when is it right?? (third kitty)

fwan

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I need some help on this, hubby is determined to get a third kitty, i am kinda hesitant because i spend wayy too much on T&K already and i feel that with a third kitty it will be a financial burden as we will have numerous of vet bills for the first few months, check ups, spays ect.
I honestly don't know how my two will react, i have such a close bond with kaylee and I don't want jealousy to be an issue.
If we were to get a cat i am leaning on getting a kitten as i assume it will be much easier to adapt.

i know some of you have added a third and then fourth kitty to the house hold but Gatto (teufel) will now be 5 and Kaylee is now 4 i am afraid they are already too old to get used to new animals in a house hold.

I need sincere advice!!

P.s the cats have adapted very well to australia and are absolutely loving it, it honestly looks like they have smiles on their faces, and love having a backyard to explore. They are very happy kitties!
 

rosiemac

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Their not too old really. Rosie was 5 years old, and if anything Jack brought out the kitten in her again


Rosie bonded with Jack on contact, but i heard Sophie growl and hiss for the first time when she saw him


Unlike Rosie, Sophie will only play or let him snuggle with her when it's on her terms, but i'm fine with that because i know people that have worse situations with fighting.

I think Sophie is jealous of Jack, so because of that i smother her more with attention because she won't mix with Rosie or Jack when they play.

If you think it will be a financial burden though i would really think about adding another cat?
 

fifi1puss

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Rocko was 9 yrs old when I got him. I think a kitten is too much work quite honestly. I had a rhythym to my house and when I met Rocko I knew he would be just fine. I am not sure how my two would have reacted to an obnoxious kitten who needed to be taught manners.


I think as long as you show attention and love to your other cats it should be fine. But getting a cat that is old enough to be neutered/spayed and given its shots by the shelter is one way to cut way down on costs in the beginning. Than its about yearly prevention.
 

snake_lady

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Originally Posted by fwan

I need some help on this, hubby is determined to get a third kitty, i am kinda hesitant because i spend wayy too much on T&K already and i feel that with a third kitty it will be a financial burden as we will have numerous of vet bills for the first few months, check ups, spays ect.
I honestly don't know how my two will react, i have such a close bond with kaylee and I don't want jealousy to be an issue.
If we were to get a cat i am leaning on getting a kitten as i assume it will be much easier to adapt.
The bolded part, IMO, should be your answer right there.

If you could get another kitty without it being financially difficult, there are lots of ways to socialise in order to avoid jealousy and eventually I would hope that T&K would be fine


Personally, I'd lean towards adopting a kitty around a year old for the same reasons the above poster listed. (already speutered, shots, etc. and that would ease the cost of the first year vet visits......and you'd be helping the shelters
but it still begs the question, what would happen if your cat gets sick..... )

Its alot to think about, and if you can do it financially, I would think your kitties would adjust
 

threecatowner

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Well... fate always seems to make that decision for us. We'll be going along with two contented kitties, and a third will somehow show up. A few years later I'll lose one (may they R.I.P.) and another will turn up. My husband - not a real cat person - somehow puts up with this.

It definitely changes the dynamics of the feline household, though. We've been lucky every time except this last time. Mickey and Dusty still do not care for Scaredy (feral brought in last October). It's kinda three's a crowd. But I wouldn't trade any of them.

I haven't been any help - sorry. Good luck and many to you, though!
 

rapunzel47

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To my mind, the real issue is the financial one. If it's going to be a financial burden, I wouldn't do it. Otherwise, age shouldn't be a problem.

My RB Shasta was an only kitty for 14 years, when Gryphon and Nibs came to us (6 YO males). She didn't approve instantly, but there was never any problem amongst the cats and she got over the affront to her monopoly pretty soon.

Later, after she and Gryphon were gone and Nibs (very needy boy, by now 13 himself) was on his own, we brought in Suzy and Sam, 7 week old kittens. Once he got over the shock (a couple of days), he rapidly became Grampy-cat.

Sooz was a little over 2, when Cindy and Fawn joined us (5 months old) and that was OK, too, but never as good as either of the other intros.

So, I'm not convinced that age would be an issue, except if the resident were quite advanced in years. I wouldn't bring that kind of stress on a cat in her upper teens, but Shasta and Nibs each did fine.
 
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fwan

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i only feel its a financial burden because we just bought so much furniture and i feel we don't have enough savings to be spending more stuff, we are going on a holiday in September, and then its nearly Christmas time.

Hubby is promising me that we do have enough money, maybe it is just me worrying too much.

to me the only reason he wants to get a kitten is because he believes it will love him, because he is extremely jealous of how Kaylee is so attached to me.
i have suggested getting an older cat, but he doesn't want to hear any of it.

We shall see what fate brings us!
 

rapunzel47

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Well, kitten's not a bad idea. They're work, but you know that -- you've been there -- and I have to say of our three intros, the one with kittens was the easiest. The thing there is that the little ones come in with no expectations about their place on the totem pole, and the resident(s) get to call the shots. Anyway, if it's a financial 'go', then I wouldn't worry about doing it on any other basis.
 

missymotus

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I would go with a kitten, easier to integrate.

If you adopt from a shelter it will come already chipped, vaccinated and desexed so you won't have those extra costs. Most shelters only charge around $120, far cheaper than getting everything done at the vets.
 
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fwan

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Originally Posted by missymotus

I would go with a kitten, easier to integrate.

If you adopt from a shelter it will come already chipped, vaccinated and desexed so you won't have those extra costs. Most shelters only charge around $120, far cheaper than getting everything done at the vets.
even in melb??
 

fifi1puss

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Awwww I was just looking at the site and the cat of the week at burwood east. What a sweetie and they say she's a cuddler!
Only 18months...still a kitten right?
 
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