Adding A 2nd Cat?

So a brief explanation of my situation.
I have cat 9mo. Male American shorthair butler.
He is great. Has lots of energy. And loves to wrestle my hand. He stays Inside only until his leash comes in the mail.
I work 48 hrs shifts then get 48 hours off with the weekends being 78 hrs and I work every other weekend. So I am gone alot. So when i get home butler is all over me. He walks right between my feet whenever I'm home and is always where I am. I give him plenty of attention while im home. But fell bad leaving him alone so much. I was wondering would a feline friend help out. He stayed with a friend for a few days when I moved and I was told he hot along well with their cat. So do yall think adding a 2nd cat would make him happier?

Hi! We go through the same question, but my boy is so territorial including with me that we're pretty sure it would be a bad idea, or at least incredibly challenging.

Part of your issue is that there is time needed to integrate the cats. Could you maybe foster, to see how things go? Every cat is different, but this could give you a sense of what it's like for you.

As furball said, it takes a while for cats to be properly introduced to each other. It's normal for cats to not get along the first few days, so we can't really come to a conclusion based on that.

I agree with the idea of fostering. However, if getting a foster doesn't work out or if you don't want to foster, you can also see if you can get someone to check in on him and play with him once in a while you are gone.

With patience, most cats can at least learn to tolerate each other, but it can take weeks or even months(I'm a couple weeks into an introduction and, while there is some progress, it isn't anywhere close to being done, for example), and even cats that aren't buddy buddy often do provide some stimulation and company for each other. just realize that you might be in for a real slog, and the result may be less than you hoped.
It is still a reasonable plan if you're up for it, though, IMO

Everyone,well almost, needs a friend. Good suggestions about fostering. Pull out a wand toy instead when he wants to play with your hands.

Your cat is still a kitten and it shouldn't be complicated to introduce another young cat/kitten to him, I'd say go for it. I leave my cats alone often and I don't think I would have been able to if I had only one, they totally entertain each other or at least keeping each other company.

I'd suggest reading through some of the threads on cat introductions on this website (both articles with suggestions and others' experiences) to get a sense of the spectrum of how these tend to go...from great to super stressful. I think it's great to want your cat to be happy while you're gone, but be aware of the amount of time and effort it requires to properly introduce cats to one another and ensure that they're getting along and happy. If you're willing to take that on, then go for it.