Wanting to get another cat

[hellothere1234]

Wasn't sure which section to post this. Let me start by saying I apologize if this is really long. I just want to make sure to describe my situation in detail to get the best advice.

I adopted a cat from the humane society, his name is Professor, a 10 yr old M grey & white neutered cat, have had him for 6 yrs now. I recently adopted another cat from the same humane society. Unfortunately i tried as hard as I could but she kept attacking my cat on sight and was drawing blood and a claw got stuck in Prof's head. So we had to re home her to a home w no other cats.

I really want to try again and adopt another cat since there are so many in need and Prof was fine having another cat, he even wanted to be friends with the new cat. I think I made some mistakes picking the new cat. I think maybe she was too dominant of a cat, also she had her ear tipped and they said she was possibly feral, she was found outside but staff assured me she was friendly and not sure if she was actually feral or not.

Professor is an attention hog and very friendly in your face type of cat. The new one was younger, she was 3 yrs old. The new one I got but had to rehome was also a big attention hog, she kind of acted like a dog.

Do you think I could try again? Maybe this time I would want to look for more of a shy wallflower cat that isn't as needy and then maybe it would work out? What personality do you think I should be looking for? Or would it matter?

What do you think, or what advice do you have for me? Do you think I should try again? Or is it a lost cause? My cat seems to be back to normal now but he was traumatized for a while after constantly being attacked. How long should I wait before trying again?

Any advice is appreciated.
Thank you
-Megan

 

[cinqchats]

Feel free to try again. Sounds to be me like the last cat you tried was a super diva who really did need her own home. I'd go for an even older cat, maybe like 5-6 years old+ who seems less demanding and is more laid back. Are there any rescues near you that have community cat rooms? That would be a good place to start searching because you'll be able to get a more complete picture of how the cats interact with each other. Guaranteed, that's how you can tell which ones are the divas and which ones would be a great buddy for your Professor.

 

[hellothere1234]

Feel free to try again. Sounds to be me like the last cat you tried was a super diva who really did need her own home. I'd go for an even older cat, maybe like 5-6 years old+ who seems less demanding and is more laid back. Are there any rescues near you that have community cat rooms? That would be a good place to start searching because you'll be able to get a more complete picture of how the cats interact with each other. Guaranteed, that's how you can tell which ones are the divas and which ones would be a great buddy for your Professor.

Thank you for your advice. As far as I know there aren't any community cat rooms in my area but I will research to see if I can find one. Do you think it matters if the new or is M or F or should I judge based on personality? Also this time I will have to ask the staff and make sure that the new cat gets along with other cats. Also it's been about a month since we re homed the other cat, how long do you think I should wait to try again?

 

[cinqchats]

Definitely base on personality. I've seen cats that would be great for your situation, both male and female. In general I've seen more males. I don't know, they seem to be more laid back and accepting than the ladies. Especially the orange males! I have yet to meet a mean orange boy.

You could also try looking for a cat who is being fostered, that could give you a good idea of personality.

How long to wait depends on your Professor. I'd wait until he doesn't seem perturbed and is all back to normal again, then do a veeerrry slow intro. In the end there's no rush.

 

[donutte]

I definitely agree on getting an older cat. I recently adopted a 3-year-old but was looking for her to get along more with two 6.5 month old male kittens. And she is almost as rambunctious as they are, so it was great. I personally would probably look in the range of 7-8, but 5-6 would probably be good too. They are starting to get laid back at that ages, even the boys. Although getting a female may cause less tension since the boys, even fixed ones, seem to vie for "top cat" status. Or if it's a boy that is very laid back that would probably be ok too. 

 

[mollyblue]

When you got your first cat, did you go through all the introduction phases?  It is a rough time with the once ferals, or even with many strays who have spent anytime "roughing" it... but it can be done.  Both cats will need to feel secure for a relationship to blossom.  With Professor, there may be some lingering issues if the only cat he has spent any time around was mean, he may be suspicious of the next cat now or 6 months from now.

If you want another cat, though, I think its great you are ready to try again.  Ask the shelter if they have a visiting room and maybe you can bring professor with you.

Good luck.

 

[samnmag]

Firstly, I must say I love the name Professor for a cat.  We must remember that cats, like people, have individual personalities and not all people get along or like everyone they meet.  People tend to be more tolerant but cats tend to be a little more cut and dried in that respect.  I have a staggered system with my cats.  I always have one older and one younger.  My reasoning for that is that a younger cat seems to keep the older one active.  When my Sam was alive, he was diagnosed with diabetes.  I adopted a little girl to keep him company and was very hesitant at first about it because Sam could make a Bengal tiger look like a mouse in personality.  I purchased a large dog kennel and put it in my bedroom.  I decorated it up for Maggie so she had everything in there she needed.  I allowed Sam in there to visit.  Sam, by the way, was 11 years old at the time.  He would go in, watch her, lie down by the kennel and when he got bored, he would saunter off.  After a few days, I would let her out and watch them interact very carefully, but also giving them the opportunity to get acquainted.  Well, she drove him crazy.  Maggie would jump on him, make him chase her all over the place but he did not hurt her.  He did hiss and spat at her a couple of times.  When I was not there, she was back in the kennel but Sam could go in to sit with her.  That little ball of dilute calico fluff worked Sam so hard the vet was able to take him off his insulin.  I was so proud of both of them.  Sam lived to 17 and when I lost him to a stroke, despite being devastated at the loss, I had to think about Maggie so begrudgingly, I got her a brother.  He was younger than her and the same rules applied in introducing them slowly and safely.  Fool that I am, when I tragically lost Maggie at the age of 14, I was worried about Pepper.  I swore up and down I couldn't take one more loss as a part of my life goes with them.  Yes, I went and adopted another rescue cat.  A little girl part Blue Russian.  Well, if she wasn't a live wire from the get go.  Out came the big kennel again. Decorated and equipped with every toy.  The same process.  Pepper was a trooper but aloof when I started to let her out with him on supervised play time.  I fussed him a lot so he knew he was not being replaced.  The only time he hissed at her was when I was on the phone telling my sister he had never hissed at her.  Go figure.  But, now she is three, Pepper is 13 and she makes him exercise and play.  They have their little kitty wrestling rumbles before I feed them and they are happy.  A slow supervised introduction is a good way to go because you are not just throwing the new cat into an unfamiliar situation and you are not shoving a new kitty into his face, so to speak.  Cats are cautious creatures,  They need time to examine, assess and evaluate and decided how they are going to adapt to meet the new situation.  Bottom line is, get another cat but introduce him or her to Professor slowly.  Best of luck and let us know how you make out,

 

[talkingpeanut]

Please tell us more about what your introduction process was like.

 

[hellothere1234]

Please tell us more about what your introduction process was like.

Introduction process: had separate room set up for new cat. Brought her home she slept for about 2 days straight I think she was still coming down from the meds of getting spayed.
Kept her in there for a week made sure to socialize with her while she was in there.
Week 2 switched the cats, let new cat roam the house while current cat was in her room. Continued this daily. Week 2 began Giving treats to cats on both sides of the door. Continued this once daily.
End of week 2 opened the door a crack to let them see each other she walks out of the room and the cats sat side by side growling. Put new cat back into room, she ended up getting a URI. Gave meds and kept cats separated. Had to keep her in the room for another two weeks to heal.
By this time she started feeling better, she is dying to get out of the room. Started biting us and attacking our legs when we would open the door and not let her out. Seems adjusted to house and us. Switched cats into rooms a few more times. Continued feeding on either side of the doors.
Week 5 started to let new cat out of room for periods of time, everything seemed fine until prof was on the couch and she was on the floor, she went into hunting positon I honestly thought she saw a bug, and tackled prof with claws out. Let everything settle for a day or 2. Tried again everything seemed fine she was on the couch this time prof on the floor prof went to sniff new cat she attacked him.
Waited two days again, prof still curious waiting outside her room door, cracked door open, she ran out and chased prof down the stairs and attacked.
Waited about four days this time, instant attacking every time I tried to have them in the same room until eventually had to find a new home Bc attacks were becoming more vicious and blood was being drawn. Prof was becoming fearful enough the he wouldn't come out from under the bed. He still won't hang out in the room I had her in, he did come in for a few minutes the other day but he was very cautious.

 

[ravenclaw]

It sounds like your introduction process was good; that wasn't the problem. My advice is to adopt a cat that is known to get along with other cats. I follow a rescue group that is foster-only, and the foster parents can often tell you whether a cat likes other cats or not. Your Professor sounds like a nice kitty who is likely to get along with any cat-loving cat. Go ahead and adopt again; so many good cats need good homes.