Should I Get Another Cat??

[Claire07x]

So I have my rescue girl, Kali but I'm more and more keen on the idea of getting either a second cat or kitten.

I'd prefer a boy to a girl, no preference on age really.

I've had mixed stories about her past, the shelter have been really all over the place but the latest I got was that she was straying. She's definitely been a mum before, though.

She's pretty chill with everything anyway, hoovers, dogs outside etc. Fine around new people, nothing really phases her though tooth brushing brings out the hissy, swipey devil-cat in her.

I've been told by family it's a bad idea as she's been the only cat in the house and 2 only works if adopted together, but I'm really not sure - though that might be bias because I'd like another..

I just don't know what's best. Any opinions? Especially on age/gender matches for a 2-3 year old, female moggy.

Ty x

 

[rubysmama]

I've never had more than one cat at a time, but lots of people have multi-cat homes.

I think the biggest thing is to ensure you take the introductions slowly.

Until other members reply with comments, here's the TCS articles with tips/suggestions:

Your Second Cat: How To Choose The Best Friend For Kitty
Introducing Cats To Cats
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction (hopefully you won't need this one)
The Multi-cat Household
How To Safely Break Up A Cat Fight (hopefully you won't need this one either)

 

[weebeasties]

It's always a coin toss as to how well cats will get along. The only thing I can comment on is that it definitely is possible to adopt cats at different times/different ages and still have them be friends. Slow, careful introductions make a HUGE difference. After that you just sort of keep your fingers crossed that personalities "gel".
We have been lucky so far that all of our cats have gotten along and some have been best buddies.
Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[Kieka]

It really does depend on the cats and their personalities. Many years ago we had three cats who barely interacted. Two were mellow and laid back, the third was antagonistic against the other two. She would attack the other two and was downright mean to them.

However, I've also had two cats who were more like roommates who happened to share the home. Neither really cared about the other being there. They didn't play. Didn't groom. Didn't even acknowledge each other most of the time.

Now, I have three that are completely woven together. They groom, play, wait for, search out and care for each other. Rocket, my girl, was really the binding factor between the two boys. They will very literally line up and take turns eating. Link will yell at us that Rocket needs the door open or yell at her to hurry up eating so they can play. Rocket will roll into Fury for grooming and Fury brings her toys.

It really is a wild guess, hope and prayer when you have mulitple cats. I've heard that when you get in the higher numbers they tend to work things out slightly better. Probably because there are more and less room for attitudes.