Adopting a new kitten

Hi! I have a question for anyone who can help me. Until last month we had a 16 yr. old Lab who absolutely loved "her kitty". We had an older cat when Brandy came to us 16 years ago. She loved Fred and mourned with us when Fred died several years later. Then we obtained Baxter who had been abandoned in a parking lot near the fire station where my son worked. Baxter and our pup were best friends - until Baxter sadly died at the age of 7 due to cancer. That was in June of last year. In August we rescued Cody from the local shelter and Brandy (our pup) again fell in love. When Brandy died in January, we were all devastated - including our cat. We are now ready to rescue another cat. Cody has been neutered. Does it matter whether we get a boy or a girl? We will have the kitten spade/neutered as soon as we get him/her. I just wondered which I should look for. Thanks for the advice!

It really doesnt matter. How old is Cody? You might want to adopt a cat around his age though. We adopted two kittens, brother and sister last month and I have found my older cat Trouble is less tolerant when they go tearing through the house and up and down the cat trees. She would prefer if they didnt move at all period and only likes them when they're asleep.

Hi! Thanks for the quick response. Cody, as best we can determine, was born in mid-May. He's a long-hair calico and quite large for his age. He loves to run - in fact he just about knocked me down just a moment ago! He plays until he literally drops! After a brief nap (cat nap!) he's back at it again! I think he would love to another kitty to play with - I just didn't know if the sex made a difference. My son had a female for about 3 years and then got a male kitten. They seem to do fine together, but they are about 7 and 10 now.

HI! I agree with snsorap. Sex of the kitten doesn't matter, age range will. I tried introducing a 3 month old to a 3 yr old. The older cat used to chase the kitten out of her room cause the kitten was too energetic. It wasn't till the kitten calmed down that they really became friends.

Sandy

Thanks for the information - I'm excited about bringing a new kitten home! I'll be going to the shelter on Monday!

Misconception #6:
My Older cat needs a kitten to liven him up!

In general, adopting a kitten (1½ years or younger) as a companion for an older cat ( 5 years and older) is not a good idea. A youngster has boundless energy, wants to play and run constantly, and requires very high amounts interaction--all of which are likely to overwhelm and irritate an older cat in short order. Likewise, a kitten is apt to be frustrated that its companion does not have the same energy level as itself. At the very least, this can lead to two very unhappy cats. Worse case scenario, behavior problems such as litter ox avoidance or destructive scratching can occur as one or both cats act out their frustrations on their surrounds. Long-term, it is almost certain that the two will never have a close, bonded relationship, even after the kitten matures, since their experience with one another from the beginning of the relationship are likely to be negative. An older cat is better matched with someone of their own age who has similar temperament. Likewise, kittens as a rule need other young cats to play with in order to be happy. If you insist on adding a kitten to a household that already has an older cat, at least get two--this way they will entertain one another and the older cat can participate or not depending on its mood.

Since your cat is under 5...I think he will do fine with a kitten...Just introduce them slowly.

http://www.pawschicago.org/PetCare/catintroductions.htm

Katie

Cody is not but 8 months old, so he should be fine with a kitten. I will probably look for one that is about the same age...I'm sure there are plenty at the shelter.

Welcome and good luck in finding Cody a new friend!

Thanks! Your cats are beautiful!

Beverly

Here's Cody.

Welcome to the site! Cody is beautiful!! Since he is so young, a kitten should be a great friend for him. As far as sex goes, since he is fairly young I don't think it matters too much. For older cats (older resident, adopting older cat into household) I understand that in general opposite sexed cats are better because they don't seem as much of a threat to the resident's cat territory. But as young as Cody is, it shouldn't matter.

Thanks so much for the advice! Cody's a real blessing to our home. When our 16 yr. old Lab died in January, Cody had only been with her for 5 months...but he began acting like her. It's like he's trying so hard to make up for our loss. He runs to the door to meet us, he waits for us outside the bathroom door, he sleeps on the rug where Brandy always slept, and he even licks my face just like Brandy used to do! We feel like he really would benefit by having another kitty to play with. We are not going to commit to another dog. At this point in our lives we want to just relax and not have to train another dog. Brandy was the center of our world and we could never replace her with another dog anyway! We were blessed to have 16 years with a dog so large. Thanks for the welcome and the kind words. I look forward to many more conversations! Beverly

Hi and welcome - good luck with the new kittie

Welcome to TCS! Codys such a cutie!!!