Should I get another cat?

[jordicue]

Hello everyone!

I have been a cat lover since I was a kid - so I have a lot of experience with kitties. But right now I am having trouble making a decision on whether or not I should get another cat. Here's a little background for you.

I found a love bug, Sally, at the shelter one day and thought she would be absolutely perfect for my brother. After seeing her, my brother fell in love and adopted her. She was 3 years old when he adopted her and the only information the shelter had on her was that she lived in a home with two dogs and two cats. One of the cats died, and for some reason the owners gave Sally to their friends. At some point, the friends didn't want Sally anymore and took her to the shelter. That's when we met her.

After a week of having Sally, my brother's girlfriend said she wanted to get rid her of because she didn't like her. My brother was going to take Sally back to the shelter and I couldn't have that happen so I told him I would take her. The only issue is that I was moving from Tucson to Phoenix and I didn't want to take on a pet just yet, but I just couldn't bare the thought of Sally going back to the shelter. My brother took care of Sally for a month, and then I moved to Phoenix and brought Sally with me.

Three months later Sally is now settled into her new home with me. Now I'm wondering if she's getting enough attention from me. I work up to 65 hours a week, and I have to travel back to Tucson occasionally. I would leave Sally alone for a weekend and I would come home to kitty vomit. I found a friend to watch Sally when I have to leave some weekends and after that the vomiting stopped. Sally CRAVES attention - she follows me everywhere. My mom visited me one weekend and said that Sally didn't leave my side all night, and when she fed her her wet food in the morning, she ate and went right back into bed with me. She's such a calm, laid back cat - but she also gets huge bursts of energy and runs through the house.

I'm so unsure about getting a friend for her. I've had bad experiences with introducing new cats to one another. Sally really hasn't had a stable home for a while, and now that she finally has one I'm wondering if getting another cat would stress her out - considering she's just settled in. I was thinking of maybe getting a kitten, or a one year old - since they adjust to new cats easily. I'm really just afraid that Sally is lonely. I know cats are independent, but Sally seems so different from most cats that I've owned. I've never had a that is so desperate for attention.

Any advice on if getting another cat would be a good/bad idea?

 

[fleabags mom]

She sounds a lovely cat! I do wonder why you took her on tho with so much work on your plate. Am not trying to tell you off, but I am a firm believer of not having animals if they are left alone most of the time. Is there any way you can find another home because she is such a cat who needs company? If not, I think another cat may be a good idea for company, but you are putting another cat in a situation where it's without you for a great deal of time.  A kitten will require a great deal of your time too, so perhaps try a shelter and find a cat that likes other cats or is used to it? The other idea I have is for you to flat share, so Sally would have someone else around when you are out?

I don't think the introduction will be a problem since Sally previously lived with two other cats and dogs. If you do do this tho, I would try and take a week of work to be there to do the introduction properly and not just leave them to it. They may fight and it would be better if you were there to look after them both.

Oh and I think that not all cats are independent, quite a lot like human company. Mine get's upset if I leave him alone for just a few hours and he has the freedom of outside too to keep him busy.

Good luck.

 

[katluver4life]

I'm one who believes that cats are great in pairs (or even more). It is important to try and match temperaments when adding another, but at times that's just not possible. I also believe any 2 (or more) cats can learn to live together. Introductions that are done correctly will work with almost all cats. The steps in this article works well: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats.

I say if you have the room and desire..go for it. Good luck!

 

[Winchester]

I agree with Katluver4Life in that most cats do well with a buddy. We had a single cat for many many years before we brought another cat into the house and I've really regretted keeping him an only "child" for so long. Even though he was a very old cat when the other cats came into the house, we still think it did him good to have the others here with him. So my advice is always to get them in pairs. Always have at least two whenever you can, especially since you work so much.

Sally does seem very needy and that's probably because she's alone. She spends most of her life by herself. And that's not fair to her. I understand why you took her and I don't blame you for doing so. Honest. I would have never wanted her to go back to the shelter either. But your work takes you away from her. And she spends weekends by herself as well. You're her people and she misses you. 

Turn the radio on for her while you're gone, if you can. Quietly, so it doesn't bug your neighbors. My co-worker does that for his cats; he says he thinks they prefer jazz. Or he turns the TV on for them while he's at work. 

If you do decide to bring another kitty into your life, do so over a time where you'll be there for a few days. Keep the new kitty in a room by herself for the first few days and then bring her out gradually, The TCS article is a good one to read and follow. Keep in mind that introductions can take a while....I've usually kept a new kitty by herself in the room for about a month, give or take (but I've got six cats, so it's a bit different situation). I would let the new kitty out at night and whenever I'm home to keep an eye on things. I've brought in blankets and toys with the scent of the other cats to the new kitty. I've taken them back out to the resident cats once the new kitty has her scent on them. I try to mingle in scents as much as I can. And when I first let the new kitty into the main house while we're at work, I'll come home over lunch to make sure everything is OK. I do that for about a week or so, longer if it's a kitten on her own for the first time.

If you decide not to have another kitty, then perhaps it's best to find Sally a loving home elsewhere, simply for her sake. It's really hard for a cat to spend most of her life by herself without her human and there may be some behavioral problems down the road, simply because she's alone most of the time. Like I said, I completely understand why you took her. I do.

I can tell you that when we first got Mollipop as a kitten, she was a lovebug, but she wasn't a real needy cat. She would come to me for lap time and cuddles, but then she'd go off on her own and play. After we had her for several months, we went away for the weekend. And when we came back, evidently she really missed me because she wouldn't leave me alone (and that's with six other cats in the house). For a long time after that, she needed to be where I was. If I was back in the computer room, she needed to be on my lap. If I was on the couch, she needed to be laying on me. Which was fine....I loved it, so I always let her do what she needed. She's gradually stopped being quite so needy, but there are still times when I'm here on the computer, with a Mollipop flopped on my lap or laying over my right shoulder. And I'm typing with one hand. And every time after I come home from being away on vacation, Molli needs to spend some extra time with me. So cats need attention, they need to know that you're there with them. 

I wish you well in whatever decision you make.

ETA: We now have Muffin, who used to be my mother's cat. Mom had to go into a nursing home, so we took Muffin IN 2012. We are her fourth home and she's not even four years old yet. She's always been an only "child" and now she is one of six. She adjusted beautifully, although it was rough on her in the beginning. But she was in the computer room, isolated, for a while before we brought her out with the other kids. And during the time she was getting used to us, we gutted our old kitchen and put in a new one. After that was done, we had Christmas. She just settled in and became part of the cat clan and she took everything in stride. (Muffin and Mollipop don't get along very well, but we think that's because they're both alpha females.) Four homes in less than four years and from being a single "child" to becoming one of six. And she did well. 

 

 

[blackcat416]

I always had at least 2 cats because of work. But I would pick a time when you will be home for a couple of days in a row. Most shelters will fix the kitten before you take the kitten home, so make sure you have a room that the kitten can stay in for at least 5 days alone while it heals up. When you get home at night introduce Sally every night to the kitten and get all the hissing and growling out of the way, only for 10 to 15 mins. Then both of you leave the kitten alone. Give the kitten plenty of toys to play with and plenty of food and water plus a nice clean litter box every day. Make sure you give Sally more attention then normal so she doesn't think she is getting replaced. During the day when your not home Sally will go to the door where the kitten is and check her out from under the door. If the only room to keep the kitten is just happens to be your bedroom, then expect to be sleeping on the sofa with Sally. 2 cats means 2 liter boxes anyway so when it's time to let her out bring her box and put it next to Sally's box. Then this is the time you need to spend together with the kitten and Sally when the door finally opens. The kitten will be all healed up and will be looking to play, so play with both of them with a toy on a string or a rod. Play until they are both exhausted. Then clean the room thoroughly where the kitten stayed during her rehab. Leave so scent behind. If your nightly visits between Sally and kitten to as planned once the kitten is free Sally will be used to her and her scent.

I just brought 2 cats home to add to my current 6, the kitten stayed in my bedroom while I slept on the sofa. Every time it was meal time I brought a cat in the bedroom with the kitten so my other cats could smell her liter box and the kitten. With my alpha male Ryan, I made him spend more time with the kitten because I knew if Ryan accepted her the rest would follow suit.

 

[jordicue]

I know where you guys are coming from as far as wondering why I took her. Before I moved I tried desperately to find Sally a home, and no one could take her in. I would have felt awful if my brother took her back to the shelter. Especially knowing how older cats typically don't get adopted - and during that time it was kitten season, so I felt like Sally didn't stand a chance. Right now I'm able to spend every day with her up until about 2PM, then I get home around 11PM. I do get two day off every week - but I said I occasionally go back to Tucson on those days off. For a while I was contemplating finding her another home, but then I felt so bad thinking about poor Sally getting moved to a new home AGAIN.

I was already planning on taking a week off if I decided to get another kitty. Sally just seems like she has a lot of anxiety, so I was worried about another cat being here causing her more anxiety. Oh the dilemma!

Thanks for all of the feedback everyone!

 

[laralove]

I was already planning on taking a week off if I decided to get another kitty. Sally just seems like she has a lot of anxiety, so I was worried about another cat being here causing her more anxiety. Oh the dilemma!

Oliver is a very anxious cat as well. I can't currently afford another cat. My BF works from home, so Oliver is almost never home by himself, but BF also sleeps weird hours, so he's not always got someone to pay him attention during the day. I mentioned getting another cat at some point in the future and BF said he thinks Oliver would be better on his own because he's so jumpy. When we adopted him, the foster family suggested he would do best in a home with no other pets because he was very easily intimidated, so it seemed like a good fit since I couldn't afford to get two. However, when he's a little older, maybe getting another cat a little younger/smaller than him would be good... 

Oh the dilemma, indeed!

 

[betsygee]

 
I know where you guys are coming from as far as wondering why I took her. Before I moved I tried desperately to find Sally a home, and no one could take her in. I would have felt awful if my brother took her back to the shelter. Especially knowing how older cats typically don't get adopted - and during that time it was kitten season, so I felt like Sally didn't stand a chance. Right now I'm able to spend every day with her up until about 2PM, then I get home around 11PM. I do get two day off every week - but I said I occasionally go back to Tucson on those days off. For a while I was contemplating finding her another home, but then I felt so bad thinking about poor Sally getting moved to a new home AGAIN.

I was already planning on taking a week off if I decided to get another kitty. Sally just seems like she has a lot of anxiety, so I was worried about another cat being here causing her more anxiety. Oh the dilemma!

Thanks for all of the feedback everyone!

 

[StefanZ]

When I saw the title, I though you wanted to get rid of Sally, and get another kitty instead.  To my great relief I see its the quite opposite.  You ask for a companion.

Yes, as the others, I say this will be my main recommendation.

Try to safeguard this new cat is a cat sociale cat.   Say, talk with the shelters nearby, explain the situation, and ask them for help in choosing of a first rate cat agreeable, sociale cat.  It may be so a spayed male will be the safest bet. I have noticed several times, females who were described as not liking cat company - HAD a best friend - a neutered male.

This here cat companion doesnt even be very cuddly himself.  Sally is the cuddle one.  He may even be a shy cat, but without problems with other cats.  Which they see by their behavior in the shelter.

Also, shy semiferales are known to usually not having problemes with residents - they are eager to adapt,

This could create a nice win - win - win situation for everyone.

Hey, take a black one!  The happiness will be quadruple..

Good luck!

ps.  This newbe WILL bound to you too with time, even if it were an shy semiferale from the beginning..

ps 2.  The shelter may even be willing to let you take this cat for a test period.   If you notice it a complete no no, you would be allowed to return the cat, no questions asked and no sour mines made.

The blackies need all chances they can get for a good home, especielly if the are a little shy or not very cuddleable.