Keir Starmer’s new kitten: How to introduce another cat into a household
Last week, it was revealed that Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his family have welcomed a new member into the No. 10 household: a Siberian kitten.
“We are now getting a kitten instead of a dog, and this is an agreement after long negotiations – I said we’d get in the room and sort it out,” Starmer told BBC Radio 5 Live.
However, this milestone means the new cat will be living under the same roof as Keir's other cat, Jojo, as well as 17-year-old cat Larry – the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office – who has lived at 10 Downing Street since 15 February 2011 (and seen six Prime Ministers come and go during his residence).
And as cats thrive on security, comfort and familiarity, introducing a new arrival can be a turbulent time – especially when it’s a rival four-legged resident.
Experts stress that bringing a new dog into a home with a cat has its own set of rules (which Rishi Sunak would have presumably followed when getting his Labrador Retriever Nova in 2021), but ushering in a second (or even third) cat requires different steps entirely.
As a result, we asked a vet to share their top tricks for making the transition as seamless as possible for all those involved. Below are her three top tips…
How to introduce another cat into a household:
Keep the cats separate to start
Dr Anna Foreman, the in-house vet at Everypaw Pet Insurance, says it’s important to keep the new cat away from the original one (or ones) on first introduction.
She tells Country Living: “Letting them settle into one room with all of their amenities present (litter tray, water, access to food) will firstly not overwhelm them with stimuli, but also allow the original cat to sniff at the door and detect the presence of another animal there without being able to access them. Their reaction can then be gauged. They should be kept separate for at least a few days.”
Use a barrier
Vet Anna Foreman adds that you can use a barrier technique to ensure the introduction isn’t an overwhelming – or potentially aggressive – affair.
She says: “When introducing the two cats to one another, it should be done with a barrier that they can see and smell each other through, but not touch each other.
“This will allow them to assess one another without the risk of a fight breaking out. The use of a pheromonal spray which is proven to reduce tension in multi-cat households, such as Feliway Friends, is beneficial to use in this scenario.”
Keep a neutral territory
“A neutral territory should be used for a face-to-face introduction (ie. not the original cat’s resting or eating area), as this will eliminate the original cat’s worry of a resource threat,” adds Anna.
“The cats may initially have a small hierarchy struggle, for example the older/original cat hissing or hitting the other cat to exert dominance."
However, Anna explains that usually kittens will submit to an older cat – so the new Siberian kitten probably won't cause too many issues for Jojo and Larry.
The trouble typically comes if both cats are quite dominant, as this may then lead to a fight.
She continues: "If the cats do start to fight they should be separated carefully (without risk to owner) – if any wounds are present or a bite was seen then the affected cat should be taken to the vet for treatment – abscesses can form from cat bites and scratches due to the bacteria present in their mouth and on their claws.”
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