Good ways to introduce new kitten to older cat?

[Narutard89]

A few days ago I found a kitten underneath my car at work and brought her home. I would really like to keep her but my older cat, Pepper, is not a happy camper. She hasn't tried to attack the kitten, but she always hisses at her and has taken refuge in my room and barely comes out. At first I was keeping the kitten locked in the bathroom, because I know you should separate them and let them sniff each other out, but I hate leaving Binx (the kitten) locked up all the time and even with her in the bathroom, Pepper still won't come out of my room (unless she does it when I'm not looking as her food is in the back room where the bathroom is.) There really isn't anywhere else to keep Binx. I have a very open house and not many doors to close her in.

I know with some time they might start getting along and it takes patience, but we are going on vacation in a week and a half. We'll be gone for a week and I would like to get them used to each other a little better before I leave for that long. It just really bad timing. I would love to keep Binx, because the local shelter already has so many cats and kittens already, but I don't want to leave for a week with Pepper not getting along with her. Anyone have any suggestions?

I would like to

 

[Alexis F]

hopes this helps
-Introducing cats to cats
Remember that cats do not need to be social creatures - unlike the pack-orientated dog they function happily on their own without a social structure around them. They are unlikely to feel the 'need' for a companion even though you would wish to have another cat around. You cannot force cats to like each other - some will live with a newcomer easily, others will never get on or they may just manage to live alongside each other in an uneasy truce - you can only try. However, if there is no competition for food or safe sleeping places (as in most good homes) then cats will accept each other eventually and some will even seem to form close bonds with one another.

While it may be a matter of feline choice as to whether cats get on, how you introduce a new cat or kitten into your home and to a resident cat or cats can make the difference between success or failure. Once a relationship becomes violent or very fearful and the cat feels threatened it can be very difficult to change the behaviour patterns. Thus careful introductions which prevent excessive reactions and take things slowly are vital.

Here are some factors involved in bringing cats together successfully:

-Adults or kittens?
A kitten is less of a threat to a resident cat than an adult cat because it is still sexually immature. It can also be better to get a kitten of the opposite sex to the resident cat to minimise competition. Neutering helps to remove most of such problems, but may not eliminate them altogether. If you are getting an adult cat again it can be better to bring in one of the opposite sex.

-Timing
Choose a quiet time when the household is calm - avoid festivities, parties, visiting relatives or friends and find time to concentrate on calm reassurance for both cats.

-Smell is important
Remember that scent is the most important of the cat's senses in terms of communication and well-being. You can try and integrate the new cat into your home and make it less alien by getting it to smell of 'home' before you introduce it to the resident cat. To do this stroke each cat without washing your hands and mix scents in this way. You can also gather scents from around the cat's head area by gently stroking it with a soft cloth and dabbing it around your home and furniture to mix and spread scents. Likewise letting the cat get used to the new smells of the house and another cat before the initial meeting can make it more tolerable. For this reason it can be very useful to delay letting cats meet for a few days or even a week. During this time keep them in separate rooms allowing each to investigate the other's room and bed without actually meeting.