SEcond Cat/Playmate...a good idea with limited space?

Sophie is now about 5 months old. She is, of course, extremely high-energy and spazzy...loves to run around the upstairs, torment the dogs through the safety gate, and generally drive me nuts. :P

I've been thinking really hard lately about getting a second cat as a playmate/friend for her. I have some unique challenges though, because of my current living arrangements, and I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons...and could use some unbiased opinions/advice. So as usual I'm turning to my favorite "experts"!

I'm currently unemployed (since March of this year), and living with my parents. I have a very old (13-year-old) yellow lab who sadly will likely not see the spring, and my parents have 2 younger, rambunctious (and HUGE) mixed-breeds...a sweet but "bossy" 100+-lb malamute/collie mix, and a somewhat-nervous 75-lb husky/Sheltie mix. My old lab doesn't even really notice Sophie's existence for the most part, but my parents' dogs are totally obsessed. The husky/sheltie mix has shown definite aggressive tendencies, so I don't allow her near the cat. The malamute/collie mix is a "mother hen" type and loves Sophie, but she does tend to chase her and nip at her tail when she runs (prey drive is high in the Arctic breeds).

So, rather than take chances with my tiny, delicate kitty, I've kept her confined to the second floor, and the dogs have the first floor. There is no actual door separating the two floors, but Sophie seems to sense that the dogs are a bit much for her, so she respects the gate boundary at the foot of the stairs - and the gate is sturdy enough that the dogs can't pass it (although they do sit at the bottom and peek at her when she's running around!). Since she actually loves

The point of all this long-winded explaining is that I want to get Sophie a "friend" while she's young and more likely to take to another cat, but at the same time, I'm unsure if I'd be doing both her and the possible "new arrival" a disservice by keeping two of them in a relatively small space. I've read up on the introduction methods, and a lot of them involve having a separate room to put the second cat in at first. This is the biggest problem - all I have is a large bedroom, a bathroom, and a hallway/landing (about the same size as the bathroom). I hate the idea of bringing a cat out of a shelter, only to confine it to a bathroom for any length of time if the two don't get along immediately.

I think having a playmate would really enrich Sophie's young life, and possibly give her a bit of a role model as well, since she was separated from her mother quite young. She's at a stage in her life where she wants lots of playtime, and even being home all the time, I can't keep up with her energy - I can't imagine how bored she'll be when I go back to work! She has also gotten exceptionally attached to me - if I confine her to the bedroom while doing housework, etc, she will sometimes sit and cry at the door for me until I come back to spend time with her. So a buddy that would be with her all the time might help to counteract that a bit. But at the same time, if she and her new "playmate" don't become fast friends, I'm concerned that with the space restrictions, they will just both be miserable.

So...what do you guys think? Is it a good idea to introduce a second cat to the mix? Do the possible benefits outweigh the possible risks? I won't be living here forever, and when I eventually move out to my own place, Sophie will be completely alone while I work if she doesn't have a buddy...but if I wait until I move out, and she's much older, I'd assume she might be more set in her ways and unlikely to take to another cat as strongly?

I've been agonizing over this for days...I would adopt a second cat from a shelter (preferably one her age or slightly older), and I can't even imagine "returning" a cat to a shelter if things didn't work out, so I don't want to make the wrong decision now, and be left with a horrible decision later.

So...help!?!

I think this is the key, and what I needed to hear. With all the other considerations, I didn't give this nearly enough thought.

I haven't been concerned about the financial aspects of another adoptee, simply because my unemployment has been more than sufficient so far, and my family is comprised of animal lovers/rescuers who are always overjoyed to welcome a new arrival. My mother, in particular, has been very enthusiastic about the possibility of getting another cat, because she enjoys Sophie immensely. But I don't think that she fully understands the problem created by having disobedient dogs - especially such big ones.

Sophie is strangely like a dog in many ways...surprisingly obedient for a cat. She comes when called without fail, and she respects boundaries like gates which would be easy for her to climb if she wanted to. She was 5 weeks old when she arrived in the house, and so has had her whole life to get used to the odd arrangement. A slightly older cat arriving on the scene won't have that conditioning.

As much as I fell in love with Sophie the first time I laid eyes on her, I made a promise to myself that no matter how attached I was to the tiny little fuzzball, I would find her a new, better home if I couldn't make the "cats and dogs" situation work. Luckily for me, it DID work out, but I can't justify bringing another animal into the house only to have to place it in a different home (and cause it more stress and unhappiness) because things are unsafe or there just isn't enough room.

I'm going to hold off for now. If it seems like I'm going to be stuck here for a long time and Sophie's really miserable while I'm at work all day, I might revisit the thought...but only if we can install some kind of actual door at the top or bottom of the steps (or preferably, I'll invest in some obedience training for Mom's dogs!).

Thanks everyone, and hope you all are enjoying a wonderful holiday with your families and fur-kids!