lost our old friend...should we get a new friend?

[webmiss]

Hello! To start we used to have two cats both Himalayans. We lost our kitty memorial day weekend, he was 13 years old. Its been very hard for us. Our other surviving kitty is 10 years old, still a very playful rambunctious guy.

I think he misses his buddy, I notice hes been sleeping a little bit more, but other than that seems to have handled the loss of his friend ok.

I am going back and forth on whether or not to get a kitten. I would love to have another kitten around. I enjoy having two cats, they have each other to play with and so on. I am just worried how the survivor will take to the new guy.

Any thoughts?

The survivor is on his own for the first time I feel bad for him alot. Hes never been alone. He used to sleep with our old cat, theyd clean each other, play with each other, everything.

 

[Willowy]

Generally, kittens are very rambunctious and annoy older cats. It can be a real problem with some :/. I would recommend either getting a cat over 18 months---you can usually find a nice friendly cat that age in rescue, or a breeder may have a retired show cat/breeding queen/tom that needs a new home. OR get 2 kittens . So they can play with and bite each other instead of annoying the older cat.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I would caution you regarding a kitten.  They are SO energetic compared to adult cats.  It's a common problem to hear a new kitten is trying the patience of a resident cat.  I generally advise against it.  A pair of kittens might entertain each other enough; but that's not certain either.  Kittens will play with anything that moves; each other, feet under a blanket, scraps of paper, cords, and of course, other pets.  

  It's part of their charm but again part of the pain for the older pets who get to deal with the energy and teach them manners!  

  

My mother's younger 2 (who are only younger by 2 and 3 years) used to try to include her older cat in their escapades when they were younger.  She loved to play one-on-one with toys with us; but those two wanted to wrestle and chase and boy she would howl like they were murdering her if they so much as touched her. 

  They got along better when the younger two got to be a few years older.

Would you consider adopting a little bit older cat?  Not a senior necessarily; but old enough to be past the kitten stage and young enough to still want to play.  If the cat has been in a foster situation; they might be able to tell you a lot about their personality and help you find the cat that matches your cats personality.  It's kitten season; at least in the northern hemisphere, so there are many many kittens looking for homes. But that also means the adult cats in shelters and rescues are more easily overlooked.  

If you decide to add a new furbaby to your home; consider how you can set up your home to work through the introduction process.  it's very important to introduce cats (especially adults or for the sake of the resident adult) properly.  This article might be helpful to you.
[article="32680"]How To Successfully Introduce Cats The Ultimate Guide  [/article]
Also:
[article="22458"]Your Second Cat How To Choose The Best Friend For Kitty  [/article]
Good luck!  Please let us know what  you decide! 

 

[webmiss]

Eventhough our current cat is very energetic and loves playing you think a kitten would be bad?

Most people are shocked when I tell them he's 10.

 

[NewYork1303]

No kittens. Even rambunctious older cats don't have that much energy. I would advise selecting an adult cat that is at least 3 or 4 years old. There are so many in shelters that need homes. They would be a much better fit in this situation than any kitten. I agree that maybe another senior wouldn't be best if this ten year old cat is still very active. But for a good energy level match I would definitely pick an adult cat.