Have a Male cat, should I get MM/MF looking for a kitty??

Hi...I have a 3 year old male cat and after the passing of my other one almost 2 weeks ago, I am ready to get another playmate for him. I am wondering if you think it is best I get another male or a female?
If I got a female (would have her fixed ASAP) would there be anything going on? In the past I have grew up with female cats and they were always meow REALLY loud, pee, etc...... Since I moved on my own I have always had all males and no problems.....That is why I was leaning towards another male...But now I can get a cute female cat 4 months old who is up for adoption, so what should I do??? What has been yourt experiance with MM MF??

Thanks!

After they're spayed, female cats don't have much problem with marking or calling. Those behaviors all occur most when the cats are in heat--meaning that a spayed female won't be prone to them. So you can make your decision based just on preference.

If your male cat is not neutered (I'm assuming this because you're saying you'll get any female spayed ASAP), it should be done. You need to get your male neutered about a month before you introduce the two cats--he'll be less territorial and less likely to fight once his male hormones have calmed down. I really don't know how you've put up with an intact male in your house... if he hasn't been spraying so far, he's likely to start once you introduce a "rival" for him to stake his claim against.

If you want to hedge your bets, a male and female will get along better. In the "wild", tomcats' territories encompass several females' territories; but cats of the same gender generally don't share territories. However, getting a male cat, while requiring the same careful introductions you'd do with any cat, can still work. Your house can easily be subdivided into territories for two cats of the same gender. For example, one cat will stake out a favorite chair; the other gets the sunny spot beneath the window... One cat gets to sleep at the foot of your bed; the other one claims the dirty-clothes hamper... That sort of thing is pretty common in multi-cat households.

Remember that neutered cats aren't so territorial--they may become "siblings" and share space, which of course is your ultimate goal. The instinct to mark and hold territory has to do with a cat's sexual instincts; the tom is getting as big a territory (and as many queens) as possible, and the queen is making sure other females stay out so she can protect her kittens and have enough hunting space to feed them. When they're neutered--especially before their first heat, or sexual maturity for males--cats don't have those instincts nearly so strongly.

Quick replay:
It's your choice.
A female is slightly more likely to work out with your male.
But you should get both members of the pair fixed, whatever you do.

In my experience, M/M gets along better. But since the resident cat is a male and not a female, you might not have any problems bringing in a young spayed female.

Just use the normal cat introductions no matter what you get

The above poster does have a point - I'm assuming that the resident male was neutered - if not, get him done before you bring any cat home!

Hi..Me again!! Just for the record, my 3 year male cat I have is neutered. I have all my cats done, even though they are only indoor cats.....My childhood with females cats not fixed was bad enough!!! lol

Hope to hear lots more stories and advice. Thanks!

I think it depends more on the personality of the cats than sex. At home I have 3M 4F all get along great.

At my sisters, where I'm staying, she has 5M. They all get along just fine.

As GK45 said, make sure you follow the introdcution rules and you should be fine.

Originally Posted by Callista

If you want to hedge your bets, a male and female will get along better. In the "wild", tomcats' territories encompass several females' territories; but cats of the same gender generally don't share territories.

Click to expand...

I don't entirely agree. In the wild, males form their own colonies (called coalitions) to have strength to take over female colonies. Male coalitions can get quite large (8-10) when all the males are related, but they also form smaller coalitions (2-3) of unrelated males. This happens in lions and I've witnessed thie same behavior in my feral colony.

Since males in the wild tend to stick with their own sex, then I have to suggest that you get a second male. But since their ultimate goal is to take over female colonies, then you could get a female. My preference if you only have a small number of cats is to go with the same sex. They just seem to relate to each other better and I think its more natural for them.

And as a side note: I was talking to Jan Fennell, the Dog Listener, about the calming effects of "desexing" your pets. She chuckled and asked if I really thought that desexing a cat would remove instinctual drives. Yes, it calms them, but it doesn't eliminate many of their natural instincts. I will always side with a situation that is most natural to them.

Again, all have very good points. I my case I have gone M/F, F/M so that I have two of each.

I have had no trouble introducing the new cat if it was a female. She just kind of walked in and took over and the males just sta back and watched. I guess I have been very fortunate.

I have a similar issue going on with a 5 year old male. I had all female cats until our most recent. The female cat we had we Romeo first arrived hated him. Recently, went to the local animal shelter and was told by one person to get a female because it would get along better. A different day it was definitely a male. Several months ago, I was told 1-5 years old, didn't matter which sex.

We currently have a 15mo old neutered male and I have seriously been considering a playmate for him/us.   Through threads here,  and some specific suggestions, I plan on looking for another male in the 4-5mo old age range (neutered already or ASAP after adoption).   But specifically based on "younger" so my sweet alpha doesn't feel his territory is being threatened .. just annoyed by a kitten

Good luck with your choice!