11 month old cat and new kitten

Question
Hello,

I've been recently thinking of getting a new kitten to keep my 11 month old cat company. My 11 month old is a male and is neutered and the new kitten that I want to adopt is a 5 week old female. I don't have her yet because I was wondering how to go about introducing the two. I really don't want him to hurt her and he already has a behavioral problem with new people coming into the house as it is. I have been working on trying to get him use to my fiance for quite some time now. I really want him to accept her but I'm terrified it will not work out. I had a 17 year old poodle that just passed away in December and my 11 month old was really good with him but he was just 8 months old when my poodle passed on. Since then he has been acting lonely and board even though I play with him for hours at a time. I thought that maybe if I got another cat that it may help him with his anxiety with new people and loneliness. I just don't know how well my intentions would work out. Any help at all would be really appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Answer
Hello there,

I'm sorry about your dog.. and I think that introducing a kitten could really help your cat to overcome her fearfulness.

(To avoid confusion of the felines(by calling them "cat" and "kitten"), I'll refer to them as KK and CC... KK = Kitten.... CC = Cat)

First off, 5 weeks is pretty young. A kitten should be given time to nurse, socialize with his siblings, and learn everything he needs to know before he goes to his new home. Usually that takes about 8 weeks.
Often times, a cat that is adopted younger than 8 weeks will experience litter box problems, biting, furniture clawing, etc... The reason being that the mother never got a chance to teach the kitten that this behavior is wrong, as the kitten was taken away prematurely.
If you get a kitten with these behavioral problems, he will probably teach CC these same habits. You don't want that...
So I would suggest getting a different kitten, one who's 8 to 12 weeks old or so.

Next, when you introduce KK into your new home, it shouldn't be the first time CC has got her scent. When you go to pick up the kitten, bring one of CC's blankets or toys. Introduce it to KK on the way home, so she can pick up the scent some--and vice versa if possible.

When you first bring the kitten in, keep her in a crate. If she doesn't have a crate, I *highly* suggest buying one for her. Fill it with some of her own blankets and toys--if the previous owner doesn't offer you some, ask if you could buy some of her toys to make her feel more comfortable. This way you won't have to spend as much on all new toys, and it will cut down on aggression/potential fights between the cats, since they don't have to share toys. Plus, it will make KK feel more at home.
Anyways... once you get KK into the house, set her kennel down in the living room. Let her stay in there for at least a day--make sure it's comfortable sized(don't use the "stand up and turn around" rule .. that's for house training dogs. It should be big enough for food and water in one side and a nice mat/blanket on the other side). When you let KK explore, put CC in her kennel(if she doesn't have a kennel, I suggest buying her one also. It will be crucial to the next few steps) and let KK sniff around and check everything out for a day or so.
When you let them both out, don't pet them both or coo to them. Unlatch the door, and put one in one corner, the other in another corner. Then leave them be for awhile.

They should not have to share *anything*. Including food, water, toys, bedding, etc. For the first month at least, they should have their own everything. That way they can adjust to eachother in their own time, an not be forced to spend time together if they want food or water or a place to sleep.

They should also have a haven...this is where their crate comes in. The crates should always be open, unless you're locking them in there. Crates shouldn't be used for punishment. Typically, cats will respect another cats den, so there shouldn't be any problems with intrusion.

Make sure CC gets as much attention as she got before KK was introduce to your lives.. and make sure KK gets plenty of attention, as well.
If CC is showing dangerous aggresion or jealousy, or nips/injures the kitten, they should be separated until a new home can be found for one of them. Never risk the kittens life, thinking "they'll get over it"

Make sure to lock both cats in their crates at night...if CC isn't used to this, I suggest you start locking her up at night now, so she can adjust before KK arrives.

The best thing you can do is treat them equally. Same brand food, same kind of toys, same amount of attention, and etc.
KK will likely adapt very well, being so young.. and CC will probably be happy for the company.

If there are any problems or concerns, feel free to contact me (follow up?)
Thanks :)
Lionel