would you get another cat?

[Hanabana]

we had 2 cats both sisters and 3 years old we have had them since kittens and as we have no real children they are like our world. sadly one of died on 30th August (we think she was knocked down by a car although she had no broken bones etc but thats another story) the other cat we currently have is fairly small and would only go outside a lot if her "bigger" sister went to protect her. since the accident she has been very homely which is great for us but i think maybe she is lonely and am now contemplating get another cat, i guess it would have to be a kitten so our current moggie can be dominent but i don't want her to run away or get funny if we do introduce another cat. any suggestions or thoughts please:smile:

[iGnome]

This is a stroy about 2 cats I used to own. They went to stay at my mums and dads when I was overseas for a year and my mum and dad wanted to keep them. They had lost both their cats at the grand age of 21 years old so I let them keep them.

But this is how it all started:

I got a kitten that was rejected after 5 weeks. Mum wanted to go out, not look after kids, so all the kittens were left to fend for themselves. SO I took one in. She seemed lonely. I remember, I got her when I was on holidays and the first day I went back to work I came home and she had been sick. She was very clingy and nervous...I guess from her bad start to life.

Anyway, I decided she needed a playmate and so got another kitten a few months after I got the first one. I think the age difference is about 3 months.

Well, it was very traumatic. The first cat, she was not impressed, there was alot of fighting and hissing ect and I was in tears as I thought I had done the right think. SO pretty much, I decided the second kitten would have to be rehomed and made moves to do it and felt bad.

But then I decided not to and kept them both and whilst they never played together much they did tolerate eachother.

Then, before I left to go overseas, the second cat got hit by a car, minor injuries but had an awful habit of playing on the main road and the main road outside my house is 6 lanes :brainache:

So, I took her to mum and dads place, they live in a cul-d-sac. Then, a few months later, I took the first cat down and it was complete role reversal. The second cat was now the dominant one and the first was less dominant.

A year on and they tolerate each other but don't sit in eachothers favourite spots.

And a year on from that, much the same but are happy, but honestly, in my heart, if one was to go, I doubt the other one would give a toss. They still don't play together or even sit together, they tolerate eachother, it's very obvious.

I don't regret doing it, both have their own completely opposite personalities and give my parents much joy.

However, this time when I got a new kitten, I didn't get a scond one as company because I honestly found it too traumatic as did the cats.

I think it's different if they come from the same litter, or like my parents cats that died one was the mum, and the other was a kitten from the litter. They got on really well.

[wotsit]

I'm not having any more cats! :no:

PROS: They're soft to stroke.

CONS: They make muddy footprints on your worktops and table.
They get in your bed and make it hairy.
They pinch food from the worktops.
They put their snotty noses on the windows.
They crap in your flower beds.
They claw on your lap.
They claw your curtains.
They stick their arses in your face.
They knock your flower vases over.
They bring dead things into the house.
They then eat them and leave the gall bladder on the floor
They only want to know you when it's dinner time

......as you've probably guessed - I've gone right off cats! :twisted:

[Soreya]

I'm not having any more cats! :no:

PROS: They're soft to stroke.

CONS: They make muddy footprints on your worktops and table.
They get in your bed and make it hairy.
They pinch food from the worktops.
They put their snotty noses on the windows.
They crap in your flower beds.
They claw on your lap.
They claw your curtains.
They stick their arses in your face.
They knock your flower vases over.
They bring dead things into the house.
They then eat them and leave the gall bladder on the floor
They only want to know you when it's dinner time

......as you've probably guessed - I've gone right off cats! :twisted:

:lol: :lol:



I think it depends on the personnality of your cat.Some enjoy having a playmate, others prefer their own compagny.I remember having a very snobbish cat who gave birth to a baby she rejected straight away.She would totally ignore her and the rest of us really, except for dinner time when she would only eat expensive cats food or when she wanted an hour cession stroke.The baby became friend with the dog and the chicken, the three of them eating from the same bowl, playing together while the mother cat would just look down of them and kept herself to herself, awating for her posh meal.
She didn't want to socialise at all and was clearly annoyed she had to share the house with other pets while the other, even as an adult would jump at every occasion!

[skye]

My story is the opposite to iGnome's. A few years ago we had a stray adult cat who I think may have been abused wander into our lives and refuse to leave. So we got him food and shots and called him Stitch :grin: The poor little guy was scared of his shadow and of anything that moved too fast including us and small surrying insects :loco: The neigbourhood cats used to bully him terribly and we often had to save him, he was once CRAPPED on in a fight (well we think he was crapped on, could be he crapped himself in fear). We bathed hima nd eh didn't even put up a fight.

One day my DH showed up with a christmas gift for me - a brand new little kitten. My first thought was uh-oh, Stitch is going to die of fright. And he didn't look happy. He hid behind a pillar for the first couple of days and looked miserable and hissed a lot. But she was amazing, she'd follow him around and judge just the right distance that he allowed her to sit before he'd freak out. Gradually he let her get closer and closer and eventually he started trusting her and even getting protective of her! The bigger neighbourhood cats would try attacking her outside and he would sprint out to the rescue!! Needless to say she was besotted :grin:

Today he is a different cat. His confidence has gone through the roof and is a psychologically sound little furry guy. They spend all their time together, he is the boss and she is allowed to lick his ears in the evenings. He will swat her if she gets overly confident but the rest of the time allows her to quietly adore him. I couldn't imagine either of them without the other now..

If something ever happened to one of them (omg the thought :cry: ), I would give it a little time then introduce a new carefully selected friend.

[bubbasweet]

You can never tell how two cats are going to get on with each other. You do get the odd one who will be friends with anyone, but cats mostly are a bit indifferent with each other if they're from different litters, and will tolerate each other for the sake of having a house, food and some fuss time.

[iGnome]

Was talking to mum today about this. Conversation started because when I went into the garden, the headstones of their two cats were on the wrong graves :no: One of the grandkids had pulled the headstones out and I think dad put them back on the wrong graves.

Anyway, mum was saying how cat no. 1 in above story (Nitro) now lets cat no. 2 (scrappy) lick her a bit but gives her a slap when she's had enough. So, seems like they are slowly getting friendlier as they get older. I'd say they would be about 4 years old now.

But neither Nitro or Scrappy will eat from eachothers food bowls. It's an unwritten rule, even though the bowls are next to eachother. Maybe they respect and tolerate eachother but certainly don't sit closely together or play together but are fairly close by eachother at times.

Both were pointing the paw at eachother though when I found 3 dead bird carcasses in my parents garden and was telling them off...and mum got a telling off to because when I had those cats, they would never catch birds, I'd trained them to look but not touch after a few mishaps of course, but they seem to be lacking some discipline in that area.

[Pippin]

This happened to us too. After a while we got a kitten and our other cat was abit frightened of him fo some time. They seem to get on well now but not in the same way as she did with her brother. It did take a while for our female cat to settle down after getting the kitten though. But after a while she accepted him. She cleans him but she doesn't play with him at all. All cats react differently though.

But I'm pleased we did get the new cat tbh. We got him from the cats protection league last year. It was nice to be able to offer a homeless cat a home.

[Hanabana]

Thanks for your replies, i am hoping we will get one i was just scared that our current older cat might be upset so much she might run away or really bully the kitten but personally i think her personality has changed since the other one died that she does need some company. just need to pursuade dh!

[iGnome]

some of the cat websites, you'll have to googgle, tell you how to intoduce a new kitten to the house.

[Micah]

No. Cats are solitary animals and it is a common myth that the "need company" (from my vet).

We had three kittens, all litter mates. neutered, together from birth etc. At a glance they got on famously, all slept in a heap, groomed, played etc. In reality it was all alot of bullying and fighting for dominance. They sprayed and marked furniture, all the usual territorial behaviour.

After exhausting all avenues on the advice of our vet we split them up, and they are all much happier in their new homes. The territorial behaviour (cross fingers) has stopped, and all three are much calmer and less manic.

Unless you have a very big house/garden where each cat can have a reasonable territory then you may be causing more problems.

[iGnome]

Unless you have a very big house/garden where each cat can have a reasonable territory then you may be causing more problems.

Maybe thats why the cats seem to be more tolerant at mums place instead of mine. They have 1/4 acre and scrappy is the boss of the outdoors and Nitro the boss of the indoors.

[Hanabana]

thanks again, i will definitely need to work out the best way of introducing a new kitty if the day ever comes, our house and garden is quite big so no problem there either

[Chickpea]

hmmm...

I'd love another cat, but the heartbreak over losing Buster has just been too much, I'm not sure I'd want to go through it all over again. Plus he had SUCH a personality, that if I got another one I'd be constantly comparing them to him - and wishing he'd come home

*sigh*

I miss him so much, just wish I knew where he was! :cry:

[Puddser]

I didn't realise he was still missing Chickpea. How long has he been gone this time? I know he likes to make a habit of it to keep you on your toes...

[Chickpea]

It's been 2 months now Juppie, y'know I'm almost convinced that he's hooked up with another family and is happy as larry, curled up on someone else's lap, just wish it was my lap :cry:

cpx