A couple of cat questions

[Kika]

I know there a bunch of fellow "cat people" like me on here, so I was wondering what your thoughts and/or experience was on this topic:

I lost my 17 year old cat in August. (I had her since she was a kitten, so her passing was very difficult for me. )

I currently have another cat (a 2 year old Siamese mix female) who is very friendly and gentle. She was the submissive cat in the house, and my 17 year old (also female) was the dominant personality. They got along fine.

DD and I have decided that we would like to add another cat to our family as companion for our current cat (and for us, too). Our local pet rescue shows a bunch of cats at Pet Smart each weekend that need homes. We are currently looking at a few cats from the same litter that are in the 4-5 month old range. They are all spayed or neutered and are currently living in the same foster home with a few other cats.

So my questions are
-Do you think we would be better off with a male or female?
-What is the best way to introduce the new cat to my cat?

My 17 year old was a little skittish, so when I brought the 2 year old home, I kept them separated for almost a week before introducing them. With my 2 year old cat being so mellow, I wonder if I will still need to do this.

TIA.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would contact www.siameserescue.org which specializes in Siamese cats. I would suggest going through them or another specialized location. And normally they will foster the cats for a couple of months so they can give you a fair idea of the personalities. After losing two cats within three months a couple of years ago (an 18½ year old with stomach cancer and a 15 year old with a bleeding kidney cyst) I was able to get a bonded pair from them.

Before my first adoption there was a $10 processing fee, I had to fill in an application and provide two references as well as the name and number of my vet, and then had about a 30 minute phone interview before they approved me. You can find cats available for adoption on their site. And they can even transport the cats to you.

Here is the latest pair which I have gotten from them (and these were in Jacksonville)

 

[ChrizJen]

I'm sorry for your loss. I know how hard it is to lose a member of your family.

I don't know that it makes a difference, male vs. female. I used to think that it was a bad idea to introduce a female cat to another cat. We did that once and it was a difficult transition. But it turns out that this was just the personality of this particular female cat. She's just not a very social cat. Because we ended up adding another female to our family, and she's the sweetest little thing and gets along great with the others.

My biggest piece of advice is to keep them separate for a while (like a few days to a week). Keep the new one in a bathroom (with his or her own litter box) with the door closed. This lets them slowly get used to each others' scents without having to confront one another. Then slowly let them integrate into the house with each other. You'll probably still have some hissing and hair-raising, but they'll get used to each other and become best buds eventually.

Good luck!!

 

[DisneyRookie2007]

We are cat lovers (with 3 in the family) - all females.

I would tend to think another female companion would be the best - but have no experience with both female and male cats in the household.

When we brought home our latest addition (6 years ago), she proceeded to terrorize the other 2 cats - it was quite the scene when they were finally introduced (as we kept her separate for about 1 week with blankets being exchanged to get them used to each other's scent). We never thought they would get along.

Fast forward to now - the new addition is now #2 in command - and will bully #3. However, the alpha female (14 years old) still runs the show.

 

[Kika]

Thanks, all.
I will go ahead and keep the separated for at least a couple days to be on the safe side.
I think I am leaning towards getting another female at this point, but I'm going to play it by ear. We will be going back to Pet Smart this Sunday, so if all goes well, we will have a new addition to our family soon.

 

[Kika]

I would contact www.siameserescue.org which specializes in Siamese cats. I would suggest going through them or another specialized location. And normally they will foster the cats for a couple of months so they can give you a fair idea of the personalities. After losing two cats within three months a couple of years ago (an 18½ year old with stomach cancer and a 15 year old with a bleeding kidney cyst) I was able to get a bonded pair from them.

Before my first adoption there was a $10 processing fee, I had to fill in an application and provide two references as well as the name and number of my vet, and then had about a 30 minute phone interview before they approved me. You can find cats available for adoption on their site. And they can even transport the cats to you.

Here is the latest pair which I have gotten from them (and these were in Jacksonville)

Your 2 are so cute! Funny that you mention Siamese Rescue because I know someone that used to foster for them. I have been keeping an eye on their website as well. I love my little Siamese mix girl that I have. She is so sweet and affecitionate.