getting another cat?

i have one cat at the moment, and i've had him for just about one year. He seems lonely when im not home and when i do come home he's over joyed but when im too tired to play with him he looks depressed. should i get another cat so he wont be lonely? should i find a cat around the same age? if not what should i do?

hi Tomi,

your cat may need a little pal ... we've done some TNR and adoption work with cat colonies and some of these characters are very social and sociable, and really enjoy spending time with their mates. one of our two cats is like that ... he just loves to socialise with other cats. at our old house we fed and gave shelter to a tribe of ferals and our cat would always go out and just hang out with them at dinner time, play with and protect the kittens, etc.

our other cat is quite the opposite, but we notice that when we are away from home for a long while, even she seems glad she's not been all alone in the house, notwithstanding she maintains her grumpy attitude toward her housemate.

of late she's been super aggressive, but we hope it's just a phase.

you could try out fostering, see if your cat takes to having a houseguest.

I was in a similar situation as you. My Lucky was an only cat so about 6 mos after i got her I brought in rambo. He's a little younger then her, but after a careful introduction they got along great. It seems best to match cats up with those of a similar age, and some recommend the opposite sex. Like Tom said, you could try fostering from a rescue and if you do a search of the forum about introductions you'll find great tips on how to properly introduce them...and see from there. Good Luck