Cat Gets a Kitten, How Their Introduction Goes Leaves Owner ‘Scared’ 

A video of an older male cat meeting a kitten for the first time has captured internet viewers’ attention, racking up over 1.4 million views on TikTok. The clip, shared by @myzoohousee, shows an adult cat and a kitten, both with similar tortoiseshell coats. If it weren’t for the text layered over, viewers might assume they were related—but they had just met. The text explains that the owner got the kitten on October 25 and introduced them within 24 hours. In the video, the older cat grabs the kitten’s head with his paws to hold him still while grooming him. When the kitten breaks away, the cat lightly paws his face, prompting the older feline to sit up. The behavior sparked concern for the owner, who turned to TikTok for advice, writing: “our older male cat keeps holding him and licking him, is this fine?” This was followed by, “I’m scared because of their size difference, and I feel like I introduced them too fast.” @myzoohousee #fyp #newkitten #myzoohousee ♬ Ain’t It Fun – Paramore How To Introduce a New Kitten to Your Cat Experts at Hill’s Pet Food say that, no matter how gentle or friendly your current feline may be, it is still a cat—territorial by nature and conscious of her place in the household hierarchy. Introducing a playful new kitten can stir up jealousy from lost attention, discomfort over shared spaces, and even bursts of aggression from constant disruption. With some thoughtful preparation, patience, and understanding of feline behavior, owners can make introductions smoother and help build a lasting bond that makes life with two cats truly rewarding. Step 1: Prepare your homeBefore bringing your new kitten home, take a toy or blanket to the breeder or pet shop to pick up her scent and leave it around your home so your current cat can get used to it. Prepare a separate room for the kitten with her own food, water, toys, and bedding to help her feel secure. This setup will be temporary until both felines are ready to interact comfortably. Step 2: Let them get to know each other’s scentKeep your resident cat in a separate room on the kitten’s first day to reduce stress and help both pets adjust gradually. Allow your older feline to smell your hands or items carrying the kitten’s scent, rewarding her with treats to form positive associations. Over the next few days, exchange their bedding and bowls, and let each explore the other’s space separately until they are both comfortable with the new scents. TikTok Reacts Stock image: A gray cat grooms a striped tabby on a blanket. So far, the October 26 video has received over 113,000 likes and thousands of views from cat lovers eager to weigh in. “He knows he’s a baby. He’s pinning him down to clean him to make the kitten smell like him. I’ve introduced all my kittens right away to my older cats and they don’t hurt them cause they they’re babies still,” said one user. Another posted: “The dominant cat in the household is always the one that does the cleaning/grooming. He is asserting his dominance and letting the little one know that he’s the boss. It’s normal.” A third wrote: “He is not aggressive toward the kitten, just letting him know gently he is the boss.” Understanding Feline Bonds Indeed, cats in the same social group show positive behaviors such as sleeping together, rubbing against each other, and mutual grooming—activities that help share and strengthen their scent. The U.K.-based charity Cat’s Protection said that, in multi-feline households, separate social groups can form, especially if introductions weren’t handled carefully or resources are limited. Even bonded cats may drift apart with age or stress. Signs of conflict between groups include hissing, fighting, blocking access to resources, or excessive focus on one another—often subtle but highly stressful for the affected feline. In this case, TikTok users seem to agree that the older cat’s behavior is not aggression, but affection—and that his efforts to groom the kitten are his way of saying, “Welcome to the family.” Newsweek reached out to @myzoohousee for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.