Hi from Texas :)

I came to this site looking for an active forum and I think I've found it! Wow, lots of cat stories here. Personally, I'm here looking for a bit of advice and maybe some encouragement.

About 11 years ago, we adopted a pair of 6 year old brothers from the local SPCA. A year and a half ago, one of our boys died, so we just have the remaining brother, now 17 years old. He's always been a "medically challenged" kitty, with lots of strange ailments over the years, ranging from skin conditions/bald patches, to developing diabetes when he was about 10 yrs old (now manged through his diet), to his current case of hyperthyroidism. We've gotten through all these issues and have managed to keep him relatively healthy over the years. But as he ages, we can see the changes. Not as much jumping, wobbly walking, sleeps about 20 hours out of the day, not grooming himself as much, etc.

So, last year, I saw a TV show on Animal Planet about Ragdoll cats and I've been REALLY wanting to get a couple of them ever since I saw the show. I love how they are supposed to be very social cats and they're so pretty too. There is a rescue group in Texas for Ragdoll cats and I am constantly checking out their available cats on Petfinder.com.

Originally I thought I'd just keep the status quo and not bring in any new cats until my old boy passes. But now I'm wondering if having a friend or two would bring some sort of purpose or reason for engaging in more activity to his life. Since he isn't really actively ill, he's just aging, I wondered whether it would be a good idea to bring in a couple of young females from the rescue group.

Would you bring in younger cats when you've got a 17 year old senior who has been the only cat for the past year and a half? I'm torn and would love to hear some opinions.

Thanks for listening.

Welcome to TCS from another Texan! You'll get lots of helpful advice, I'm sure.

Five years ago, I added a 7 mo old kitten to my house with an almost 10 year old cat. They eventually got along, but it took a good 2 YEARS for that to happen and we had to go through a couple of urinary tract infections with my older cat and some other health issues that were aggravated by the stress of a new kitty.

Eight or nine weeks ago, we added an approx. 10 week old kitten to our house. My oldest accepted him readily, but the younger one, my 5 year old, is still waiting for him to go back where he came from! They all get along well most of the time, but there are times when the older kitties are hissy and just don't want the young one around.

All this to say, you have to consider what kind of stress it will bring to your older cat and home and is it really worth it to upset the apple cart at this stage.

You've found the greatest forum out there!

I don't really see anything wrong with adopting more kitties, but if you do, I would certainly take the introductions nice and slow. Hope you enjoy your time here!

Hi there Fellow Texan! Well, I am a Brazilian living in Texas, but hey!
I got my three cats from a Purebred Ragdoll and Maine Coon Rescue here in Texas.......... wondering if it is the same? they are Wonderful! It is called Merlin's Hope - I hope it is! The last newsletter I got they had about 20 purebred raggies for adoption... Ragdolls are really wonderful cats, and very very friendly and laid back - nice addition to any home! They are not high energy cats, and will not bother your 17 yr old.
If you get a kitten though, you should get 2, so they play together - but those are the rescue rules anyways. I find that adopting a nice 1-2 year old is great, even a 3 year old too.

Good luck!

Yes! The rescue group I was looking at IS Merlin's Hope. They are relatively local, and so I keep an eye on the available cats through Petfinder.com on a weekly basis or so. I was thinking about 1-3 yr olds for possible adoption, definitely two and maybe even three if we "clicked" with the cats. Anyway, the biggest decision is whether to do it and change the lives of all of us or just wait however many more years until our boy is no longer with us. Tough decision.

What a wonderful coincidence! They are amazing! I hope all works out for you!!!

Hi welcome to TCS

and welcome to the board .
I have a almost 15 year old manx and in the last 3 months have added 2 kittens to the home,it took my old guy a few months when i brought them in,I fed and littered them in a different room for a few weeks and slowly brought everyone into the same box.The kittens got a few good smacks over this period but now everyone has there pecking order.My old guy is still the boss for right now tho and the kittens are now respecting this.
So thats my experience.We also wanted new life in the house and now we have it,i do not regret one minuts of it.Let us know what you decide on.

I should also say, MeLinda, the owner of the rescue, is AMAZING at matching kitties to your current cats' personality, so they work well together. I had long talks with her together and she matched mine like a glove - my three are a match made in heaven, via MeLinda's hands

Since she rescues and most of them live with her for long periods of time, she knows their personality very well... IMHO that on of is her biggest forte...

Yes, I think Cruiser puts it best... we ARE looking for some new life for the house. Since my old boy sleeps sooooo much these days, it's almost like we don't even have a cat living here due to his rare appearances around the house. And since I work from home, I sort of miss that companionship I used to have during the day. But I also don't want my needs to completely overshadow his needs as well. So I am really appreciating the opinions and stories from those who have had similar situations.

Carolina, thanks so much for the info about Merlin's Hope. If we DO decide to adopt another couple of cats, I will definitely be contacting them. In the meantime, I've been thoroughly enjoying your blog site!