Would A Kitten Be The Answer?

J. A. Vann

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I have 3 cats! We had a rescue & when he was 5 years old we got another rescues that was also 5 years old! They get along OK! No fighting & a little socializing, all seemed to be going well! Then We went to a cat show & fell in love, again, with this tiny Burmese’s kitten all by himself looking very sad! I had to have him! He was 10 weeks old when we got him & he just turned 2 on Christmas Eve 2018. The problem is this sweet little fellow wants a cat friend! He constantly tries to sleep with one of the older rescues! That lasts about a half hour,first, with a lot of licking that seems to be enjoyable to both! Apparently not! It always gets aggressive starting with the older cat & sometimes, cat swatting & occasionally wrapping their mouth around the little guys neck, Then ends up with a lot of hissing! The Burmese just seems to want a friend to cuddle & sleep with & he tries so often but keeps getting rejected! He does sleep in our bed taking turns sleeping on my husband then me, but the minute one of the older cats gets on the bed,he wants to cuddle & sleep with them! Then it ends up a scuffle in our bed in the middle of the night!
My husband & I kinda think he may have been taken away from his mother to early because the owner wanted to, more or less get rid of him, to breed again as soon as possible! When we bought the kitten we felt so sorry for him & felt as if we rescued him to! He is just the sweetest little guy but we feel he is lonely & wants a kitty friend! He usually ends up all by himself! He does act like he loves us but we think he would just prefer a kitty playmate!
My husband and I have been thinking about getting a kitten! One that is about 6 to 8 months old but under a year! Can any one give some thoughts on this situation & on adopting another kitten? Is this a good idea or could we end up the same way! I know anything is possible but we are not sure what to do! We want the “baby” to be happy & he just doesn’t seem like he is! We’ve had lots of cats over the past 43 years and only once did we have one, our first cat, that hated every cat we brought home her whole life! That one never got along with any of the others at all & was mean & nasty to them, but they were able to live in the same house as long as they went to their neutral spaces!
Does any one think a new kitten would be a good or bad idea! My husband & I would appreciate any & all the help we can get!
Thank you all!!!
 

Willowy

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I think it might be a good idea in this case, if you get the right kitty.

Are the older cats male or female?
 
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J. A. Vann

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I think it might be a good idea in this case, if you get the right kitty.

Are the older cats male or female?
All three cats are male! Can that be a problem? We’ve always had both sexes but this is the first time for all males!
 

Willowy

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It kind of makes it easier! An older female probably wouldn't like a young female in her territory. But since they're all male, I think if you find a young outgoing friendly female, they should all tolerate her, and the Burmese should have a nice friend to play and snuggle with.
 

verna davies

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I would choose a young female too. If you are getting another rescue, ask lots of questions about her personality and choose one that likes company and is easy going. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
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J. A. Vann

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It kind of makes it easier! An older female probably wouldn't like a young female in her territory. But since they're all male, I think if you find a young outgoing friendly female, they should all tolerate her, and the Burmese should have a nice friend to play and snuggle with.
Thank you so much! I was thinking of a female too! Haven’t had a female since our last one passed away in 2015! We just had the one make when she passed & then rescued a cat that was abandoned by its owners when t hey moved! That one was a male then when I saw the little Burmese, it was a male also! We weren’t picking them for their sex..,just cats!!!! I remember the females that we had were very sweet only had the original female that was so nasty to everyone but my husband! I keep telling him he takes all my cats!!! For some reason they all go to him! Our son is the same way! Only it kinda makes his wife a little jealous!!! Thank you again!
 

di and bob

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The only problem with a female is that when they get older they don't want a thing to do with the males. They rule the house. Males tend to be buddies.
 

kittyluv387

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My younger male plays all the time with our older but energetic female. Since you have so many boys already I think it would be easier to introduce a female. A young and moderately playful female would be the best fit I think.
 

Willowy

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The only problem with a female is that when they get older they don't want a thing to do with the males. They rule the house. Males tend to be buddies.
Eh, depends on the female. I have one who's almost 2 and is still besties with her "big brother". I think they'll always be close (although cat relationships are complicated!). And with 3 males to boss around she should be pretty content, lol.
 
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J. A. Vann

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Eh, depends on the female. I have one who's almost 2 and is still besties with her "big brother". I think they'll always be close (although cat relationships are complicated!). And with 3 males to boss around she should be pretty content, lol.
Sounds great to me! The last female we had was very much in charge!!! Thank you for your reply!!
 

verna davies

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I had two females that didnt get on so I got a male and now they all love each other. I think having one of the opposite sex can often bring harmony.
 

duncanmac

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I had two females that didnt get on so I got a male and now they all love each other. I think having one of the opposite sex can often bring harmony.
I had a similar experience introducing a female kitten to two two-year-old boys. The boys got along but one cat would try to dominate and push away th other. Nothing bad, just a little jealousy really.

Adding a third cat and a very active and assertive kitten acted to break up the focus between the two boys and everything really settled down. If anyone has ever kept a couple of aggressive fish, adding the kitten was like adding "dither fish" to the tank - little active fish to distract the big aggressive guys.
 

kittyluv387

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I have an active boy and a lazy boy. Lazy boy would never be willing to play that much. He just wanted to sleep in peace. We added an active older girl and it's been good for the group dynamic. Active boy has someone to play with and lazy boy is a little more interested in things too because the girl gives him a spark of interest as well.
 

danteshuman

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I think a 4 month old kitten that is calm/cuddly would be ideal. That way he would be little enough to be less of a threat & respect the established dominance order. I would get a male kitten since female cats can be territorial.

Just make sure you match the personalities and get a kitten that likes other cats.

I think you should take your time and wait for the right kitten. Get to know whoever is caring for the kitten and learn what the kitten is used to (a kitten raised with no adult cats around may not be ideal.) You will know when you see 'the one.'

*I adopted any old kitten as a playmate for my resident cat. For almost 13 years my resident cat just tolerated my bud. It was the gift he wanted to give back! My resident cat was a calm confident cat. My bud my a hyper bullying attention hogging pain. Now I love my bud..... but getting him did not bring joy to my resident cat!
 
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