Should I Adopt A Second Cat

madzoya

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Bruce is now with us for more that a year and he will be 2yo in June. He is still a bundle of energy and demands constant attention for both me and my hubby when we are home. He goes into mischief mode if he doesn't get it too.

The thing is we both work full time and that makes Bruce spend lots of time by himself, which makes me feel guilty. I also worry when we go out or on vacation, because when we get home he is really needy.

My main problem is space. We live in a small apartment and I worry bringing another cat into such a small territory will do more harm than good. I worry they won't get used to each other, and having two problems instead of one.

We have separate rooms to do adaptation, but I'm afraid Bruce will resent us by taking some of his space, even temporarily.

I also wonder how we can do adaptation working full time.

Do any of you have experiences to share in bringing a second cat into a small apartment?

How do I know if my cat will accept a new friend?

Thanks once more for your help.
 
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madzoya

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Here is my spoilt baby boy
 

rubysmama

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Your Bruce is a very handsome cat. And he looks pretty content in the pictures. :purr:

I'm not really able to answer your question about getting a second cat, as my family only ever had 1 cat at a time, and now I just have my Ruby girl. I do, however occasionally wonder if Ruby would like a feline friend. And I sometimes ask Ruby if she's happy. But, of course, she never answers. :lol:

There's another current thread similar to yours, that you might want to check out:
How To Know If She'd Like A Second Cat

Also TCS has an article on Your Second Cat: How To Choose The Best Friend For Kitty which might have some helpful tips.

And one on The Multi-cat Household
 

2rescuekitties

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I live in a 800 sqft apartment and I have two kitties. All I can say is that it is possible. I play with them for a few minutes before I go to work, and I also have a puzzle board for them that I put kibble in to keep their little brains and paws occupied for a few hours, and then we have big playtime with "Da Bird" when I come home. I also keep my apartment clean and one very important thing is vertical space. They have 2 giant cat trees that they jump and climb on which also increases their "domain". I think getting another cat is a wonderful Idea, and my reasoning behind getting 2 were the exact same as yours. My first cat Stella would cry and cry at the door when she knew it was time for me to go to work and I always felt guilty. I got Toby and it took about a week for the hissing and growling to stop but not they take most of their energy out on eachother, and usually if they are not waiting for me at the door when I come home I find them cuddled together sleeping probably tuckered out after wrestling.
Soooo in conclusion to my lengthy response (sorry), I would say he is young enough and still has energy to where I think a companion would be great for him. Just make sure they have lots of vertical space to climb and lounge on :) and by the way if youre looking into cat trees and condos the pet stores have ridiculous prices..I bought a 79 inch tall cat condo for $65 off amazon and that thing has three little hideaway holes, 6 scratching posts, 3 perches and is taller than me ! :)
 

auntie

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We have a 1200 sq foot, 1-storey house, housing three people and two cats. I think it's pretty small! We didn't start with two cats; I got the second one for reasons similar to yours (my first cat was used to lots of cat company and we are always gone all day long; the original one used to seem lonely and spent lots of time yowling and crying, which has now stopped other than at breakfast time).

The difference is we only had her for a couple of months before we got the second cat, so there was not the same degree of territorial behavior possibilities. As long as you are able to divide your house into more than one area, you should be able to introduce them gradually. Unfortunately I think it really depends on the individual cats, as "people", not on how big your house is or the exact steps you take to introduce them (as long as it's somewhat gradual).

Our vet described it like this: you have your own beautiful apartment all to yourself, with all that you need, and you are satisfied and happy that way. Suddenly, one day you come home and there's a complete stranger there, who expects to share your food, bathroom, computer, and even bedroom. How do you feel? Long-term acceptance/tolerance depends on the personalities of you and the stranger, and if enough resources are available. And when you're choosing your new cat, that is very hard for you to determine in advance from a human perspective. We got lucky because our cats are now bonded, but it's true that my original cat was a former breeding queen from an overcrowded cattery and the new one was a kitten when she moved in, so that made it easier. For what it's worth I do not have any cat trees, but they do like to sit on top of a tall bookshelf with records on top.
 
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