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Introducing kittens.

Species: Cat
Breed: Mongrel
Age: 3-6 months
hi, i have a 5 month old kitten, and have introduced an 8 week old kitten to the house, only today. There is a lot of hissing from the new arrival, a lot of biting on the neck from the 5 month old and a lot of scratching. They are both males, what can i do to get them to get used to each other


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Congrats on your new kitten!

Most of the time cats do learn how to get along with each other.

The biting on the neck is the older kitten trying to tell the younger one that he is "the boss". It is a sign of him being dominant. Most of the time this behavior gets better with time.

Be sure to have both cats neutered. Biting on the neck can be a part of mating behavior as well. But, at 5 months this little guy shouldn't have any testosterone yet.

The best thing you can do is to keep the kittens separated for a few days, but give them some supervised time together throughout the day. When you start noticing that they are accepting each other then you can leave them alone with each other.

Another thing that may help is to leave the new kitten in a cage in the middle of the room for a while and let the older one sniff him out.

Eventually though, cats almost always learn how to get along.

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.