Getting a new kitten?

[elliriyanna]

So, look for a cat at least past the kitten stage, thats good with cats and dogs? I just worry about older cats and potential issues and being set in their ways ( like hating dogs, or marking, or well... Many things) 

 

[NewYork1303]

I think younger adult cats are great (right around two or three years old). They seem to be a lot more flexible. I would go with one that is known to be good with dogs and cats since changing a cats opinion can be challenging. My younger cat has lived with our dog for almost a year now and is still aggressive toward her, hissing and growling and she was around dogs all her life and had a notably negative reaction to them as a kitten. We thought since she was a kitten it would change, but it did not.

 

[Anne]

Maybe these articles will help too - 

 [article="0"]The Other Cat​[/article]  

 [article="32680"]How To Successfully Introduce Cats The Ultimate Guide​[/article]  

 

[elliriyanna]

I was thinking of taking my dog when we start seriously looking at cats to adopt, he is only 13 lbs so I can easily hold him and see how they just react to his presence, our local petstore has adoption events so it would be easy enough to do. 

I will read the article, I haven't introduced cats in years, not since I brought Emma home. 

 

[elliriyanna]

I thought I read something about getting a male since I have a female, is there any merit to that? Because I would hate to eliminate cats just due to them being female. 

 

[haleyds]

In my experience females accept males better, as a male will accept a female better. Same sex often see one another as competition, even if they are spayed/neutered. It's not always the case, some cats literally love everything, some don't care at all about others. But all my females I've had usually like strictly males unless they were raised with another female, and I've had males be less territorial than females.

 

[elliriyanna]

I keep reading varying things, Like the above article states same gender, but temperament is the most important. 

 

[catpack]

He's my two cents on the issue. Oftentimes, if there is already a female cat in the house it is easier to bring in a male. However, this is a generalization. If there is a male already in the house, you can really bring in any gender.

Male-female relationships are more like brother/sister and it can be a love/hate relationship.

Male-Male tend to be more buddy/buddy.

Female-Female they tend to do their own thing and coexist. The difference being if they are litter mates or raised together as very young kittens.

If your dog is the one needing the buddy, I would consider another dog. (You mentioned getting another dog in another thread.). While dogs and cats can certainly be friendly with each other, a cat just doesn't typically play in the same manner another dog does.

 

[elliriyanna]

Its difficult to explain, I would like a cat who is ok with my dog, it doesn't have to be his best friend LOL, Thats kinda my job. I am just bad at phrasing things. I do hope to get another dog someday but now is not the time for it, a dog and a cat have very different needs. 

I think I may be overthinking this, all I can do is try to find a good personality match, and do proper intros. 

 

[elliriyanna]

Well due to some unforseen circumstances out of her control, my sister was forced to temporarily give up her cat, so he will be here will be for the next 1-3 months. Sweet little boy and in a way we get a trial run with Emma. 

So far she is not doing more than hissing and growling, and she doesn't seek him out, in fact she runs off. Which, I am thinking is a good sign.