Is it better to have 2 cats than one

susan timlin

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Hi

I rescued my first cat in April of this year.  He was abandoned so he was outside for a time.  He is only about 2.  He looks outside and seems to yearn to go out.  Of course, I could never let him out.  It is way too dangerous where I live.  I have a main street in front of my house and woods in the back.  I have about an acre of yard with woods on the side and back.  There are deer and squirrels and chipmonks and ground hogs and also coyoute and fox.  So for Finney to go outside is not possible.  He seems unhappy though and I was wondering if getting another cat might help.  Since he is a male would you suggest another male or a female?   I would not do this just now just wondering.
 
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catlover73

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I don't think male or female matters as much as personality as long as everyone is fixed. You could try contacting some rescues in your area. I adopted two of my cats from a rescue and the volunteers really know the personalities of the cats Another option if you have the time and space would be to look into would be fostering a cat for a shelter.

I currently have 4 cats-one female and three males. My female is the oldest of the four. All my cats are fixed. They get along well most of time and keep each other company.
 
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Kieka

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Personally, I prefer males. But that is colored by some rather bad experiences with females. In fact we thought Rocket was a male at first or we wouldn't have kept her. I love her, obviously, and am glad for the mix up but I still would stick with males.

Personal preferences aside, I agree with the comment about talking to a rescue. Since Finney is older you won't want a kitten (unless Finney has a ton of excess energy). A rescue knows their cats personalities and can help you find the cat that will fit into your home. It sounds like Finney would be benefit from a fuzzy friend but take your time finding the right fit for your home.
 

MoochNNoodles

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Every cat is different.  Some are content as an only-cat and some do good with companionship.  If you do decide to bring home a new friend for him; I would suggest researching cat introductions and prepare yourself for that.  I have almost always had female cats.  I think the personality of the cat makes a difference.  If you adopt through a rescue you might be able to get a good idea of the other cats personality beforehand.  

In the meantime; you could try to enrich his inside environment to keep him happy.  Most cats enjoy tall cat trees or other high places to jump and survey their territory.  Wand toys are great for interactive play time with you and rotating his other toys might help too.  My girls enjoy the bird feeder we have hung from the eve of the house in front of their cat-tree window.  They spend a lot of time there watching the birds and things in the backyard.  They have never been outdoors; but they just enjoy looking.  When they were younger we had a fish tank and they enjoyed watching that too.  We called it the Cat TV. 
 

miagi's_mommy

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I think it depends on the personality of the cats how they get along. I've only had 2 males (and Angel) though. And they got along great. Another cat may help his desire to go outside better as long as the cat you get doesn't want to go outdoors as well. :) He's beautiful!
 
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tobilei

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I have never really had much success owning more than one kitty. My last 2 (male and female) did not really get along. They tolerated each other but that was it. My current boy was 1 when we adopted a brother for him. It didn't really go so well. He was rather aggressive and awful to his brother. We lost his brother prematurely to a health issue and a number of months later adopted a female. Things with her are mostly strained also (that being said, his personality leaves a lot to be desired. He is a very tense, angry and aggressive cat in general, he wasn't always this way but our vet can't find any health issue that explains it). I'm not saying 2 kitties can't work. Most people seem to have no problem, but we haven't been lucky enough to have that.

Do you have a yard at all? We purchased a dog run but there are plenty of cat enclosures available now days, permanent and mobile one's you can pin down with tent pegs. He might enjoy some outdoor time in an enclosure or even some time in the yard on a lead (you would need to train him).

 
 

lulu95

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When we bought our two cats they were both standing together in the cage, having two cats probably sounds too much to some but it has been such a great experience. I truly recommend getting two cats, especially if they're brother and sister. :)
 
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