Keep or Return New Kitten?

I have a 3-year-old cat who has always had another cat around since she was a kitten. Recently, my sister moved out and took her 7-year-old cat with her, and my cat has been extra clingy and seems lonely. Because of this, I decided to get her a new kitten to keep her company.

I brought the new kitten home yesterday, and my cat immediately hated her. The kitten is sweet, not aggressive, and mostly just explores the house after being in a small shelter cage, but my older cat has been hiding upstairs all day, avoiding her. When I go up and sit with my cat, she’s back to her usual snuggly self, but she won’t come down to play or go outside like she normally does.

I feel terrible about it. I thought a new kitten would be good for her, but now I feel guilty seeing her so anxious. I’m also feeling bad because I know I can’t love two cats equally the same way I love my 3-year-old, and that doesn’t feel fair to the kitten.

It’s only been a day, but I’m already thinking maybe I made a mistake. How do I know if it’s time to give up and return the kitten? Or am I just being too dramatic about this?

There’s something called the ‘Rule of 3s’—3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months. It takes time for a new pet to adjust, and you have to give them that time. Also, it might have been better to adopt a cat closer in age to your resident cat. Kittens and adult cats are very different in energy levels and personalities.

Introductions should be done slowly. You should be keeping them separated at first and gradually introducing them over a few weeks, not just tossing them together and hoping for the best. This also reduces the risk of the older cat catching anything from the new kitten.

If you really feel it’s not going to work out, it’s best to return the kitten sooner rather than later. But from what you’ve said, it sounds like you might have jumped into this without the proper preparation.

@Emory
Would you say I’m being too pessimistic? I definitely know that the younger the kitty, the more likely she’ll get adopted, so I don’t want to ruin her chances of finding a forever home. But at the same time, she is really adorable.