Gave a tabby a Forever Home

I now have a kitten, she's classic tabby, 6 months old and I named her Penny (her old name was Baby). She was a day away from being shipped off to an animal shelter.

She has a very pretty face and large, light orange eyes. She's so well behaved and so loveable. Her favorites are:

Toy = a beanie baby cat which she carries in her mouth
Nap time = 5 P.M. and sometimes 1 P.M.
Nap spot = my expensive bedspread

I'm so glad I said yes when her former guardian asked me if I wanted a cat. That was back in June 2003 - Penny has been my friend since

Welcome to you and Penny!
An expensive bedspread for a classy kitty!

I'd like to get her a friend ...but I have questions.

Considering she's been the queen of the house since only the summer (that's not a long time) when should I introduce a second cat?

And what type of cat should I get? For example, a young female kitten? Young male kitten? Older shelter cat?

Congratulations on rescuing Penny! She sounds like a wonderful kitty.

Since your second post is more of a Behavioral Question, I'll move this there where our experts can give you pointers on introducing a friend for Miss Penny.

Congratulations on your baby! Concerning the addition, I think that introductions are easier when they are young. If she is 6 months old, now is a great time for a companion cat.

As far as what to get? Every cat is different. If you can get one that has lived with other cats they should be less threatened by another one. It also depends on how much work you want to put in for introductions. The odds are that an older, shelter cat could (and I say could, not will) be more difficult, but they are also the ones most likely to be put down since they are the hardest to adopt. Another kitten Penny's age would be a great playmate, either male or female. A kitten that is too young could be overwhelmed by Penny's size when she wants to play. Of course you could split the difference and find a one year old shelter cat (they are still hard to place but young enough to transition easily).

Good luck and let us know what you find!

Thank you for the suggestions - They're very helpful. In the same fashion Penny entered my life, I'm sure serendipity will factor in with the arrival of her feline friend, whomever kitty that will be.

To everyone else, keep the suggestions coming! I really appreciate them.

Welcome! Congrats on your new kitty, and glad you've got yourself a buddy.

There's no hard and fast rules on when you should introduce a new kitty. I adopted Pixie a year after I adopted my other three, and they all get along wonderfully. On the other hand, I've heard of cats that just never got along. It's important to think about your cat's personality, and find another cat that will have a compatible personality. Then follow all the tips on introducing cats.

My boys took to Pixie very quickly, but Kayla, my girl, was very upset for a week, hissing and growling, but now they sleep together. If you want more details, just PM me.

When you do decided to adopt a new kitty, please make sure you follow the instructions on how to successfully introduce a new cat to a resident cat. You can find those instructions if you click here.

This may or may not be helpful, since I have way more cats then you, which means you would have more time to work with a new kitty. We always get kittens, two at a time so as they have someone to feel safe with while the others get used to them. Although we did adopt a 2 1/2 year old male from a shelter, it did take him longer to get used to everyone, he only has a problem with the younger male Neko, for some reason he doesn't want Neko to look at him. Other then that he is doing great now. So really it depends on the cat and their personality. I have a 14 year old female who has always despised any other cat on earth, until we got one little girl named Doku and now the 14 year old loves her. So there is always hope, it just takes time! I know you will find the right cat for you, sometimes you just know that the kittie is right for you! Good luck! Keep us updated and show us pictures!!!

I know every situation is different and every cat has a different personality but it seems to me, and I know someone already mentioned this, but 6 months DOES seem to be the perfect time to get another kitty. We got both of our cats, who are almost 10 months now, from the local shelter. We got the first this past summer when he was at 8 weeks and decided at 6 months he needed a playmate. We got another 6 month old kitty (both are neutered males) and for them, it was an immediate perfect match. They bonded immediately. Obviously I know that it won't be that ideal for everyone and one definitely should take it slower than we did (we just didn't have a need to because they both wantd to see each other) but it seems if you could get one close to the same age and while they are still young that would be the easiest. At 6 months they are still such playful kittens. I did make sure that the newest kitty was used to other cats and I got as much background information information as I could to make sure he would fit in our household, especially because we have a dog too....we were very, very lucky. But I would encourage you to get another playmate....definitely double the fun. We love having two kitties.