Adopting another cat?

hey,

I want another cat but I'm not sure if Moonlight likes other cats. Moonlight has been the only cat his whole life but has lived with dogs, guinea pigs and rabbits. He seems very tolerant of other animals but he hated my old dog. (Well I don't blame him, Balto did try to eat him...) Would getting another cat be good or bad for him? And how can I find out for sure if he would accept another kitty?

-Jill

Well, I've got a few questions for you:
1) How old is Moonlight?
2) Is Moonlight very active?
3) Is Moonlight the type to get agitated easily?

Originally Posted by white cat lover

Well, I've got a few questions for you:
1) How old is Moonlight?
2) Is Moonlight very active?
3) Is Moonlight the type to get agitated easily?

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1. Moonlight will be 6 years on August 13.
2. Nope not at all. He is the most lazy kitty I've ever had.
3. No, he's pretty tolerant of people, at least.

Moonlight has never lived with another cat?

The place we got our cats from let us "test it out" we can either take our cat there to meet the hopeful kitten, or take the kitten you want home for a week and if it works out you can adopt it, if not he will go back up for adoption. If you can do that, you could see how good or bad of a reaction you get.

Manda

Moonlight has never lived with another cat.

And unfortanetley, the shelter I want to adopt from does not let your other pets meet a new member because it can be really stressful.

Well, it can work, but because of Moonlight's age....it will take longer for the adjustment period & you must be aware that they may never fully get along.

I suggest a young adult mellower kitty.

Originally Posted by white cat lover

Well, it can work, but because of Moonlight's age....it will take longer for the adjustment period & you must be aware that they may never fully get along.

I suggest a young adult mellower kitty.

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That's what I was thinking. I volunteer at my local shelter and I love all the kitties but there is this one Calico that I'm really in love with... she's a feral, but did have human interactions as a kitten. Her name is Joplin and she's 6. She's a big fat lazy girl! Her eyes are so sad though, and ofcourse everyone passes up the older cats... would a kitten be better though because they're still so young, they won't pick fights? And would you reccomend a male or female or does it not matter? Moonlight's a male.

That's what I was thinking. I volunteer at my local shelter and I love all the kitties but there is this one Calico that I'm really in love with... she's a feral, but did have human interactions as a kitten. Her name is Joplin and she's 6. She's a big fat lazy girl! Her eyes are so sad though, and ofcourse everyone passes up the older cats... would a kitten be better though because they're still so young, they won't pick fights? And would you reccomend a male or female or does it not matter? Moonlight's a male.

Edit: I'm just wondering if Moonlight would benefit from having another cat in the house, or if he would be more happy. I know he really really like the bunnies we used to have. He was so gentle with them and I can tell he misses them a lot. Would that mean you would like another animal friend? We're also thinking about adopting a dog... I know he didn't like our old dog, but Balto would chase him non stop. (he was a husky) Advice please!

I say do not look at sex, at all. It doesn't matter one lick. I've seen way too many adopters who have to have a certain sex & the kitty comes back because of the purr-sonality & it wasn't a good match.

Although Moonlight might adjust to a kitten better.....I still think a young adult would be your best choice. In my experience....a kitten simply proves very annoying down the road. Case in point? Twitch....she was the only kitty & 3 years old. I ended up keeping a kitten, Lily. Well, after 2 months, she finally got over her extreme hatred of Lily. Now, 2 years later, she hates Lily again. Lily's way too "kitten" & playful for her.

I say you evaluate Moonlight's personality....would an outgoing/active kitty be best? Perhaps a mellower kitty? I honestly think that a kitty who has lived with other kitties in the past(if you know history) would be a good thing as well.

Do you have a place you can set up for a proper introduction?
What will happen if Moonlight doesn't ever wholly accept the new kitty?
(I figure the more questions I ask, the more angles you look at. Not trying to talk you out of another kitty, I want you to be prepared for "worst case scenario".)

If you get a single kitten, particularly one that has just been separated from its littermates, they will most likely give Moonlight a good run for the money. If you want to adopt a kitten, get littermate pairs so that they play with each other and leave Moonlight out of it. But I also like the idea of a mellow adult cat. If the calico girl was a former feral, chances are that she is used to living with other cats and understands them enough to leave them alone if they don't want to be bothered.

(and btw, I'm always biased towards feral cats)

Originally Posted by white cat lover

I say you evaluate Moonlight's personality....would an outgoing/active kitty be best? Perhaps a mellower kitty?

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Moonlight is pretty outgoing and mellow. He is used to being the center of attention. So should i get a also mellow cat, that is non-demanding of attention? I think that describes Joplin. She doesn't push on her cage, but enjoys being petted if you come to her first.

I don;t know y but I really want you to get that calico girl or another bunny friend! If calico girl is just a big lazy girl that might be better then a kitten as some older cats won't know what to make of a kitten who always wants to play when they just want to be left alone.

I told my family, but they're somehow convinced Moonlight is happiest as an only pet. I don't think so. He likes having other furry friends around! I wish my family would understand.