How To Know If She'd Like A Second Cat

[JGombs99]

I'd like to hear opinions on how to determine if a particular cat would like a second cat in the home, or if they wouldn't, or if they wouldn't care either way. Is there any way to get an idea of this?

I'm curious to know how my girl would feel about another cat in the house. I already have a dog, and my cat is fairly new to me. Ususlly the cat and dog ignore each other, but sometimes either one gets curious about the other. The cat, Patches is new to me, and I'm open to potentially saving another life, but I'd like to get an idea for how my current pets would react before I consider anything too seriously.

 

[Columbine]

It's almost impossible to tell if your girl would welcome a kitty friend or not. Some cats adore having other cats around, some are indifferent, and some absolutely hate it. Harder still is finding the right match. I got a pair of kittens in the summer, thinking my girl would ADORE them, and she can't stand them...despite clearly wanting a kitty friend and missing my old boy (who passed a bit over a year ago). There is no sure way to predict these things.

Where did your cat come from? If you adopted from a shelter, they may be able to tell you if your girl liked having friends around, and maybe even which kitty personalities she clicked best with.

These articles may help too. I'm adding the second so you have a clear idea of what is involved when you bring an additional cat home - introductions are much more complex than with dogs

Your Second Cat: How To Choose The Best Friend For Kitty
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide

 

[Ladysnuggable]

I rescue ferals and constantly have cats in and out at first introduction was hard we kept them separated and site swaped items it helped introduce scent before the animals. Hissing is okay as long as the walk away. Any fights its back to square one.

 

[ArtNJ]

If the resident cat is under two years and the newcomer is also under 2 years, preferably a kitten, the odds are pretty good they will be buddies or at least ok. If the resident cat is over 2 years old, the odds drop. Nothing magic happens at 2 years of age, per se, its just that as the resident cat get older, less active, further away from remembering mom and more used to being an only cat, it gets harder.

You can try to match personalities, but its a dice roll. That is why the traditional advice is to get a second cat if YOU want one, not because you imagine its a great thing for your resident cat, or that you are getting the resident cat a friend/playmate. The exception would be if the resident cat is young, for the reasons noted above.

 

[JGombs99]

Thanks, all! I'll check out the articles when I get the chance. My kitty was a rescue, so if I decide I want to move forward, I'll check with the rescue for their thoughts, and for the new kitty, of course. My girl is a year and a half, and there's a boy who has my attention (although I've yet to interact with him, so this is very early stages) who's a year old. So, from the advice thus far, the ages are right, at least.

 

[Timmer]

I'm kind of in a similar situation which I might post my own thread one day. I think getting something close to the personality of your resident cat is important. I did the opposite and got a boy cat for my girl cat. Never worked out for the two of them. Ever. But they were older cats. I can't remember how long you said it's been since you brought in your resident cat. I wouldn't wait too long to bring in a second. And I would keep in mind that you are doing this for you, not for the cat. I don't think they really need another cat especially at such a young age. I think that's a human idea we place on them. Of course if it works out, that's fantastic.

 

[JGombs99]

So, is there a "best practice" when it comes to gender if you're getting two cats? Obviously, there's no way to say for sure that something will work, but I didn't know if there were better and worse options. I feel like two males would be the least likely to work, but since I already have a girl, that's not possible, anyway. I know a second cat would be more for me than for my resident cat, but my question was more geared towards her only because I could be happy either way, and want to make the choice that's ultimately best for my entire "family", if there's a best case at all. I know that dogs are considered to be pack animals, where cats really aren't, yet it seems that so many more people have multiple cats than multiple dogs. Although, I suppose this is more due to cats being easier to care for than dogs. Oh, and my resident cat has been with me for just over a month.

 

[ArtNJ]

A lot of people, including a lot of people with a lot of cats, believe that gender does matter. I don't have that level of experience. However, from searches on the internet, I'm not convinced that gender matters for spayed/neutered cats. Might be wrong there. However, pretty confident that it is more important to match activity levels. If your resident cat is relatively inactive, it is crucial to get another laid back inactive cat.

 

[JGombs99]

Interesting, and good to know! Yes, both cats would be spayed/neutered, so maybe gender isn't a large concern. Patches is both crazy, silly, and active AND lazy, and laid back! Welcome to cats, I guess!

Should my dog add to the consideration, personality matching, etc? Or, as long as he tolerates cats, is it just the cats that should be matched? Also, a gender related question. Although I've had both genders, I haven't been able to observe this. Assuming everyone is "fixed", does either gender have more of a smell, or more litter box issues than the other, or are these things only an issue with intact males?

 

[Timmer]

I've had two girl cats and then my girl and the boy. No one had issues sharing litter boxes but I had two in the house. The issue was that my female was stressed out by the male's aggression and she sprayed up my house. I had to put her on prozac and separate them. We lived separated for 8 years til he passed away this year. The problem was the personalities didn't match but I was in love with him. I knew when she started spraying no one else would take her on and I loved them both anyway. See, that's what you don't want. A "peeing" contest between the cats. Go with personalities. Honestly, tho, I'd get a girl for your girl. That's just my opinion.

 

[2rescuekitties]

I had a female who was 6 months old when I added a 2 month old male. Seems to me they balance each other quite well almost like he is her little boyfriend I catch them snuggled in the same bed, or her resting her head on his belly and sleeping..It took about a week but they have become the best of friends. They play and wrestle and they respect eachothers space (most of the time). So I would say yes, and you know your cats personality so it's a bit like playing matchmaker..you want to see the other cats personality and see what might fit best with the current kitty's personality. But I think if proper introductions are done it should be totally fine maybe I am a bit biased but I would say go with male for a second cat and especially if you have one already that's caught your eye...Just make sure the personality will be something you think can work.

 

[JGombs99]

So, it seems like most people agree that personality is key if I do decide to go for a second kitty. But, as I said, my Patches can be both very crazy, playful, etc as well as super calm. She loves attention, and follows me everywhere. She'll sit or lay with me, but so far, not on me. So, proximity, yes, but cuddly, no. Knowing what I know about cats, I hardly think her personality is unique, but I'm also not sure exactly how to match all that to another kitty in the rescue.

 

[rubysmama]

Should my dog add to the consideration, personality matching, etc? Or, as long as he tolerates cats, is it just the cats that should be matched?

I think, yes, you need to add your dog to the consideration of getting a second cat. To make things easier, it would be good if you could adopt a cat that has already been around dogs, and likes/tolerates them.

Here are the TCS articles on cats and dogs:
Caring For Cats And Dogs
Introducing Cats To Dogs
How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog

Since you already have the dog, this will be mostly for info:
Best And Worst Dog Breeds To Live With Cats

 

[di and bob]

The perfect family in my opinion, is two boys to play with each other and be pals and a female to keep them in line. I have found that females are not the friendliest when they get to be about two or so, they run the household and instill manners. A single kitten will want to play, and an older cat will not, it's that simple. So the kitten will need a lot of attention. Your girl may act like she doesn't like a kitten, but it would keep her entertained and busy, she will secretly like that. an older cat is a lot harder to introduce, your female will feel her position is being threatened. So it is a hard decision, keep us posted no matter what you do!

 

[JGombs99]

I think, yes, you need to add your dog to the consideration of getting a second cat. To make things easier, it would be good if you could adopt a cat that has already been around dogs, and likes/tolerates them.

Here are the TCS articles on cats and dogs:
Caring For Cats And Dogs
Introducing Cats To Dogs
How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog

Since you already have the dog, this will be mostly for info:
Best And Worst Dog Breeds To Live With Cats

Thanks! My dog's breed isn't on either list, for what that's worth, but he's been around a cat his entire life. He tolerates them.

 

[JGombs99]

The perfect family in my opinion, is two boys to play with each other and be pals and a female to keep them in line. I have found that females are not the friendliest when they get to be about two or so, they run the household and instill manners. A single kitten will want to play, and an older cat will not, it's that simple. So the kitten will need a lot of attention. Your girl may act like she doesn't like a kitten, but it would keep her entertained and busy, she will secretly like that. an older cat is a lot harder to introduce, your female will feel her position is being threatened. So it is a hard decision, keep us posted no matter what you do!

Thanks for the info! Do you think I'm correct in assuming that a second cat around the same age to slightly younger should be at least fairly likely to be a good match? My current girl is a year and a half, and the cat I'm considering is a year old. A kitten really isn't a consideration at this time.

 

[2rescuekitties]

JGombs99 That is what I did....my female is older than my male by a few months and it seems to be working out. And as far as temperament goes here is what I personally did. So my female cat has a very bossy and outgoing and chatty personality. She will inspect new visitors and voice her opinion on everything. She is a little princess and a cuddle bug. I decided to adopt the male cat I saw because his personality was calm, playful but not overbearing, and shy. I thought they would be a good match because my female would be able to maybe get the male to be a bit less shy and the male was calm and relaxed enough to deal with her hissy fits and slaps for the first week. And eventually his calm demeanor and relaxed and submissive attitude won her over. And now he has become just as chatty and outgoing as her.

 

[maggiedemi]

That's cool that you're thinking of getting a buddy for Patches! I would get a male cat, they seem to be more laid back in my experience. What does the boy cat look like that you are considering, what color is he?

 

[JGombs99]

My girl is also quite chatty (something I'm getting used to as my previous cat wasn't overly chatty, until the very end, when it was so very clear something was wrong), and at least with me, she's also bossy! There are two cats that I have some interest in at least from their photos. One, I have yet to see in person, or learn any info on (it's medium to long hair, grey and white), and the other who I know a bit more about, and have seen (but not yet interacted with). The latter is the year old male. I still need to learn about his personality and history, but he's short to medium length hair, and grey. Possibly grey tabby, or grey tiger (if those are different). He's considerably larger than Patches, though. I'm not sure exactly how big he is, but I'd say he's at least as big (and probably bigger) than my former cat, who was 12 lbs. My Patches is only about 8 lbs.

 

[2rescuekitties]

My girl is also quite chatty (something I'm getting used to as my previous cat wasn't overly chatty, until the very end, when it was so very clear something was wrong), and at least with me, she's also bossy! There are two cats that I have some interest in at least from their photos. One, I have yet to see in person, or learn any info on (it's medium to long hair, grey and white), and the other who I know a bit more about, and have seen (but not yet interacted with). The latter is the year old male. I still need to learn about his personality and history, but he's short to medium length hair, and grey. Possibly grey tabby, or grey tiger (if those are different). He's considerably larger than Patches, though. I'm not sure exactly how big he is, but I'd say he's at least as big (and probably bigger) than my former cat, who was 12 lbs. My Patches is only about 8 lbs.

I would suggest spend time with both cats, get a feel for their personality, and then make the choice But I can say I definitely have no regrets getting my cat stella a friend