We have one timid 5 year old cat and my husband wants to get two kittens!!

clairew

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Hi I'm seeking advice. As I've noted above our 5 year old cat is very timid and the only interaction he's had with other cats is ones that have come into our yard to challenge him. He's not a fighter he just runs inside. We want to get another very young rescue kitten for company eventually for him and for a pet for us. I've read all the things you need to do to try and gradually introduce them to each other. Nowh husbands decided he wants to get two siblings which would be great for the two of them but would they then not befriend my existing boy (which is originally our reason for getting another cat) and does that mean I woupd need two extra kitty litter trays, two extra cat poles, two more of everything or would they share ? Help!! Need lots of advice to help me decide !
 

molly92

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There are a lot of variables here, so it's hard to say exactly what the best choice would be. Some cats really love having a kitten to take care of and parent, but often kittens can be a lot for an older, quieter cat to handle. They usually adjust eventually and often become friends, but especially in the beginning adults will get annoyed with kittens who just want to play with them all the time and don't know any cat manners. So getting two kittens could be better for your cat than one if you want a kitten, because they would have each other to play with and would hopefully not annoy your 5 year old too much.

With enough patience and correct introductions, I think you can make any combo work, but I would probably opt for another adult cat who has a similar personality and energy level to your resident kitty, probably a female because there'd be less chance of instinctive territorial issues. You'd still have to do introductions slowly because they would both be nervous about it at first, but in the long run having two cats with similar energy levels leads to the most peaceful coexistence because one isn't as likely to want to play when the other one wants to sleep and things like that. You could talk to volunteers at local shelters to see if they have a cat who's personality would fit well with yours.

He could end up being one of those cats that totally loves kittens, though, and you just can't tell until you get one. If you want to, you could see if you could foster some kittens for a while through a shelter and if they were a hit, you could adopt them. If it didn't work you could just put them up for adoption. Young kittens get adopted really quickly! I do think kittens are happiest in pairs, but if your cat ended up being a playful companion and mentor it would probably be okay to get just the one. If he ended up liking them but still wanted his alone time sometimes, then two would probably work well for everyone.

Also whether you're ready for kittens is something to keep in mind! They are a lot work compared to an adult cat, and they are very good at getting constantly getting into trouble! You would need extra litter boxes if you got two because you always want them to have an open litter box available so they don't develop a habit of going elsewhere. Toys and scratchers and cat trees you can play by ear, depending on how extensive your current setup is and what their individual preferences are. They'll probably share mostly everything, but you'll be able to tell if there isn't enough of something to go around.

I do want to warn about letting him outside if that happens regularly. Other outdoor cats can be very dangerous, especially if they're trying to fight him over territory. Cats can do a lot of damage to each other, and they can also spread several diseases through wounds.
 
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