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Is it mean to get another cat?

post #1 of 4
8/1/09 at 11:36am
Thread Starter 
If you already have a cat, and the cat is comfortable as the ruler of his domain (), is it rude or mean to the resident cat to get another cat - kitten, even? or does it matter?

I've heard that cats can "adapt" but would an adult cat be happier on its own?
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post #2 of 4
8/1/09 at 11:49am
While most feline researchers say that cats are normally solitary, that isn't strictly true. Even in the wild, they'll live in colonies, depending on the availability of food.

And, of course, cats who live with people are technically living in a colony, too.

Now, some cats just don't like other cats. Some cats are cuddlers. It probably has a lot to do with their own kittenhood, whether they had siblings and got to stay with them past weaning, etc.

And almost every cat will fuss about a new cat being brought into the household, at least at first.
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post #3 of 4
8/1/09 at 11:57am
It all depends on the cat. If you can tell that he is extremely dominant and thinks he's the ruler of the house alone, then it may be a not-so-good idea. But you never know until you try really. As to getting a kitten- it all depends on the nature and age of your current resident cat. There are a lot of people that think that older cats don't do well with younger cats/kittens, but in my experience I've found that to be not true. For instance, I got my 3-4 month old kitten a 4 y/o opposite sex playmate (totally against the "norm") and it was love at first sight. I don't think it's in any way mean or rude, I mean it happens to wild cats all the time, other cats coming onto their territory. Sometimes it ends up bad, sometimes good. I think the most important thing when adding another feline into your home is knowing your current cat's personality very well, which will help you choose a new kitty.
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post #4 of 4
8/1/09 at 3:03pm
I think it's all relative to the cat. Some cats think they're fine by themselves until they get another cat in the house; then they realize what they're missing. Others are completely solitary and avoid the new cat.

Like people, some cats just don't like other cats being in their space. Some are social butterflies who love everyone. Again, all depends on the cat.

Is it MEAN to get another cat? I'm going to answer this in two ways:

First, it's not mean to the other cat to get a new cat. There may be jealousy, hissing, fights at first, but most cats can move past that. When you become a multi cat household, you have be able to commit extra time to the original cat to make sure they understand that, yes, at the end of the day, she'll always be your girl.

Secondly, when you make the decision to bring another cat into your home from a shelter or off the street, that's not mean. That's HEROIC. Congratulations; one less cat died today because of those actions.
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