Would a 2yo cat too much of an addition to a 7mo cat??

[Attica1962]

Well, I think this will need a little bit of introduction. At home I have a 7mo cat which I adopted when he was about 8-10 days old. He suddenly appeared at the tackroom of our barn, some boys sweared he had just fallen from the ceiling. His mother was nowhere to be seen, and certainly not one of our barn cats, who are all neutered. That afternoon, another kitten fell from the ceiling, the feral mother was trying to hide them from people changing places constantly, but these two were left behind, or found before she could move them. This is the cat in my avatar. He's been neutered, and he's so spirited, and so individualist as one would expect of a young spoiled kitten.

There's another barn cat, about 2 years old. Since my kitten was too exquisite to eat some of the food I bought for him, I started to give this food to the barn cats. But this cat is different. He follows me, purring and rubbing against my legs, and most surprisingly, even after I fed him. There are three more cats, all very interested in what I feed them, but they won't notice me afterwards. This cat simply loves being in my tack room, and surprisingly, he follows my directions about when he can stay and when he can't.

I've thought about taking him home. Well, first I'd have to convince my husband, but I don't think that would be the major problem. It seems to me that the right approach would always be to introduce a younger cat, not an older one.

What do you think?

 

[susanm9006]

Your resident cat is still a kitten and they adopt quickly to another cat in the household so it really depends on your former barn cat. They have the experience of living with other cats so they would probably be fine with your kitten. The unknown is how they would adjust to being an indoor cat.

 

[Kwik]

As mentioned above the only difficulty I expect is the outdoor to indoor transition which is not anything that requires much more than love and patience to allow the 2yr old to gradually familiarize himself with indoor living.....I don't know if you've had experience with transitioning a feral or stray to indoor life but we'd be more than happy to guide you along through the process....

I think it's wonderful he's chosen YOU and you are willing to open your heart and home to this sweet 2yr old- I believe any cats properly introduced can co-habitate peacefully...... I foresee a perfect companion for your lil 7 month old!(Names?)

I just recently transitioned a 7yr old true FERAL to my house of 4 adults ranging from age 2 to 6...... it is 6 months later and I now have a 5 cat FAMILY..... It'll be just fine!

 

[Attica1962]

This weekend I got bad news. Some of the other users at the barn told me that Hugo (that's the name of the barn cat) is very affectionate (and has a stunning coat) and that some people has already tried to take him home in the past. But that it was really difficult for them, he doesn't adapt to be indoors and tries to escape all the time, so they had to take him back to the barn.

Maybe I should reconsider my idea?

 

[susanm9006]

This weekend I got bad news. Some of the other users at the barn told me that Hugo (that's the name of the barn cat) is very affectionate (and has a stunning coat) and that some people has already tried to take him home in the past. But that it was really difficult for them, he doesn't adapt to be indoors and tries to escape all the time, so they had to take him back to the barn.

Maybe I should reconsider my idea?

If the info is coming from a source you think is reliable, then yes, I would reconsider. He seems happy where he is, is getting enough attention from visitors and is safe and warm. It may not be the life we would want for a cat but apparently it is what he wants. Your kitten it still young though and would benefit from a companion - I would consider adopting, either a kitten or a young cat from a shelter.

 

[Kwik]

This weekend I got bad news. Some of the other users at the barn told me that Hugo (that's the name of the barn cat) is very affectionate (and has a stunning coat) and that some people has already tried to take him home in the past. But that it was really difficult for them, he doesn't adapt to be indoors and tries to escape all the time, so they had to take him back to the barn.

Maybe I should reconsider my idea?

The task is not for the faint of heart... In all my 4 decades I have never met a cat thst cannot be transitioned from outdoor existence to indoor life..... no matter age,temperament or any other factor BUT know many who were not up for the task at hand

It doesn't matter that anyone else gave up -that does make it a " little" more challenging because Hugo knows if he slams into windows or claws at the door he'll get out,someone will oblige him

Proper transitioning begins with containment and is not something that happens quickly with most ferals- minimum 30 days containment and it can be a very difficult time thst requires alot of patience and sticking to your guns....There's alot for you to consider but the biggest thing to consider is thst if you decide to " go for it" then you must commit and not give up...... Hugo can be a housecat but are you ready to commit and prepare your home for his containment,separation ,release to one small room - with a kitty like Hugo your probably looking at around 90 days before any introductions

I'm not trying to encourage you to give Hugo a home nor am I trying to discourage you,I'm simply giving you information based on my experience - please keep in mind that is what I do,it's part of my profession- I would not recommend someone with no experience to take on such a responsibility

I've had many barn cats over the years,they had shelter ( they were completely SAFE) were always provided for with food ,water ,,medical attention,parasite control and lots of love.... is Hugo in harms way? If not then he's probably a content working cat... is there a reason you think he's not in a safe environment?

If your reason is for " a companion" for your 7 month old then I agree with Susanna72 100%

 

[Attica1962]

I finally decided not to bring Hugo home. My kitten is my first experience with cats, we had dogs in the past, and when I was a little girl we had working cats at home, because we lived in the outskirts of town and their duty was to keep rats and mice at bay. So far with Robin (my kitten, soon will be 8 months old) it hasn't been complicated, but after reading your advice I feel that I don't have the knowledge, patience and time to try and adopt a 2 yo outdoor cat.

Here are some pictures of him, he's adorable, but yes, he lives a good life at the barn.

 

[Attica1962]

By the way, anyone knows if Hugo's coat has a specific name, or is it jus an European cat?

 

[Kwik]

By the way, anyone knows if Hugo's coat has a specific name, or is it jus an European cat?

Silver marble- some pictures look less " silver" but may be the lighting,hard to tell .... I have a silver marble coated Bengal & in many photos his silver has a yellow hue but not IRL

I think you've made a good decision for yourself and for Robin-Ive seen tons of very experienced folk lose heart and not be able to successfully transition an outdoor kitty to indoor life and thsts a big part of the reason they will say" Nope,can't be done"..... well,they are wrong about that but certainly all things are not for all people .... it's not something anyone should " try"- it's a different mindset to begin with- do you know what I mean?

You have an adorable little kitty,let your FIRST experience be the wonderful experience that it is,if you do decide to adopt another little kitty then do your due diligence in finding the "right" kitty for you and Robin-I believe you'll know him or her when you meet- they sort of choose YOU,lol

And getting back to your original question though it was about Hugo you did ask if an " older" cat would be " too much" to introduce to a baby- No,not at all so you don't have to exclude any cats thst are up for adoption becsuse of their age-lots of older adults are fantastic with youngsters