If you have a new kitten and lead a busy life you may be wondering if you can leave it with your older cat…
Can I Leave My Kitten Alone With My Cat?
You can leave your kitten alone with your cat if your cat does not inflict any kind of violence on your little kitten. However, if you feel like your cat is extremely possessive, dominating, or may be harmful to your kitten, then you need to reconsider.
So, now you know that you can, under some circ*mstances. But, when is it not a good idea? What could happen if you do leave your kitten alone with it? Keep reading for these answers, and so much more…
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When Is It Not a Good Idea to Leave Your Kitten With Your Cat?
A kitten left on its own.
As discussed earlier, you can leave your kitten alone with your cat in certain situations. However, there are some signs that can show that it is not a good idea:
01. Hissing and Growling
One of the major red flags when it comes to leaving your kitten with your cat is hissing and growling.
Cats usually hiss and growl when they are aggressive. But, they may also hiss when a new member is introduced to the family. If you notice that your cat is constantly hissing at your kitten then make sure you don’t leave them alone.
Additionally, some cats also hiss when they are scared. So, if your kitten is also hissing, it may be a sign of fear. If they’re scared then also make sure you simply don’t leave them alone unsupervised.
02. Destructive Behavior
Different cats have different behaviors. When a new kitten is introduced, some of them may warm up. Yet, others may still be reluctant.
If they are too reluctant, they may engage in destructive behavior. During this time, they may start destroying furniture and even knock off items from the table to show you their disapproval.
So, if you see any destructive behavior that is out of character then don’t leave them alone.
03. The Kitten Acting Aggressive
Lastly, it is not always your cat who may pick fights. Sometimes, it can also be your kitten.
So, if you find that your kitten is aggressive and is constantly picking fights with the older cat, then it is a good idea to keep them away.
It is because if the older cat is also aggressive, there are chances that both of them can get hurt.
What Could Happen if You Leave Your Kitten With Your Cat?
If you are wondering what could happen if you leave your kitten alone with a cat, then are two possible outcomes such as:
01. Positive Outcome
You may get a positive outcome where both your cat and kitten have bonded well or they are at least not fighting or hurting each other.
This is possible only if you have a well-trained cat or a non-aggressive one.
02. Negative Outcome
Secondly, if your cat or kitten is aggressive, then the below things could happen:
- Injuries: In certain situations, you may find that the older cat may hurt the kitten. Sometimes, both of them can get into a fight and injure themselves.
- Kitten May Escape: Keep in mind that most of the kittens are usually timid. So, if they find the older cat chasing them, they may try to escape too.
- Fatality: Lastly, in the worst-case scenario, fatal injuries or death may occur. Hence, it becomes necessary that you take all the precautions before leaving your kitty and cat alone.
What Happens if You Leave a Kitten Alone Too Long?
Most of the time cats love socializing. Yet, some of them also like solitude.
When it comes to kittens, you need to know that in the early busy months, they love making bonds with humans and other cats too. Moreover, they also love to play and get into mischief with you or other pets.
So, if you leave a kitten alone for too long it may feel extremely lonely. This loneliness can further result in separation anxiety as they grow up.
Is It OK to Let a Kitten Sleep Alone?
Yes, it is okay to let your kitten sleep alone. It is because of mainly two reasons:
Sleeping Alone is Healthy For Kitten
First of all, it is healthy for a kitten to sleep alone. It can make them more disciplined. Moreover, they will have a set routine and a place to sleep.
Your kitten may also become more independent. This can help in reducing separation anxiety if you’re going out overnight.
No Peeing on Bed
Secondly, if your kitten isn’t trained yet and you make them sleep with you on the bed, they may end up peeing.
So, this can disturb your sleep as you’ll have to get up to clean.
How Can You Avoid Your Cat Getting Jealous of Your Kitten?
One of the major reasons why a cat is dangerous for a kitten is because of jealousy. So, if you want to stop your cat from getting jealous of your kitten, then try out the below things.
01. Give Them Full and Some Extra Attention
Cats love getting attention and love. So, firstly, you need to show your cat that the presence of a new kitten won’t hamper your quality time with them.
For this, you can start playing with them more, petting them more, and showing more love. However, make sure you don’t neglect the kitten either.
02. Keep Everything Separate
Sometimes, your cat may try to get territorial over their toys, bed, food bowl, and other things when a new kitten is introduced. This can result in a lot of fights and hissing.
So, it is preferable that you keep everything separate – from toys to bed and most importantly, the food bowl!
Is It OK to Leave My Kitten on Its Own While I Work?
Kittens require more human interaction and love as compared to older cats.
For instance, kittens between the age of 8 weeks and 4 months require human interaction every 4 to 6 hours.
So, you can leave your kitty alone for 4 to 6 hours as well. After this much time, make sure that you or at least someone else spends time with them to avoid any accidents or even loneliness in kittens.
Once kittens turn 6 months old, you can leave them for the whole working day, or with a friend.
How Can You Help Your Kitten to Bond With You and Your Cat?
Getting your kitten to bond with you and your cat may not be that hard as kittens love interacting and playing with humans and other cats too.
However, if you want to make your kitty familiar with the cat, you can try out a hack.
For this, you require an unwashed T-shirt of yours (it should smell like you). Firstly, keep it in your kitten’s bed for a day. Then, keep the T-shirt in your older cat’s bed for another day.
This trick may help both the kitten and the cat to feel familiar and see each other as family.
Why Are Some Kittens Rough With Your or Your Cat?
Some kittens may also display rough behavior with you and your cat such as scratching, biting, hissing, etc. It is mostly because kittens love aggressive playtime! So, while playing, they may scratch and bite you or the older cat.
To avoid this, you can buy your kitten a soft toy or cushion of their size. They will see this toy as their plaything and get rough with them instead of you and your cat.
Sometimes, you may also want to have a background check. If you have brought the kitten from a street or an adoption center, chances are that they may have been abused before. Due to this, they are wary of any strangers.
If this is the case, then make sure you show your kitten enough love and make them trust you fully.
Why Is It Bad to Leave Kittens Alone for Too Long?
There are mainly two reasons why it is bad for you to leave a kitten alone for too long.
Reason 1: They May Get Hurt
Unlike grown-up cats, kittens don’t have full control over themselves. Plus, they love getting into mischief.
So, if you leave a kitten alone for too long, they may injure themselves.
Reason 2: They May Develop Behavioral Problems
Secondly, kittens require a lot more attention and interaction than cats.
If they don’t get it, they feel lonely and may become anxious or depressed. As they grow up, they might even develop separation anxiety.
Will a separate time-out area for my cat and kitten help?
Yes. One strategy that you can try is a time-out area. This is a special area when your cats are getting too rough or playtime is getting aggressive. You place either one in there.
However, it’s important to keep this place reserved for this only. Why? Otherwise, your cat may start relaxing there and will not understand this is a time-out zone.
Truthfully, this will not always work. It really depends on your cat’s personality and whether they respond positively or not. But, it’s worth a try.
Should I let my kitten play with my older cat?
Yes. But, you need to monitor them first. Assuming that your older cat is not the mother, that is. This is because you need to make sure that it is not too rough and they get on well together.
Once you see that they are working OK together then you can make a decision to see if they can be allowed to play unsupervised or not. It may take some time, or maybe not if you are lucky.
No. Cats should not be sharing a litter box. This is for two main reasons: health and preference. Cats are clean and appreciate their privacy, so they need their own.
Also, it is not healthy for them to share. Ideally, you need one litter box per cat with an additional one. This is known to make them use the trays happily and save you some unexpected messes outside of these boxes.
How can I stop my kitten from disturbing my adult cat?
The only way to stop your kitten from disturbing your adult cat is to separate them completely. And, this is neither practical nor good for the cats. The reality is the kitten won’t back off because you tell it to, or distract it.
With maturity, it will learn the boundaries and usually gets better. If you are concerned for your kitten or cat for that matter, then ist best to monitor them, or decide if they are a good mix in one home together.
Would my cat attack my kitten?
It is possible for a cat to attack a new kitten. This can be out of jealousy or the kitten annoying it. But, it largely depends on the cat’s personality and how you treat them.
Unfortunately, without seeing how they react you have no idea ahead of time how it works out.
