Do you have more than one cat?

[laurafergie]

I've always had multiple cats my whole life, and since I've been married, we've at least had two. This past year though, the elderly dogs and one of the cats went to great backyard in the sky - so we were down to one kitty.

Baby Shadow, female, is 6 years old and we call her "Baby" because she never grew - she's about the size of a 6 month old cat.

Then my son moved to SC to go to college and we got custody of his two cats - Socks (male 4ys) and Portia (female1yr).

I did keep them separated for a few days - then just kept them confined to a few rooms - then let them roam the house. It took about two weeks for everybody to settle down and quit hissing at each other.

Baby Shadow and Portia slap each other still, but when no one is looking they cuddle and groom each other. Portia is still very kitten like and tears around getting into trouble. Socks just hangs around and sleeps and if he's up it's to get in your lap.

Adopt another kitty, they are so much fun to watch and the company can't be beat.

 

[EMom]

DH gave me a kitten for Christmas years ago.....BEST GIFT EVER!!!!.....and she was an only cat for 1 1/2 years. She was stuck to me like glue, so we thought we'd get a second cat "for DH." What were we thinking? Cats do what cats want to do, and cat #2 wanted to belong to cat #1, not to DH.

We got #2 at 6 weeks and quickly figured out she'd been taken to the shelter without being weaned, taught to eat food, or how to use the litter box. They offered to take her back, but I was a pro at raising kitty babies, so we kept her. Being suddenly yanked from her mother may have explained why she hyper-attached to cat #1. Truly, the first cat would have been happy staying an only cat, but the deed was done. She accepted the little critter that followed her every step, but made sure the little one knew who was boss.

We had #1 for 16 years. I can still cry over her. When she passed away, #2 was lost. She transferred her obsession to me and followed me every step. By then, she was 14 and I felt she was too old to introduce another cat/kitten into the home. Plus, I knew the next few years might be rough, healthwise, and they were. Our precious second baby just died at age 19. And I am a mess.

It is not a home without cats, IMHO. I need cats. All the shelters want you to adopt 2 at once, but I like the way we did it. I would prefer to have one human baby, enjoy that stage and when that one got to be a toddler, have a second infant. Same for cats. I like having one kitten so I can dote on it completely and enjoy kittenhood. Then when it's 1-2 years old, get a second kitten. That way, they can be young together, but you get two kittenhoods. But that's just me.

The tips about slowly introducing them are good ones.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I've had both one and two. We had an only-kitty for 14 years, and she was very happy with all the attention. In fact, I think she might have been stressed if we had gotten another one. (I agree with others that it depends on the personality.)

But a few months after she passed away, we decided we didn't just miss her as an individual, we also missed having a cat around in general, so we went to adopt one, and ended up with two!! - I had no idea what I missing with one! They are so fun to watch playing together, and I don't feel guilty on days when nobody is home, because they keep each other company. They "argue" over sunbeam rights occasionally, but mostly love and play with each other.

Since we got them together, we didn't have any introduction issues. Nothing with regular food either, though they do steal each other's treats occasionally. I've only found two things difficult: If one throws up (or has trouble using the litter box) when you are not right there, you don't know who isn't feeling well. The other thing is having to seperate them when we give then their flea & tick preventative spots. - They don't like being shut apart, but that's just them.

Good luck with the introductions if you get another, and do post pictures!

 

[EMom]

I forgot about sharing food! When we got cat #2, cat #1 was already 18 months old and eating adult food. Of course, cat #2 was out on kitten food, which is rich and yummy. Cat #1 was having none of this "separate food" business. No, she wanted the KITTEN FOOD too! I let her have it. Wasn't going to kill her.

 

[Gigi22]

OP, your cat is relatively young. If you want another kitty, now is the time. In your place, I don't know that I would get a young kitten. They tend to hide out in the oddest places in a home, and their choice of hidey-holes is not always the best (three examples I know of, to illustrate my point: under the pedestal of a pedestal desk; inside the workings of a recliner chair; curled around the electrical socket for the stove). I think a kitten that is about 4 to 6 months old would be excellent. At that age, they still have the goofyness of a kitten, but they are large enough that they are easier to find once they have hidden in some strange spot. They also have less drape-climbing (and leg-climbing) to do!

 

[tvguy]

I think it really depends on the personality of the cat. .

I agree. And over 27 years, we've had 2 cats twice, NEVER again.

First pair were 6 weeks old when we got them, fixed boy and fixed girl, different litter. As kittens slept together, but once they became adults every night thump thump thump yowling and fighting in the hall. 5 years down the road when we started a family we had to get rid of little boy kitty because he was jealous, he starting making messes in front of the baby's room 6 months before the baby was born...after we started preparing the room for the bay.

Second pair was the female from the above pair, and my MIL's cat female cat which we inherited when she died. We felt we owed it to my MIL to TRY and intergrate her in our household. Both were 16 years old at the time. MIL's cat never used to even let us near her, she literally was the cat from hell.
Well, she became a really sweet cat about a month after moving in with us, but she our cat never got along. We have a U shaped house, MIL's cat had one section of the U, our cat the other. They shared food and litter, and when they crossed paths there, it was a hiss off.

 

[LittleBB]

We have a second. We also have a dog. For the most part, all three get along and actually even share beds and toys, but the first cat really doesn't like the second cat. I think how "attached" your first cat is could make a difference. Our first cat is very jealous of the second cat, even though we introduced her slowly into the house by confining her to one room at first, etc. The two cats still, over a year later, get into hissing matches on occassion, mainly over who is sitting close to me or my son, but a snap of the fingers at this point usually ends it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's not always the perfect situation for the animals. but they'll deal with it. In my situation, my first cat was used to being my baby, and just doesn't like the competion, but they do co-exist without too many problems.

 

[SouthernExplorer]

Be aware that your current cat might not like other cats, and that they can be territorial. We currently have three cats, and one does not like the other two. The Princess constantly hisses and growls at the recent interloper, and she didn't especially like the first one either. However, the interloper and the first one love each other and play Wrestlemania, but it was not always that way. When we first brought the interloper home we put him in a separate room, and the other cat would stand by the door hissing and growling at the new kitten. Bear in mind our first cat is the most laid-back cat ever, and will be friends with everyone he meets including dogs.

For her own safety the Princess got her own room, her own litter box, her own food, her own window, and her own water. Generally we only put her in there at night, when we leave the house, and when she wants to go to her room. Otherwise she and the other cats roam freely through the house.

I would speak to your vet about this. They can offer you tips on how to introduce a new interloper. I would also research different breeds. The Princess is of a breed that generally does not like other animals.

Good luck on whatever you decide!

 

[KittyHellstrom]

I have a blind special needs kitty named Pretzel. After his most recent surgery he started withdrawing and getting very depressed. I ended up adopting a friend for him from the shelter where I sometimes volunteer. Just days after I brought the new kitten home he was perking up already and now he's back to being snuggly, happy, and playful. Now they sleep together, groom each other, and chase each other all over the apartment. Shiva ( my younger kitty) does hog the food sometimes but when I notice that happening i'll get out a second dish and feed them separately. I just recently introduced a doggie to the mix and so far all 3 are adjusting pretty well.

the kitties when Shiva was still little

Gizmo!

 

[dakcp2001]

I have a blind special needs kitty named Pretzel. After his most recent surgery he started withdrawing and getting very depressed. I ended up adopting a friend for him from the shelter where I sometimes volunteer. Just days after I brought the new kitten home he was perking up already and now he's back to being snuggly, happy, and playful. Now they sleep together, groom each other, and chase each other all over the apartment. Shiva ( my younger kitty) does hog the food sometimes but when I notice that happening i'll get out a second dish and feed them separately. I just recently introduced a doggie to the mix and so far all 3 are adjusting pretty well.

the kitties when Shiva was still little

Gizmo!

I also have a blind kitty! We just moved, its been so tough!!


OP- I have two kitties and they love each other. They sleep together most of the time, occasionally they will be apart or roughhousing. One of my kitties is blind, so I get super nervous when they play rough, but I think they really enjoy each others company, and would be lonely without one another.


The transition of adding a new cat can be tough, lots of growling and hissing, but they do get past it. Ask the shelter or vet for advice, just keep in mind the first few days you will ask yourself "What have I done" several times. They do get over it! Sometimes you get lucky & they take to each other right away. I found that to be more true when we had an old kitty and got a kitten. The kitten would follow the granpa cat around all the time, they were so cute!

 

[PrincesCJM]

I have two furbabies, I mean cats. When DH and I went to the shelter to adopt, we were only planning to get an orange tiger kitten - for my husband. They had one but really want to keep her with her brother (a tuxedo cat - who I feel in love with). Well, needless to say, we ending up adopting both. They keep each other company when we are at work. My orange cat has always been cuddly and now my tuxedo cat is getting the same way so it's a good thing that they have two laps to choice from. Even though I grew up only have one cat, I can't imagine life without the two of them.

 

[Syrreal]

We have 5 cats that we adopted in about a 4 year span. Three females and 2 males, but you'd never know it since most of the time if anyone comes over at least 2 out of the 5 will hide unless they deem someone truly special- ha!.
We never did the keep them separated except for our 3rd one who was sick when we got him so we had to keep him separate for few days. We've had minor issues with hissing and a couple of smacks here and there as they set up the hierarchy again (with our first cat always making sure she is at the top) but it's never been for long. In fact, I don't think there has ever been any hissing past the 2nd day to any of the new cats.
(I can't say the same for when we got our dog who knows he is at the bottom of the chain and is scared of one of our cats- who can't do anything at all to him- LOL. The queen can't be bothered with him and Beta Cat [1st male but the 3rd cat we got] hisses at him and keeps his from going up or down the stairs as the case may be.)
As for the food, they all eat from the same bowl. Cat #3 has to be on special food so they are all on the special food. We asked the vet if this would be an issue for the kitten (who is the only one we've gotten since he's had to be put on the food) and the vet said it was fine.
Really the only difference for us is how often the cat boxes have to be cleaned, otherwise it's not a whole lot more work with one as it is with more and they always have someone to play with when we are not here.

 

[si-am]

We have two cats. Our oldest, a Siamese male, was 2 when we got a kitten, a female tortie.

Six years later, they still aren't really friends. They tolerate each other, but fight a lot too. Mostly it is the female-- I think she'd be happier being an only cat!

Still... there are times when they play and it's cute to watch! They do not ever sleep together or cuddle or anything, though.

 

[webprinter]

We have Tucker, a boy who is about 6 and Bella, a girl who is about 1.5. We have had Bella for a year. Tucker is very mild mannered and a "chicken". Bella is very outgoing and a leader. When we walked into the house with Bella in a cardboard cat carrier, she meowed and Tucker hissed and ran. We tried to separate them for the first night but didn't get any sleep because Bella did not want to be locked up in a strange room alone. We didn't get any sleep on night #2 because we had Tucker locked up in our bedroom all night and Bella had the run of the house. After two nights of no sleep we decided to let it be and let them be together as much as they wanted. By the end of a few weeks of less and less hissing, they learned to tolerate each other. By about a month, they were found licking each other, sleeping next to each other and playing together. I think because Tucker is so mild mannered, they are able to get along well. Bella even taught him how to play again. She absolutely adores him but she was raised in a rescue house from a very young age (fed with an eye dropper at first). These people had a lot of cats and 3 were her siblings. They also had 2 or 3 older cats. I think because she was used to being around a lot of cats of all ages and because Tucker was so mild mannered, that they were able to adjust to each other easily. If DH weren't so allergic to cats, I would probably have 1 or 2 more.

 

[pppiglet]

We have 10 cats. Love them to death. Yeah...sometimes you get upset over the stuff they do, but most of the time they are hilarious to watch and play with. 5 sleep with us. I don't think I could ever have less than 4!

 

[emer95]

Thank you so much to everyone for all of the great advice. I have really enjoyed reading about your pets, and I especially loved the pictures! I am leaning toward getting another kitty. I'd like to do it over my winter break, so I am home from work while they are getting used to each other.
Thanks again everyone. I'll keep you posted!

 

[emma'smom]

We have two kittens who are about 4 months old. We adopted them from the Humane Society at the same time (two different litters....but were caged in the same room). They are literally 4 days apart in age.

Anyway, we brought them home together and they have been easy companions ever since. We didn't have any major transition issue--but I suspect part of it was that they both had that "kennel smell" and probably found each other's scent familiar.

They do seem to keep each other company and play together. They also seem to eat out of the same bowl at the same time, use the litter pan at the same time, and take naps curled up together.

This is the first time we've had two pets at the same time---I have two dd's---so they each wanted a kitten.

It's been a good decision as they do seem to provide companionship for each other.