Adopting a kitten as a second cat.

plisa21

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Hi!
My fiancé and I adopted a younger (not a kitten, the shelter estimated 3years) cat on December 27th last year. Her name is Country. She is very timid but very affectionate once she is used to you. She has attached herself to me but isn’t a fan of my fiancé. He’s has essentially given up on winning her over, as he just ignores her now (but she seems to like it this way better).
But my fiancé really want to adopt another cat. He thinks it will bring Country out of her shell more and provide her some company when we are both working as she loathes being along for long periods of time. (I also think he just wants a cat he can love on and hold.) But I’m worried about introducing a new cat too soon. I already know we should probably adopt a kitten as Country may see it as less of a threat and it can learn the boundaries Country sets.
Any word of wisdom on timing would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance!
 

rubysmama

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Hi. There's no guarantee an older cat will ever accept a new cat, but the odds are better when the new cat is a kitten. Also when you keep them separated at first and slowly introduce them.

TCS has some articles with tips that should be helpful.

Your Second Cat: How To Choose The Best Friend For Kitty – Cat Articles
How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat – Cat Articles
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide | TheCatSite
Introducing Cats To Cats | TheCatSite

Good luck. Let us know if you end up adopting a kitten.
 

verna davies

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As long as Country is settled then now may be a good time as she will not be too territorial. Its difficult to know if a kitten will be cuddly as an adult, they change so there's no guarantees. Have you thought about foster/adopt maybe a young adult cat, that way you can see if Country will accept the newcomer and the personality will have developed.
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi. I went back and read your last thread on the issue between Country and your fiancé. You really haven't had Country that long and getting another cat is probably only going to add to an already not-so-great relationship between the two. Have you considered enacting tactics to get Country and your fiancé to be better friends before introducing another cat? Just my opinion... But, in case you think it is worth pursuing, see if there are any tips in this article that you guys might want to try first.
14 Cat Experts Reveal: How To Get A Cat To Like Me – Cat Articles
 
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plisa21

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Hi. I went back and read your last thread on the issue between Country and your fiancé. You really haven't had Country that long and getting another cat is probably only going to add to an already not-so-great relationship between the two. Have you considered enacting tactics to get Country and your fiancé to be better friends before introducing another cat? Just my opinion... But, in case you think it is worth pursuing, see if there are any tips in this article that you guys might want to try first.
14 Cat Experts Reveal: How To Get A Cat To Like Me – Cat Articles
Thank you for your response. We’ve been working on their relationship. I just posted an update that ignoring her seems to be working more than him attempting spend time with her. She has voluntarily come to the same room as him a few times now and will approach to sniff him. As long as he acts like she’s not there she doesn’t run away. So I think it just going to be a very slow process since he was the one that found her climbing the drapes.
We talked about waiting for adopting. I’ve thrown around the idea of trying to foster before adopting just to see how she would respond.
But thank you again! 😊
 
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plisa21

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Hi. There's no guarantee an older cat will ever accept a new cat, but the odds are better when the new cat is a kitten. Also when you keep them separated at first and slowly introduce them.

TCS has some articles with tips that should be helpful.

Your Second Cat: How To Choose The Best Friend For Kitty – Cat Articles
How To Introduce A Kitten To An Older Cat – Cat Articles
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide | TheCatSite
Introducing Cats To Cats | TheCatSite

Good luck. Let us know if you end up adopting a kitten.
Thank you! I’ll definitely read through the links you provided and I’ll make sure to post updates when and if we decide to adopt or foster.
 
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plisa21

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As long as Country is settled then now may be a good time as she will not be too territorial. Its difficult to know if a kitten will be cuddly as an adult, they change so there's no guarantees. Have you thought about foster/adopt maybe a young adult cat, that way you can see if Country will accept the newcomer and the personality will have developed.
Thank you for your response! We have talked about fostering but I think we are going to wait a bit longer before making a decision.
If we do foster or adopt, I’ll post an update. 😊
 

cataholic07

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Some cats are ok with kittens, others find them to be annoying pests. It depends on the energy level and how long a cat has been an only cat. Fostering what be a good idea to assess how the kitty will be :) I have two one year and 3 month old cats I foster failed, Jethro is a lap cat with all, Fynn is a well.. he will ask to be picked up and carried, rub against you but not a lap cat. We foster failed a third kitty who is also a little lap kitten so both my mom and I now have a lap kitty lol.

I find the best way to a cats heart is with food, so make sure your fiance is doing all the feedings and playtime :) With timid cats it can take time, some rescues could have been abused by a person of that gender, so they can be scared of men or women.
 
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plisa21

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I have an update! On March 2nd my fiancé adopted his brother’s kitten, as his nephews weren’t treating him well (they are young and would carry him around by the neck). So he brought this energetic, 5 month old kitten. We named him Trouble as he was (and still is) getting himself into trouble.
Country, our resident cat, hated him. We did a slow introduction and she just didn’t take well to him at all. She would hiss at him even through the door. After a week or two of this I was about to give up. I decided that I couldn’t keep them separated forever so I began bringing him out into the house. Slowly Country got used to this, but she would still hiss if he got too close or tried to play.
The kitten has calmed down a bit and they have been getting along quite well in the last week. Tonight I caught them drinking from the same water bowl together and then Country started grooming him. ❤ I think she is finally beginning to realize that he’s a member of the family.
 

verna davies

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Lucky Trouble having a nice new home and a big sister to play with. I'm so glad its working out for you. Photos please.
 

rubysmama

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Oh, they're both precious. So glad they're getting along so well. :catlove:

One question, though... is Trouble neutered?
 
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plisa21

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Oh, they're both precious. So glad they're getting along so well. :catlove:

One question, though... is Trouble neutered?
He was supposed to be neutered on the 1st but the vet cancelled any non-emergent surgeries. So we have to wait until this Covid mess slows down.
 

rubysmama

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Fingers crossed he's late bloomer on the maturity scale, and won't get antsy wanting to go outside looking for a girlfriend. :crossfingers:
 
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