purr. They make intense eye contact, because they know humans like that shit. Their tail is up and slightly curved at the end, kinda like a little hook.
I also like to watch how kittens interact with each other, but they’re usually too excited by a NEW HUMAN!!! to really do much of anything besides meow for a bit.
2. I hold out my hand to the cat to see if they want to sniff, headbump against it, freeze, or hide. Ideally, a cat will come out and headbump pretty quickly—- a very confident and well-raised kitten will do this—- but let’s face it: some cats will need a bit of time to warm up. The next ideal reaction is a sniff and THEN a headbump (this is a fairly typical cat reaction; some will spend more time sniffing than others). A cat who cowers/freezes is NOT ideal, but don’t discount them yet. It’s time for the next test.
3. Next, I try to engage them in play. This is really good for cats who are shyer because, once they get distracted, they’re generally more relaxed and interested in socializing. I generally start by crinkling a paper toy nearby, just to get their attention. A very confident cat will pretty quickly start investigating and may start making noise (meows, chirps, purrs, etc). A fairly confident cat will usually wait until the toy is visible. A shy cat might wait until you toss the toy. A very frightened cat won’t react at all. Usually, kittens are dumb as rocks and will immediately try to chase the toy.
Once you’ve got the kitten playing, I like to bring out a wand toy—- this is also a really good way to engage a cat who is too frightened or nervous to really interact with a human. If you wiggle a wand toy enough, most cats will try to play.
4. After a bit of playtime,. even a shy cat will usually be more relaxed and more interested in sniffing you and being pet. This is the point where I try testing a cat’s sensitivity to overstimulation. I pet them all over and see how long it takes them to start signaling, ‘hey, stop’. Some may go right for a bite (which isn’t a great sign, obviously, but isn’t a show stopper necessarily).
If the kittens are in a group: This is usually the point where kittens will get bored of the newcomer and try to interact with each other more, which is great for you. You’ll get a good look at who is tackling whom and who is still begging for human attention.
So what you’ll be looking for: a cat who is confident, active, and will try to engage in play at the smallest opportunity, but also doesn’t hesitate to go, “HEY!! That’s RUDE!!”.
Cat introductions:
Keep the kitten in a separate room for a bit—- I recommend at least a week minimum. The bathroom is a good place to keep a new cat because it’s really easy to clean up. It’s not uncommon for cats to have litterbox accidents or diarrhea after a big shock, like moving, so you might really appreciate the ease of cleaning. It’s also ideal for a quarantine, just in case your new kitten is sick. This waiting period is also good to help your resident cat get used to the idea that there’s someone else in the area.
You’ll see them sniffing at each other through the door. You might even hear them hiss and growl at each other. This is fine, and a normal part of cat introductions. If you’re lucky, they might try to play with each other through the door pretty quickly.
I recommend feeding them near the door on opposite sides. Again, it helps them get used to the smell of one another, and let’s them associate that smell with getting fed (a positive).
After a few days, switch their bedding around. This is to introduce them to each other’s smells in a non-threatening manner.
At the end of the week, some people take the extra step of setting up a baby gate so cats can see each other, but not necessarily touch each other. I’ve honestly never done this for my personal cats. If you choose to do this—or if you see the cats behaving aggressively towards the door gap or things that smell like the other cat—-feed the cats by the barrier. The goal is to move the food closer and closer to the barrier until the cats no longer react to the other’s presence.
But, like I said, I’ve generally skipped that. After the week is up, I usually just release the newcomer cat into the main residence. It’s important that both cats have safe zones from the other— like cat trees or separate rooms.
Again, it’s pretty normal to see cats kinda huff and puff at each other. You’ll definitely want to watch your high drive cat—- it’s very rare for a cat to show actual, full-out prey drive towards kittens, but I have seen it happen.
While the cats are checking out the place, give them treats and play time. It’s important that they associate the other cat with Fun Times, like extra special treats.
Good luck!
