Another Cat?

I joined this forum for my wife Bon. I started to work a lot of overtime at work and she needed a companion, so she got a cat. She got the cat from "Pet Smart" He is a tabby and about 5yrs. old. We have had him for about 3 months now and my wife is already attached. The cat "JR." is already spoiled. He has gotten very close to the both of us although he was a stray at one time before ending up at Pet Smart and then to our home.

Now my wife thinks that everytime the cat meows, she knows what jr. is saying. She thinks he is lonely and needs another friend. My question is do cats need a buddy or will they do ok all by themselves. We have never let the cat go outside since we have brought him home. We are kind of leery about letting him out, since he was a stray before we got him and we are not sure how he got that way. He must of had someone who cared about him before us because he was declawed and neutered.

Will he survive alone or should we go out and get another? If we do get another cat should the personalities be different or the same? How should we introduce the new cat into our home?

First off if your cat is declawed do NOT let your cat outside. He is completely defenseless. No cat claws or not should be allowed to roam outside. Only on a leash or in a enclosed area are they safe outside. Too many things can happen to cats outside free roaming. predators, cars, mean people ect. As to anothercat most cats do enjoy the company of another cat. If you do a searh here you will find many good ideas to help you introduce a new cat to your resident cat.
Please don't let your cat outside though.

Hello, welcome to the site and congratulations on adopting your new friend I want to give some advice. Please, do not let your cat outside to run free. There are so many dangers out there; cars, wild animals and the most dangerous of all, other people. Your cat can be purrrrfectly happy living indoors, as long as you give him lots of attention and plenty of toys for him to play with. If he is left alone for long periods during the day while the both of you are at work, getting another cat will give him the companionmship he needs while you are away. Be aware, it can take time for you to introduce a new cat, especially if the new arrival is an adult. However, it is not impossible. Generally speaking, it is easier to introduce a kitten than it is an adult. However, should you decide to get another cat, if it is an adult, you can make things work out for them as well. It may just take longer. The best way to to get things going, is to put the new arrival in a room all by itself for a few days. You can put items of clothing or towels, that your present cat has slept on, in the room with the new arrival. This will get the new cat used to the scent. Since cats are very curious by nature, they will check each other out through the bottom of the door. If the new arrival slept on towels, clothing and so on, you can bring one of those items out of the room, for your current cat to smell. Now they will both be introduced to each others scent. After a couple days, you can introduce the new arrival, but make sure this situation is supervised should any fighting occurr. A spray bottle with water in it can be used, if the cats really go at it. It is normal for them to hiss and growl at each other. But if they get in a fur flying heated battle, you will need to seperate them. This is where the spray bottle comes in handy. I have never had to do this, even with the proper introduction of my exotics to our domestics. Be patient, take it slow and things should work out fine. Just a word of caution. After you let the new arrival out of the room, don't let them be home alone unsupervised, until you are sure they are getting along just fine. In most cases, this should only take a few days, but can take over a week or more for some of the more stubborn cats.

Yes, like gardenandecats said: do not let kitty outside. Your concerns about letting him out due to the fact he was a stary are good, but more importantly, a dewclawed kitty is meant for an indoor only kitty.

If your wife is attached to the cat, she may very well know exactly what he needs and wants. I would listen to her, but heed caution. Since he has been with you for three months, he is adjusted, or close to. An incoming kitty would need the same help adjusting as the first did. Seriously consider if you and your wife want another cat, and can afford another (physically, emotionally, monetarily). If it's a yes, then:

First, picking a buddy is a big deal. Since your cat is a male, I suggest a female. And probably one that is young. Females tend to be territorial, or can be very much so. To avoid clashing, it is often recommended the opposite sex is chosen for bringing in a buddy to a home with a cat already. This helps eliminate the "competition". A young female may not have developed extreme territorial tendencies. But, that doesn't mean a young female is best.

My biggest, biggest recommendation is to go to nonprofit organization, or a shelter that has volunteers. Talk to the volunteers if possible, and ask about the cat's personality. You may find a submissive female that is five years old, fall in love, and have no territory problems. Speaking to people who know the animal you are adopting is helpful.

When you do adopt another kitty (if you do), there is a method I find works well:

Visit with cat A and let cat A's scent get on you. The cat doesn't have to be rubbed all over you, a few pets it fine if that's all the cat is up for. Make cat A feel safe and calm, etc. The more you make cat A feel it is appreciated the better. Then, go visit with cat B. Let cat B smell A on you. Let cat B take as long as necessary to sniff. Once cat B seems to be over the smell, trying getting cat B's scent on you. It's like mixing the two, blurring the dividing line. Do this equally between cats (A and B should not be designated to either cat, they should rotate who is A and who is B.) Also, keeping the second kitty (the incoming one) in a small space, like a bathroom, until cats are comfortable with one another, is best.

Hopefully you won't have any problems! Good luck.