Anybody ever introduce an older cat as the new/second cat?

[lissalouie]

Hi!

I've been posting here quite frequently lately and have found a great deal of information and knowledge in these forums. Thank you all!

I was wondering if anybody has had any experience with introducing an older cat to a younger resident cat? I know the conventional wisdom is to try to pick a younger cat for the new cat, but my very mellow 5-year-old cat Rory was very easily overwhelmed by a younger cat's energy last time I tried. In contrast, when he was the new cat, he immediately fell in love with my older cat, Lou. Lou was anywhere between 10-13 years old at the time and they were great friends until Lou passed three months ago today. Rory is an anxious cat by nature, having been through tremendous loss and upheaval during his life, but Lou's older energy seemed to give him a sense of security and comfort that he's very clearly lacking now.

Hence, when the time does come to adopt a new cat, we are considering one Rory's age or older. My local SPCA has many cats who are 8-10 years old and who need to be adopted into homes with other kitties, so I'm hopeful that we could find a good companion there. Rory is an extremely mellow cat, save the 2-3 times a day he wants to play, and even then it's not for very long, so I think his energy is better matched for an older friend. However, I've heard a few people insist that younger is better in terms of acceptance (on both cats' ends), so I was hoping for any stories anybody might have.

Rory is very cat-friendly and has always lived with other cats, even before I adopted him. I'm not concerned about him rejecting a cat after a proper introduction, but I'd love to hear your experiences.

(Photo is of Rory, the tuxie, with Lou, my soul cat. Excuse the messy end table--I was cleaning and had to put things wherever I could!)

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I haven't done anything like that, but from all that you describe, I think it is very likely to work out. I don't think it is always the case that a new cat has to be younger than the resident cat. And it is especially nice to give an older cat a chance at a new life. You can collect information about an older cat's background that might help you make a decision. Given all that you have said, I'd say 'go for it'!!

Of course, an older cat will need to go through the same process to get them used to your home and new family.
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home - TheCatSite
How To Successfully Introduce Cats [The Ultimate Guide] - TheCatSite

 

[Tobermory]

The closest I’ve come was adopting an approximately six-year-old stray when my cat at the time was eight. It worked out fine. Teddy had always been around other cats, and Mayflower, the stray, was a lovely, sweet, calm cat.

I think there are a couple of important elements to consider: the personalities of the cats involved and your willingness to have patience to work through the process of introducing them to one another. It sounds like you’ve really thought carefully about Rory’s personality and who might be the best fit. If the SPCA staff can give you a real sense of their older kitties and you work through the introduction process with patience, it will probably work out!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

From what you have said, this seems like the best option. When you go to the shelter, be sure you tell them that you need a sedate older cat, who is also cat friendly. Since you want an older guy, and so few do, you'll probably be given the royal treatment!

 

[lissalouie]

From what you have said, this seems like the best option. When you go to the shelter, be sure you tell them that you need a sedate older cat, who is also cat friendly. Since you want an older guy, and so few do, you'll probably be given the royal treatment!

Haha, that'd be nice! I'm hoping to find an older cat who still has some spunk left, but not, like, ALL the spunk, if you know what I mean. On a scale from 0-10, where 0 is "sleeps in the same place all day" and 10 is, well, a teenage cat with a limitless battery, I'd say Rory's energy is a... 4? Occasionally 5? Sometimes 3? So I'm hoping to find a similar cat who is content to chill most of the day but who will humor Rory's desire to occasionally play pawsie under the doors or, if the chemistry is right, have the world's laziest wrestling match.

(I assumed Rory was more playful because he and my beloved Lou were ALWAYS playing, which was new for Lou... but looking back at videos, they had the most geriatric wrestling matches ever. It wasn't until I saw how a 2-year-old cat tried to play fight with Rory that I understood just how mellow Rory really is. He and Lou would literally just lie next to each other and bunny kick for, uh, 10 seconds at a time, then take long breaks. When things did get more energetic, it never lasted more than 2-3 minutes. It was very sweet but very different from an energetic cat's play, haha.)

 

[ArtNJ]

It definitely could work. The problem you might run into is that shelters dont always know the full history, and even if they have a report that a cat is mellow or does well with other cats, that isn't necessarily totally reliable. And how a cat acts at the shelter isn't necessarily how they act once settled in. Add all that to the fact that many senior cats have a hard time adjusting, and, well, you've got risks. It may still be the best chance, but that doesn't mean it will be easy, or even that it will work at all.

 

[lissalouie]

It definitely could work. The problem you might run into is that shelters dont always know the full history, and even if they have a report that a cat is mellow or does well with other cats, that isn't necessarily totally reliable. And how a cat acts at the shelter isn't necessarily how they act once settled in. Add all that to the fact that many senior cats have a hard time adjusting, and, well, you've got risks. It may still be the best chance, but that doesn't mean it will be easy, or even that it will work at all.

Oh, I completely agree. I used to do adoptions for an offsite location with the SPCA, and I always told our potential adopters, look, here is what I have observed and what I have noticed, but their actual personality will likely be at least 90 degrees different from what I'm telling you. I had a bad experience with a rescue recently where the "couch potato, lapcat, uninterested in play, borderline lethargic" cat they adopted out to me was actually just... very sick and they hadn't realized it? So it was a 180-degree change once he recovered, and it was a terrible match. (He is now in a much better-suited home, hooray!) Hence I am trying to take this very slowly and carefully.

I lucked out with Lou, as I rescued him when he was anywhere between 8-11, depending on who you ask, and he immediately settled in and made himself at home. I know that is not the case for most older cats--he was just uniquely confident and adaptable. I am going to be asking many questions to the shelter staff when the time comes, and hopefully we can find the right friend for Rory. Even a cat his age with a similar temperament would be fine; I just suspect he likes to be the 'younger' sibling when possible, haha.