Hi Everyone, I will be bringing home my new kitten next month. I am not sure how I am supposed to introduce her to my year old Maltese. I just recently had to watch a kitten for a relative going on vacation. I just set a food/water dish and litter box in my son's room, which was not like really separating them because he is 6 and in and out of his room. If he forgot to close the door, my dog was in there checking this cat out. It was only for a week and I really had no choice but to just kind of put them together and let them get used to each other. Things actually went well, by the 3rd night they were sleeping on the same couch or they were both in our bed. Now that I have time to plan on my kitten coming home, I don't know if that is still the best way to do things. The only room that I can close off is downstairs. I just feel bad leaving her there by herself, of course I would be down there playing with her and getting her used to her new home but is this the best way to do it. Also, when I start to introduce them should I bring her upstairs or the dog downstairs in her room. Please help, I just want to do the right thing. I don't even know how long they should be separated for.
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introducing new kitten to 1 year old dog
Replies (3)
Since the dog has already been around kittens fairly successfully the introduction should go smoothly. The main reason you need to separate them is to be sure that the kitten is safe. Once you feel that the dog will not hurt the kitten then it is probably OK to let them mingle for most of the day. Until then, let the kitten have her own space and hold the dog on a leash - at least for a day or so. Then have some supervised visits. You will probably have a good feeling for how quickly you can move on to the next step.
When you are feeding the dog it would be best to be sure the kitten is in another room. Even the very nicest dog can turn on a kitten if he things his food is threatened.
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I am not sure about the leash thing. But you know your dog better then I do. My dog is more aggressive on a leash then off. I think she feels she is protecting me when she is on the leash or something. When introducing a new kitten to our dogs. We always keep the kitten in a room where the litter box is going to be. Then after the kitten being in the room for a day so the dog can smell her and the KITTEN can smell the dog. We let them see each other. The kittens are always afraid of the dog at first and growl/hiss at them. Some how the kittens all end of thinking Mya is there mother. They tend to avoid Jessie (minpin). Jessie gets to rough and we have to keep an eye on here when the cats were kittens.
Good luck.
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Jaime owned by
Mya the dog
and the cats:Crash, Moxie, Gabby and sometimes Tucker
I had to do the same thing with my kitten and my chihuahua. It has been 2 years and they love eachother. The cat (Dixen) tackles fifi the chihuahua. BUt now fifi attacks back. IT is so much fun. It goes more smoothly if the kitten has never known to be scared of dogs or its mother being scared of dogs. Mine went smoothly but i guess it depends on the teperment of both. GOOD LUCK
