Before the Door Opens
A first introduction is arranged, not improvised. Choose a room the kitten already knows, with a high perch, a hiding place and a door she can slip through to safety, because a ten-week-old kitten who can leave is a kitten who can stay calm. Exercise the dog beforehand so he arrives settled rather than fizzy, and plan two handlers: one whose only job is the dog's lead, and one whose only job is watching the kitten. A cat-friendly history helps, but treat this dog and this kitten as strangers regardless — a dog who ignores an adult cat may fixate on a kitten's quick, squeaky, prey-sized movements.
Distance First, With the Lead Doing Its Job
Bring the dog in on a lead and settle him at the far side of the room from the kitten's perch, with the lead loose enough that he is choosing to stay, held firmly enough that he cannot lunge. Reward him for the behaviours you want repeated: glancing at the kitten and looking away, lying down, soft body, attention returning to his handler. The kitten stays free the whole time. She may watch from the shelf, creep closer, or leave entirely, and all three are acceptable outcomes for a first meeting. What you are measuring is not friendship yet; it is whether both animals can share a room without arousal climbing.
Reading Both Animals Honestly
On the dog's side, worry about stillness more than noise: a hard stare, a body that goes rigid, whining with a high tense body, or pulling toward the kitten with his weight forward all mean increase distance or end the session. Relaxed curiosity looks away, sniffs the floor and takes treats easily. On the kitten's side, a puffed tail, flattened ears, hissing with attempts to flee, or freezing pressed to the floor mean she is over threshold, not being dramatic. A kitten who plays, eats a treat or explores between glances at the dog is coping, and coping is the whole goal of session one.
Short Sessions, Repeated Over Days
End while it is going well — a few calm minutes is a complete success — and repeat daily, letting distance close only as fast as both animals' body language allows. Let later sessions include the dog moving around the room on the lead, the kitten choosing to cross the floor, and treats delivered near each other without either animal competing for them. Never hold the kitten up to the dog's face, never let the dog corner her for a sniff, and keep the lead on until the dog's indifference is boringly consistent across several sessions in more than one room.
Safety Rules That Outlast the Introductions
Even after meetings go well, a ten-week-old kitten is never left alone with a dog, however gentle, until she is much bigger and the relationship has months of evidence behind it — size difference alone makes unsupervised accidents possible. Keep her escape routes permanent features of the shared rooms. Planning each session with roles agreed in advance through KinsLe Care Teams, so one person always owns the lead and one always owns the kitten's exits, keeps every introduction run the same careful way, whoever is home to supervise it.