Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My kitten wants to interact with stray cats. What should I do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 3 months and 8 days old | 9 lbs

My kitten, Oliver, keeps trying to annoy stray cats outside, probably he wanted to play and stray cats don't want to. Oliver is the only cat in our house, so that's why. One time, at 3 am, there's a big cat came inside the house and I heard a cat fight scream and when I check it, the cat panic and I let him outside. I can't tell if he was a stray cat or my neighborhood's cat because he's very big and fat with beautiful hair. Why Oliver keeps coming with strange cats?, he is getting in trouble.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 8th, 2018

Hello, Oliver is likely just curious and wants to explore outside like normal kittens. I would make sure that all access to the outdoors is closed until you have tested Oliver of FeLV/FIV and have fully vaccinated him.

He will always be at risk of contracting FeLV and FIV from stray cats, however, you may be able to prevent other disease if you vaccinate him fully. Hope this helps and best of luck.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Anna M., DVM
Veterinarian
Published on January 26th, 2018
Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like you'd like Oliver to have a playmate and so are wondering if he should be allowed to interact with the stray cats. I would recommend keeping him apart from the stray cats if such a thing is possible/practical, since they could carry diseases that could be spread to Oliver, and if they are strays they likely have not been vaccinated. They could also injure little Oliver if they do decide to bite. Overall, I don't think it's worth all the possible risks to Oliver.

If you do decide to let him be outside, then definitely make sure he is up to date on all of his vaccines first to keep him as protected as possible. Hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

What can I do to keep my indoor-outdoor kitten away from stray cats?

Unfortunately if you are planning on keeping him indoor / outdoor, it is very difficult to keep him away from other stray cats. I would recommend ensuring his vaccinations (Feline Leukemia, Rabies and FVRCP) are all up to date to prevent transmission of these diseases. There are motion activated sprinklers you can get that will startle cats and keep them away from your property and you can find these online quite easily. Really, keeping him indoors is the only 100% way to keep him away from stray cats. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My new kitten is hissing at my cat. Can they interact safely?

As long as Oliver is fully vaccinated, it would be fine to let them interact with supervision. The kitten is likely hissing out of instinct and won't necessarily attack Oliver. Usually the cats work out their differences in their own way, but you should be there in case they start acting aggressively towards each other. If they are starting to swipe at each other, then it would be best to give them a little more time separated before letting them interact again. Below is a link to an article with some good advice for introducing the two. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-steps-to-introducing-your-cat-to-a-new-feline/ I hope that helps and all is well with Oliver and the new kitten.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Stray kitten found: How to quarantine before introducing to my cat?

It would be prudent to keep him separated from your cat until he is examined by your veterinarian. The kitten should be dewormed, given flea medication if necessary and vaccinated before he is introduced to your cat. A blood test for FeLV and FIV is also recommended.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My cat interacted with a stray. Can he catch diseases? What to do?

Your male cat would probably not get any diseases that need to be treated by antibiotics from touching her. The main conditions that can spread between cats are worms, coccidia, Giardia, herpes, fleas, feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus. If possible, I do recommend to have her dewormed, apply a flea prevention and checked for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus if you are going to let the cats interact. Monitor your male cat very closely for any changes in behavior, coughing, sneezing, runny eyes or nose, vomiting or diarrhea. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

How to prevent disease transfer from a stray to my 8-week kitten?

I would recomend keeping both cats seperate until they have both been tested for feline leukemia and parasites. If Lenny is negative and has had vaccines he shouldn't pose risk to the kitten. At 8 weeks the kittenis ol enougjfor a first vet visit and they can advise if any further separation or quarantine is recommended.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

How to stop my unneutered cat from roaming and missing meals?

The best thing you can do to cut down on Oliver’s interest in roaming is to neuter him and keep him inside at all times if it is feasible. If you do want him to be an indoor/outdoor cat then I would not worry too much about him missing his meals. He may be hunting while outside and/or being feed by others while he is out. As long as you consistently offer him food at your home he will always come back. I would not recommend leaving his food outside though, as this could cause you to have unwanted visitors, like stray cats and wild animals, at your home. Keep in mind that if you continue to allow Oliver access to the outside he will need certain vaccinations to keep him from contracting other diseases. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My kitten tested FIV positive. Does he need a FeLV vaccination?

FIV and FeLV are two separate conditions. The main reason I recommend and FeLV vaccine is only for cats that will be spending time outside. If you have an FIV positive cat, it is not recommended that he spend any time outside at all since he will be at risk of spreading his disease to other animals. That being said, if he will be indoor only, it is probably not necessary unless you have other cats inside your house that might be exposed to FeLV.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share