Adopting Second Cat and Moving - Which Comes First?

[lizcat]

I saw another thread on moving,  and a question sprang to mind. I adopted my first cat, Onyx in October, he's now 10 months old. I very much want to get him a friend, but can't until I move next summer or fall. (Yes, I plan ahead.) That would make him about 1.5 years old. My questions are:

1. Can I get a similar age/temperament cat to slowly introduce then or will it be too late?

2. Should I adopt one right away so they can adjust to the new place together or should I wait until Onyx is settled?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

 

[tulosai]

It's never too late to introduce cats, but introductions should be done slowly, exactly following the steps in these articles: www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats and http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-successfully-introduce-cats-the-ultimate-guide

Be sure to go slowly at each step and not move forward to the next until both cats seem ready.  If you rush it, it is very likely you'll just have to start again from the beginning and things will take longer. You should do this even if you get a new cat now- while young kittens (under around 4 months old) tend to quickly accept one another, there is unfortunately no reason to think that at 10 months your cat will react better than he would at 18 months.

As to when to do this it's really up to you. If you wait, your current cat will perhaps actually accept the new cat more quickly since he won't view the new house as his 'territory' yet and may feel less compelled to defend it; and the new cat won't have to get acclimated to 2 different places but only one; on the other hand you'll have to go through introductions either way and so in a sense if you do wait you're just delaying what you ultimately do want- to have 2 cats.

Good luck with your decision! Please keep us updated!

 

[molly92]

That's a really good question! Hmm, assuming he's like your average 10 month old kitten, he's at a great age to bond with a new cat. Someone who is around his age would be great but is not necessary if the new cat has a similar temperament. It won't be too late at 1.5 years, just not quite easy. The younger the cat is, the more likely they are to see a new cat as a playmate rather than competition. That doesn't mean they won't get along just fine eventually, it just might take a little longer for the first cat to trust the newcomer. 

I'm inclined to say it would be best to get the new cat first and then move. This is assuming that Onyx wants a friend, which most kittens do. Having a buddy makes stressful situations, like moving, easier. Their home is changing but at least their best friend is still there! If you got the new cat after the move, I don't know how long you'd need to wait for Onyx to really feel at home enough not to be confused by a new cat and a new house.

The buddy system will only work if the cats actually are good friends. I'd see if you can adopt out a cat on a trial basis for maybe 2 weeks to make sure they're a good fit for each other. You might want to look for cats around Onyx's age who show signs of enjoying being with other cats. Some cats are just better off on their own, even if they've lived with other cats before. Lots of shelters/rescue groups will have some of a litter adopted leaving just 1 behind, and if that cat is sad and missing its siblings, you know that it likes having friends and it will probably be so happy to play with Onyx that it will adjust to your home very quickly. Also, sometimes a cat is by itself but the volunteers will tell you it really needs a friend because it keeps trying to play with other cats through the cages or things like that, so that's a similar scenario.

Also be open to the possibility that Onyx may not want a friend. If after your trial period is up and the new cat loves Onyx but the feeling isn't mutual, then it doesn't mean Onyx will never coexist peacefully with a second cat, but it would take him a lot longer to get used to another cat and he might not ever really bond with it. In that case I don't think it would be any benefit to getting the cat before the move.