Adopting another kitten into our family

krysnic

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Hi!

I have had my 3 1/2 month old kitten for about a month now and I absolutely adore her. We're pretty bonded and she looks to me to play with her all the time, which I love. I didn't adopt her, a friend of mine gave her to me since she was the last kitten in the litter that couldn't be adopted. Lately I have been considering getting her a friend so that she has a playmate for when I'm not around. Also, I want her to play with another kitten so she can learn how to play nicely, even though she's not really aggressive. I just would like to hear some adoption stories from other people who have added another kitten to their family. Is there a certain sex I should adopt? Are they likely to get along if they are both around the same age? Does the new kitten have to be seen by a vet before i bring it home to my current kitten or will they be healthy since they were being cared for at the shelter? I know that it's best to gradually introduce them, but I live in a studio apartment so I can't really separate them. Any advice would be much appreciated!
 

sydneyet

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They should get along fine! We had an old cat when we got a new cat (also adult). They hated each other at first, especially the older one. Since they're closer in age they should be able to get along better. They also might fall in love with each other :)
 
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krysnic

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Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I realize that at first they may not get along, but I think it's a good idea for her to have a friend because I feel so guilty leaving her alone even for just a few hours!
 

macha 143

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I adopted Macha, now she's more than one year old. Mia is 3 months and 2 weeks old, she arrived her for more than two weeks.  It took them few days to get along, they love each other completely, sleep together, play with each other and cuddle all the time. It's very easy introduction for my girls, they just clicked and it's wonderful seing them happy together.

They said two is better than one and it's very true for my girls situation. Macha she is a happy and a sweet girl but very demanding and she wants my attention all the time. Since Mia arrived everything changed. She's occupied with Mia and she's been amazingly proud to have a sister. Some stories not the same I guess it depends with the cat. 

Good luck :-)
 

donutte

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So, my thoughts :) As a note, I've never adopted from a shelter, as cats always seemed to find me. So, I didn't have the option of gender, age, etc. Whatever they were, that's what I had. But, I will be adopting from a shelter soon, so have analyzed quite a bit.

Since you have a female that is still a fairly young kitten, I don't think it will be very difficult regardless of gender. However, I think if it is an older adoptee, you may want to opt for female to help keep the peace more. I wouldn't say it's absolutely necessary though. If you are looking for a playmate for your baby, you definitely want to go younger rather than much older.

In my situation, I currently have two 13-year-old females and two 6-month-old male kittens. I lost my 16-year-old boy a couple weeks back, and the kittens absolutely adored him, and definitely miss him. They try to play with the girls, but they are loners and not interested in playing. So, I'm planning on adopting a younger adult female cat. There won't be any of that gender-induced territorial mess with her and the kittens. There may be some clashing with the other girls, but they are not fighters, they'll just hiss and walk away. The one I've been looking at is considered to be playful and enjoys company of other cats. 

Regarding your question about taking to the vet first... I guess it depends. If your adoptee is from a shelter and fully vetted (neutered/vaccinated/given a clean bill of health by their vet), and assuming your baby now is healthy, you may not need to. When I got my kittens in July, someone had found their mama and her litter of five babies at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The ladies there helped find homes for all the babies and the mama. I took the last two of the babies. And they definitely went to the vet before coming home. However, now, the kitty I'm looking at has a cold, and one of my 13-year-old girls is a little under the weather (infected tooth and abscessed anal gland). So, kinda nervous just bringing a kitty that just recovered from a cold straight into the house.
 
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krysnic

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Thanks for all the replies! I'm definitely going to adopt a kitten that's close to Spice's age and I see what you are saying about the gender thing. I plan on having them both altered so I suppose that may have an effect on their temperaments. The health of the kittens is one of my concerns with having another kitten because if one gets sick, so will the other. Also, I may not know which kitten is having medical problems such as vomiting etc unless I witness it. I think that spice will get along with another kitten, I just hope that while they're getting along so well they don't forget their mama [emoji]128523[/emoji]
 

macha 143

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No, they won't forget you, they will give you kisses and love once they're settled. Macha gives me kisses when she wants too and Mia slowly a lap kitty. Today she had her vet appointment and she had her vaccination and like nothing happens, she still playing and running around.

I wish you all the very best and please update us  soon :-)
 
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