Considering getting second cat in a few months time - need advice

[wahine01]

Hi everyone 

My fiance and I have a 5 month old kitten that we've had for 2 months now. We both work full time during the week and can be out of the house for up to 10 hours a day. So far he seems fine and hasn't shown any signs of stress/boredom, but I sometimes I wonder if he gets bored when he's alone and wonder if he might appreciate having a friend...

We only adopted one kitten as we are saving for our wedding, honeymoon, and house deposit. We give him lots of attention when we are home, rotate his toys, leave a radio going and leave treats around the house for him to find when we aren't there. We also let him outside for a little bit each evening, just to get some new smells and burn off some energy. I get the feeling he sleeps most of the day and otherwise watches birds/people out the window. 

I know that with pets that are alone a lot that 2 is usually always better than 1, but as money is tight right now we can't really afford the vet bills and extra costs for 2 cats (we've also had some unexpected medical bills to cover recently). Once the wedding is paid for then we should have extra funds. He seems like quite a chill guy that adjusts well to different situations. We're getting married in October, by then the kitten will be a year old, do you think it would be too late to introduce a second cat at that age? Would they still play together? Or would he be too used to being an only cat?

I guess it's hard to tell as each cat is different, but has anyone else started with just one cat and adopted another later down the line? How did it go and how did each cat cope?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[madzoya]

I will tag allong your post, as I also want an answer to this question.

Bruce is now 10 months, and has energy to spare, so we wonder is a companion would make him spend it more apropriately then on us, when we get home from work. 

As much as we play with him, it never seems enough.

 

[di and bob]

The younger the better for introductions, as they get older it takes a LOT longer for everyone to get along. Having two is really not any more expensive than having one, they should go to the vet together anyway to avoid strange smells, and so you usually pay only one office visit, I bring three in and my vet charges me for one. You already most likely have the toys, they tend to eat less as they get older, my three eat share one can of food in the morning, and one at night, and have hard available at will. Vaccinations only come around once a year, and I've been researching studies that have proven cats only need vaccinations every three years to stay healthy, I'll have to study that one a little more though. 

Make sure you pick out a playmate of the same sex and the same age or younger, cats tend to bond quicker this way, and females tend to want to rule the roost when they get older and don't  want to interact as much. Getting a playmate of the same temperament is very important, you don't want a shy, reserved one matched up with an outgoing more aggressive one. Look on past posts for introduction ideas, it doesn't happen all at once. My cats are very happy to have someone to play with, but we have to break up the occasional squabble too,and some just don't get along at all, but they are entertained by the antics of the others.  I don't think you'll ever regret it, but don't expect miracles for a few months, good luck!

 

[verna davies]

I had a female kitten at 9 weeks old. Like you I felt she needed company so when she was 6 months old I got another female kitten. They got on straight away,no hissing or spitting but I noticed that they seemed to go into separate rooms and didn't really play or interact together. Just different personalities. I thought long and hard about getting a third kitten ( 11months to be exact) and eventually got 9 week old little boy. Voila...they all play together, sleep together and follow each other around.

At a year old your kitten will still be playful and interact with another kitten. I would suggest getting the other of a different sex to the one you have. When you choose; try to pick one has litter mates and knows how to play. My first was the only kitten and wasn't taught how to play which was part of the problem. Also when you do bring the second home, spend some time teaching them how to play together.
Let us know how you get on.

 

[wahine01]

So do I look for the same sex or different?

The initial cost is some concern too, most shelters in my area don't offer kittens for less than $250, sometimes you can get over 6 month olds for $90 but not very often. That's a lot of money when you've got a wedding to pay for!

I did consider fostering (little expense and a good deed), would that be OK to do or would it be too much to keep having different cats come through the house?

 

[Kieka]

I prefer opposite sex cats. Two females can war for control as can two males. But, in my experience, an opposite sex pair don't fight for dominance as much. Temperament though is a bigger issue.

A hyperactive one will drive a calm one nuts with constant attempts to play. A calm one will push a hyper one to go too far in trying to play.

That said, if your cat is happy alone then there isn't a reason to get a second. Some cats need a buddy. Absolutely need a buddy without a question. But there are cats out there who are happier alone and have no desire to bond with another cat. It really depends on the home and your cat. I have two cats who could never be in an only cat home. They would just have mental breakdowns without someone there to play and interact with. There is just no way either of them would be happy alone; maybe if I worked from home and never was gone for more than an hour or two. But the third cat in my home would be absolutely fine if the other two vanished. He would probably love being an only cat but he tolerates his brother and sister fairly well.

It might be a good idea to get a PetCube or similar device so you can look in during the day. Then you could see what he does when you are gone and if he is restless or anxious alone. Cats are incredibly adaptable and if he is used to your schedule I wouldn't be surprised if he does sleep most of the day or has fun finding the treats while you are gone.

 

[lalagimp]

I have always started with an opposite sex pair. The twins went to my ex boyfriend when they were about 5 months old. They turn 9 and are living in a house now with a dog and his wife's other two adult cats, one of which just turned 14 and I think hers are opposite sex pair too.
I got Tommy for Yue when he was a few months old and she was 4-5 months old. She kept beating on my little dog, trying to get her to play. Which is odd because Yue herself spent three days hiding in my closet when she moved in. We would often come home and find her sleeping in igloo in the guinea pig pen, the hammock in the guinea pig pen, inside the loveseat grabbing people's butts when you sit down. I brought home Tom and she threw a fit. She would hang out with him and then start pooping in my bed in recourse. I put a baby gate up for a week or two and she was too lazy to jump it so she stopped with my bedding and then we took the gate down.

Later as they got older we have taken in 8 other adult cats, including the Twins for a time. The youngest cat being 10 months old. No real quarrels over anything except that my ten year old little tortie Amalie hates Stewart (the 10 mo old ) who is now 5.

 

[kittyluv387]

I think you should wait until financially able. My vet charges me for 2 office visits. I would think that's the norm. You'll have to buy more food and pay for its vet services. 1 year isnt too late as long as you do a proper intro. Sex doesnt matter as much as personality. If your cat is chill a hyper buddy isnt a good match.

 

[wahine01]

I think you should wait until financially able. My vet charges me for 2 office visits. I would think that's the norm. You'll have to buy more food and pay for its vet services. 1 year isnt too late as long as you do a proper intro. Sex doesnt matter as much as personality. If your cat is chill a hyper buddy isnt a good match.

I agree, I would hate to get caught out with unexpected bills that I couldn't pay right now, or would need to get into debt to pay (of course I would do that but I'd rather avoid it in the first place). Our vet also charges for 2 visits and 2 vaccinations etc, and as you say the cost of food and litter doubles. The cattery we've used (and will be using again when we get married) charges half extra for additional cats but it's still extra cost, $25 a day turns into $38 dollars a day for 2 cats!

We'll definitely be in a better financial position come November or so, as he seems to be happy enough I think we'll wait and review the situation then 

 

I do like the idea of setting up a camera to see what he gets up to during the day! We've got some old cellphones that we might be able to turn into cameras, will look into that tonight. Thanks for the idea!