Hi everyone!
I've got a house full of kittens.
I have six kittens in this room,
and four kittens on quarantine in another room.
And today is very exciting because today is the day
that all the kittens are going to meet and become friends.
Making friends is such a fun part of being a kitten,
but before you go meddling with feline matchmaking,
watch this video so you can make sure you are introducing your kittens safely.
When introducing a little one to a critter from another litter,
you want to do so with their health and safety in mind.
It might be tempting to quickly place two kittens together,
but nobody should be booping noses or licking faces until it's the right time for friendship.
The reason it's important not to introduce two kittens from a different litter right away
is because most of the time when you rescue a kitten,
they're going to have an unknown health history.
And these kittens can carry infectious diseases like parasites and viruses
that can be contagious to one another.
That's why when you have two kittens from different groups,
I always recommend a minimum two week quarantine period.
[kitten messes with camera] Ooookay, that's not what we want. :P
[static]
The first two weeks after rescue are really all about stabilizing health
and monitoring for signs of illness.
During these two weeks kittens should be receiving preventive care,
like de-wormers, or even vaccines if age-appropriate.
During these two weeks, you want to be observing their health.
Make sure their poop is well-formed and that they don't have any parasites they can spread.
Make sure their skin is healthy and that they don't have ringworm.
Make sure they don't have an upper respiratory infection or any signs of a virus.
It's important to know that contagious viruses like panleukopenia
can take many days to incubate.
So just because your kitten looks healthy on day one
doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't carrying a virus.
This is why 14 days is the perfect amount of time to let your kittens settle in
and make sure they're in good health.
The first two weeks are really just about making sure the kitten is looking healthy and bulking up.
Think about it as primping for a date,
but on the microscopic level.
During the two-week period you also want to make sure you're using separate supplies.
Many contagious illnesses can be spread through environmental contact,
things like food dishes and bottles and blankets,
so you don't want to be sharing any of these supplies between two different litters.
Wash your hands between each group.
Practice good hygiene and make sure that the kittens really are separate during this time.
Of course litter mates can stay together and share supplies since they're a package deal,
but they shouldn't be sharing space or supplies with any other litters
until their bodies are ready for forming feline friendships.
If during those two weeks your kitten shows a sign of illness,
you'll be glad you kept them separate, and you can focus on nursing them back to health.
But if after two weeks your kitten has shown no signs of illness
and they've had all their preventative care they need,
they can be introduced to a new friend!
Now everybody does introductions differently, so it's up to you how careful you want to be.
I do know some rescuers who will introduce kittens right away,
but I'll caution you from experience that I really don't recommend this.
Now there are some groups who are very strict about when they'll introduce.
Maybe they require that they've had all of their testing and multiple vaccines.
At the end of the day, it's really up to your resources, your capacities, and what you want to do.
Personally, I err on the side of caution when I'm introducing my kittens.
So what I'm looking for is always an asymptomatic kitten
who's at least been with me for two weeks on a quarantine period.
I've introduced so many kittens to other kittens who ended up becoming their very best friend.
Kittens like Fizz and Wednesday, who were from totally different litters.
Or kittens like Hank and Cody,
or Bruno and Boop.
In fact, even Dollop and Cabbu are from different litters,
but soon they'll be adopted together.
So I'm a huge believer in the bonds that you can form when you introduce kittens to one another,
but I do want you to do it in a way that's safe for them.
In general when you're matchmaking kittens,
I recommend trying to match kittens who are of similar age and size.
These little ladies are about one week apart and they're a perfect match.
So today I'll be introducing the black kittens
Haupia, Tom Kha, Chutney, and Shrimp,
to the tabby kittens; Sprinkle, Smidgen, Dash, Splash, Dollop, and their tuxedo friend Cabbu.
With these kittens, they were all born within ten days of one another, so they're a great match.
So now that we know the black kittens are healthy,
they can come into the socialization room and meet everyone else!
Woo!
Ready to go meet some friends?
You guys ready?
Okay, we're going to meet our new friends!
Let's gooooo!
Okay everyone,
you got some new friends!
Release the panthers!
Everyone's exploring.
There's a lot to see, and a lot of new smells.
Oh, you look like you're a little spooked out, but that's okay.
You guys will be friends soon.
Everyone's got new smells.
Smidgen, you don't even know what's going on.
Look at that poofy tail, you're okay!
What do you think? [cute purring]
As you introduce your kittens, it's normal if they're a little freaked out at first.
I recommend monitoring them and guiding them through appropriate play.
Showing them a brand new toy or something that they can enjoy together is a great way to do that.
Be sure that you're taking it slow and letting the kittens meet each other at their own pace.
Provide them with lots of reassurance and comfort.
Feeding kittens together can be a way to get them to bond,
but it can also make them fearful that their food might be under threat.
So make sure you're providing multiple food dishes
and feeding them at a distance from each other where they're comfortable
and don't feel that their food is threatened.
The younger they are, the faster they tend to adjust,
and I find that most kittens become friends quite quickly.
However, if you find that a kitten is fearful or aggressive,
you might want to do only supervised visits in the beginning when they're first getting to know each other.
Every kitten is going to be different,
so take it case-by-case and meet each kitten where they are.
You two are already hitting it off!
You two have known each other for like, three minutes and you're already friends.
Hey look! You even like the same toys as the tabbies, that's pretty cool.
Good luck introducing your kittens.
Remember that feline friendship is key to a happy kitten,
so if you're raising a solo baby I highly recommend that you get a second.
By safely introducing kittens to each other on a timeline that keeps their health in mind,
we can ensure that kittens are both physically and emotionally whole.
Thanks for watching!