What made you decide to get another cat?

[Smarl]

My first cat Lymy came from a breeder as retired queen as well. She was our only cat over three years, until we divorced with my ex-husband and I moved my own home. I noticed Lymy was quite lonely, she was used to have human company all the time (we have 3 children, and this one week with me, one week with their dad system). So I adopted another cat Kassu, who was one year old neutered male. Sadly they didn't get along very well, after long introducing period it was still hissing and occasional fights. In these days they can manage and live in the same home, but still not a good friends.

So after all, they were both lonely. I was very hesitant of adoption and had rough time to consider what to do - and then I met a tiny, thin and sick but super friendly little kitten. I'm not 100% sure of her background, but obviously she was not taken good care of. So we took her home, and all the three cats bonded almost immediately! Kitten (her name is Pikkukisu, aka Kisu) is so curios, confident and loving that Kassu (who's shy lapcat with bath social skills) was super protective with her. And then the funny part starts... Kisu is very energetic kitten, and she was terrorising older cats constantly. So I adopted two more kittens, so she has company to play with. And it's been best time ever, older cats are playing and having finally fun! Of course I've already payed several hundreds of vet visits and they're eating like there's no end, but I'm so so happy I decided adopt those three kittens.

 

[tiggerwillow]

Hi Ulalazawa,
I've had 2 cats on and off throughout my life. I've always enjoyed it. The first time I got a 2nd cat, my first cat was across the country in TX (had to move to Philly quickly for a job), and I was waiting for my mother to fly 2 year old kitty out to me, but was very lonely in my new town and couldn't wait for first kitty to arrive, so I went to the SPCA and got a kitten. This was in the late 1997, and the kitten from the SPCA came home with an upper raspatory infection. My cat from TX finally arrived and was fully vaccinated, but somehow still contracted the upper raspatory infection, and got very sick and died at age 2, after $4k in vet bills and syringe feeding/subcutaneous fluids for 3 months trying to save him. I believe there was something else wrong with this kitty that the vets never figured out. Then when SPCA kitty was 6 he had seemed very interested in our neighbors' cats for years, and never hissed at them, and when face to face with them, all he wanted to do was smell them and check them out. Someone dumped a box of kittens on a friends doorstep, and we brought one of those babies home for our 6 year old boy. It was a great success. When those 2 boys died, 2 years apart, I had really wished that I had not waited for both kitties to die, and promised myself that I would never go without 2 kitties for very long. I adopted 2 bonded senior kitties, and still am lucky enough to have one of these awesome boys. Remaining boy, Stevie is 10.5 and is the sweetest cat I've ever had (dog like - loves to be pet 24/7 and gazes into your eyes with "the look of love."). Stevie stopped eating & drinking when bro died and totally changed his behavior. He was extremely depressed. He has come around since then, amen! I tried to rescue an 8 year old cat in June after Stevie's bro died in April this year, but 24 hours after I brought him home I got an email disclosure stating that rescued kitty has FIV and I personally don't trust cats who do not know each other to not bite each hard (how FIV is contracted), so I had to return rescue kitty due to rescue facility's negligence in notifying me of his life and death, contagious disease. Then I purchased a retired Ragdoll breeding queen, 2.5 weeks ago and it has been a rough start. I'm sure that things will work out in the end but the new 3.5 year old, female (Kittybear), recently neutered kitty, is scared of everything. This is the first adult cat to adult cat introduction that I've done in my 50 years of life, vs. cat to kitten, and it is proving to be much more difficult. Jackson Galaxy always says most cats need another cat. Also, I LOVE this video on YouTube because it is a detailed description of a Facebook survey that the host ran on THIS VERY TOPIC. I watched it repeatedly before getting my newest addition, to confirm that I was doing the right thing getting 2nd kitty again. Check it out here: Best wishes to you!

I got a question about the whole "cats need another cat" thing

My Willow, as I have said previously, attacks other cats (apart from Tigger)

When Tigger's no longer here, would Willow actually need to have a new friend brought home, considering she will attack other cats? She isn't quite as territorial as she was when I first brought her home, but she hasn't mellowed out by much.

 

[Kieka]

My last one was dumped on my doorstep. If I was going out on a limb I'd say half the time, the cat just showed up and the other half I was looking for one.

To the cats need company, I know a few cats that are perfectly happy as single cats and others would prefer company. Kittens usually do better in groups but adults it depends on the cat and how often the humans are around.

 

[35 year catdad]

Well....first it was this 4 week old Calico avatar that was in a bad situation 5 yrs ago.
She was the most adorable kitten I ever met and it was love at first site.I needed NO MORE CATS! well y'all know how that goes....

Next was one was an 8 month old kitten boy of the mostly very wild 21 ferals I relocated after neuter etc
Hes just so loveable and was fake nursing two young kittens from the colony.

My grouchy 15 yr old widower tried his best to hate "Striper" but striper just kept doling out love and now Martin loves to lay with him and clean his head! This took 8 months.
I guess its a lesson in patience and love winning out over hatred.
This spoiled Calico would prefer to be the only cat but she does her best to accept those non humans......yep she thinks shes a human!

 

[Eca]

I have 4 cats right now. I started off with Sachi, a male white-orange tabby. He's my very first furry family member. I rescued him in 2018 from the gutters when he's only a tiny kitten about 2-3 months old. It's my Dad who found him crying in the gutters and quickly took him out. The poor kitty was caked with black mud and the smell was awful. I struggled quite a lot during the first couple of weeks because he's emaciated, not eating, and having a bad diarrhea. My inexperience didn't help either. Thankfully, I learned so much from this forum. Geared with the advices, learning the much needed syringe feeding skill, plus going back and forth to the vet, he survived and now is a gorgeous, lovely boy.

I never thought of getting another cat after him because he's content by himself. He's also easily scared by loud noises. But in 2020, during the pandemic, there's this very skinny female orange tabby cat begging for food when I was watering my plants outside. I can never ever refuse a cat begging for food from hunger so I gave her plenty of food and clean water to drink. She's so hungry that when I took her bowl away to wash and refill, she'd scream and paw at my legs begging for me not to take the bowl away. She's also quite sick from URI. Her nose was crusted with dried snot and her eyes watery and also crusted with gunk. My neighbors told me to abandon her because she might carry COVID. Those were the times when the pandemic was still very early and everybody's unsure about whether cats and dogs can get one as well. I provided a makeshift cat house from cardboard box and that's where she stayed for three days. Most of the vet clinic were closed due to the pandemic and we're asked not to leave the house by the government unless for essential workers, so I didn't really have a choice to take her to vet at that time. She's eating like a champ and in about a week, she gained some weight and somehow her URI was getting slightly better. Then I realized that she's actually pregnant! About two weeks later, she gave birth to two kittens; one female tortie and one male orange tabby. A few months later, the pandemic situation got better and I took the three of them to the vet. After vaccinations and the mom cat's URI cleared up, I introduced all of them indoors. I named the mom Kiku, the daughter Jiji, and the son Mikan. As you can see, I don't actually think about having a cat at all, but things just sort of happened . Although having four cats at home is no easy feat, costs me a lot of money, mentally and physically draining when they're unwell, I love all of them to bits and I don't regret rescuing them .


The happy family: Jiji, Kiku, and Mikan.


My handsome boy, Sachi.

 

[DebfromPhilly]

I got a question about the whole "cats need another cat" thing

My Willow, as I have said previously, attacks other cats (apart from Tigger)

When Tigger's no longer here, would Willow actually need to have a new friend brought home, considering she will attack other cats? She isn't quite as territorial as she was when I first brought her home, but she hasn't mellowed out by much.

No. If I thought I had one of those cats that really didn't want to be around other cats, I would not get another cat. Too risky of having a huge problem for years, in your home.

 

[Faebee]

Technically I only own one but my roomie and I are super close so we say we have two. Her cat, Oatmeal, she adopted because she worked in a place with kittens and she adopted my roommate. Got a text saying “Hey I’m bringing a kitten home” and thus the queen of the house came home. I grew up with cats, but never adopted again after my 13 yo cat was given away when I was away at college even though I was working on bringing her up with my school. For the last few years, we’ve been talking about adopting another and then I saw a beautiful black cat on the rescue adoption insta Oatmeal was adopted from.

I forced my roomie to wake up early and go see this cat with me and start the adoption process. I had told myself I would not adopt 1). A girl since we had a girl and 2). Anyone younger than 5 months.

When we were looking at the other kittens while waiting for him to arrive to the event however, there was this tiny 9week old gray kitten in a pen with a sibling pod of older kittens who was left out of the cuddle pile.

She looked so sad, but I told myself not to hold her so I don’t get attached. They told me she had two other siblings, but her siblings had long been adopted and the one cat she had bonded with too was adopted out with their own sibling so she was alone. I even have a picture of her from the day.

Needless to say I held her and got attached lol. We thought she was a boy at first and there was a bunch of confusion about her gender until recently.

She is my best friend and lovely velvet and rust colored girl who I adore. Has a bit of a attitude but genuinely changed my life in the short time I’ve had her

And both girls together