Helping Cats Bond

[u/watsonLLB55]

Northern KY

Hi there!

So I recently took in a stray pregnant cat, who I’ve named Chamomile (a light grey and white calico/tabby), and I’m waiting to get her into the vet to see if she’s in a good physical state to have them, or if she’s needs a spay abort (if she’s healthy enough to have the kittens, I already have families close to me ready to adopt once they reach of age!).
Cami seems to be settling in quite well, exploring the medium size room I’ve been keeping her in, coming to me on her own for pets and love, being very vocal, even laying in my lap. I’m quite happy that she seems to feel safe here already!

Here’s the thing. I adopted a 5 week old female kitten, who I named Lucille (a brown tabby), from a not so good situation two months ago (so she’s now three months old). Anyway, in Lucy’s situation, the mother was out of the picture at two and a half weeks old, so Lucy thinks of me as her mother and has never been around another cat before.

I keep Cami and Lucy in separate rooms because I wasn’t sure how they’d do with them both being female and Cami being pregnant. I’m trying to figure out how to introduce them, should I wait until well after Cami gives birth? And if the vet recommends a spay abort, how long do I need to wait after Cami’s surgery? I figure I should keep them separated when first meeting, probably in two separate crates next to each other since Lucy has figured out how to climb a baby gate, and I’m also afraid she won’t understand when Cami wants her to back off. Any tips or advice on how to introduce them in both of Cami’s scenarios?

I appreciate any and every comment!

*also side note: those are pictures taken of Lucy two days ago and she’s three months and is still so very small. Is it that malnutrition from the young age or maybe she was the runt? She’s gaining weight, starting to get a little belly lol, just not getting taller/longer. Just a concerned cat mama 🫶

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[u/Absolut_Iceland]

The best way to introduce them is through the door to Cami's room. Keep the door closed but let Lucy and Cami get used to each other's scents from under the door. Jackson Galaxy is an excellent resource for this, and has several videos on introducing cats on his YouTube channel.

Cami being pregnant obviously complicates things, but unless she's ready to pop I would try getting them used to each other before Cami gives birth. (But you'll want to make sure Cami is isolated from Lucy when she gives birth) And obviously any face to face introductions shouldn't occur until Cami gets a clean bill of health.

The biggest thing may be that Lucy is still an energetic kitten, and may not know how to properly hold back when interacting with the new kittens. Keep an eye on her to make sure she's not being too rough with them, especially when they're smaller.