Second cat? | Imamother

SacN

Fri, Jun 12 2020, 11:40 am

We adopted a 7 month old spayed girl about two months ago, and it was even smoother then expected. We all loooves her, and I'm really benefiting (no more babies... Kinda my mid-life crisis, but I'm young) and the kids are in heaven.

In the secular world, it's normal to adopt two, so they have each other.
I'm wondering/leaning towards doing that too, but other than my one friend with a million rescue animals, I don't know anyone with two cats.

I'm not sure if they'll get along (mine had other cats in her old home though, was fine), if we'll feel like there' s just cat everywhere (we do live in an apartment), if a new cat might get into more trouble, etc.

My husband is on board, but only for my sake. He likes our cat, but would prefer to just have less bother all around. I'm also worried that two will be objectively too much cat for him.

Does anyone have any experience adding a second cat? Thanks!

sequoia

Fri, Jun 12 2020, 12:17 pm

I had Annie and Charlotte — sisters — for 14 years. Sometimes they got along, sometimes they hissed and were all territorial. Sometimes they cuddled with their paws Smile

Sometimes they fought. For the most part they were independent and low-maintenance. After Charlotte died, Annie became people-clingy and much more spoiled. She insisted on sleeping with hoomans, she meowed a lot (used to be silent), became suuuper picky with food...

Get another cat Smile

They are quite compact, so two or even three is not like, cats everywhere!

BH Yom Yom

Fri, Jun 12 2020, 12:26 pm

Sounds like your kitty is very lucky to have you! If you do get another kitty, make sure to introduce him or her to your first cat very gradually (keep the new kitty in a separate room, let them smell each other through the door for a week or so, etc.) I would recommend talking to your vet for recommendations about what to expect and how to make the transition smooth.

Cats (especially females and intact males) tend to be very territorial and IME introducing a new female cat to the original female cat may result in fighting. (My cat does not like any other female cats but she tolerates male cats from a distance.) I’d recommend getting a neutered male around the same age and stage (under a year) so they will likely see each other as playmates and bond more quickly.

Thank you for being a rescue hero! Hooray

amother

Cerise

Fri, Jun 12 2020, 12:43 pm

We had 3 until our oldest kitty died last year. Our 2 don’t really get along like I would want them to but that’s life. They are entertaining for sure. I do notice that the younger one seems to worry about the older one when she perceives the older one needs something. Admittedly I adore them.

RuralIma

Fri, Jun 12 2020, 2:14 pm

Growing up we had multiple cats. It started as one and then at one point we had 4, all different personalities.
When I got married I still had one of my childhood cats (2 passed away around 20 years old and 1 my parents kept) and 2 large dogs (now only 1) then last year my husband and son found kittens outside so 1 cat became 3. The cat I had prior to the kittens was old and grumpy to begin with so she stays away from them but having multiple cats is fine. If they get along they'll play together and it's really cute to watch them run around and make noises.

Petra

Fri, Jun 12 2020, 6:41 pm

What is the impetus for another cat? If one is good then two must be twice as good? I wouldn't really go that far.

Cats don't really need other cats when they have a nice home and humans as pets. Some cats enjoy other cats and some cats don't. In fact, some cats dislike another and will take either years to accept it or never accept it at all.

But if you have a big house and you really want a second cat then go for it. If you have a small house, then I would think twice. One reason is that it seems to be that there are so many people allergic to cats, it may impact your social life. You can't have certain people over. In a small house, it would be hard to keep up with the dander. It gets everywhere. The more cats the more hair.

And then there is the cat litter box. You should really have two litter boxes. 2 cats in one litter box will overwhelm the job of the litter and smell like cat ammonia in no time. Separate litter boxes will be better but still because of the ammonia smell, you would still need to change out the boxes more frequently.

Then there are the vet bills.

And then I occasionally have seen an issue where someone visiting has a cat phobia. Didn't know that was even possible but it is. And then there are the people that just think cats are disgusting or animals in general. They can't hide their visceral reaction to seeing a cat.

We have had variable number of cats in one house at one time. Then we had none for many years and I couldn't take it so we finally got a cat for me. Love her! And then we had to take in a cat on an emergency basis and though he was sweet, it was a bit of a challenge and I love cats!

Elfrida

Sat, Jun 13 2020, 2:15 pm

I have two cats. One was still about six months old (and she was an abandoned kitten who I had to bottle feed) when I introduced the other, who was about three. Sometimes they get on well, so.etimes they ignore each other. In winter there is competition and to who gets to curl up on my lap, and then the other has to sneak over my shoulder, and they lie back to back so as to benefit from the warmth without having to acknowledge the others presence.

When one of them went missing for a week, the other kept looking round the house for them. Rather like siblings. They spent the time quarreling or ignoring each other, but miss each other when they weren't there.

Cats like being the only one. They don't need another cat around. But they sometimes enjoy it when it happens. Consider what you want, not just what you think would be good for the cat.

SacN

Mon, Jun 15 2020, 11:51 pm

Hi all. Thanks for the advice and feedback. I did decide to take a second cat, and found someone looking for a home for an 8 week old girl kitten in my neighborhood. My current cat is very young still, and lived with cats before, so I'm hopeful that with time, they'll get along.

I plan to keep her separate in a room alone for a few days - the person who has her (and found her) says she has so far been timid with him, but is slowly warming up. I'll introduce her to my other family members (including the cat) through their scent on a blanket or something first, and do my best to keep the kids away, through a window, for a few days.

She's eating wet and dry food, and I have a 2nd, kitten sized, litter box already, which was in storage.

She was checked by a very experienced cat mommy, but hasn't yet been to the vet. My current cat will stay away until they're both vaccinated.

What else do I need to know?